Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen

35 reviews

samdalefox's review

mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I read this as an audiobook. I find these types of thrillers do well in this format and I enjoyed listening to it. The book is a confident portrayal of a dysfunctional relationship (see the content warnings section for specifics as these could be considered as spoilers but are important to highlight), and the twists were enjoyable even if I did guess one or two - though not all!.

I think two quotes perfectly sum up the sentiments resting behind the story:

Spoiler

Richard: "I thought you could save me from myself". Vanessa to Emma: "A part of you already knows what he's like, who he is."

Spoiler

Take home message: believe women. Have solidarity with women. Work towards dismantling the patirachy and rehabilitating men who have never learned to love or respect themeselves or others.

One further note:

Spoiler

the Duke the dog going missing storyline hit me hard. I was devastated.

.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Medical content, Infertility, Sexual assault, Stalking, Body shaming, and Car accident

rachelfayreads's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Infertility, Stalking, Addiction, Gaslighting, Abortion, and Sexual assault

nursestern's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Thrilling and enrapturing. Once I hit the 10th chapter I couldn’t put it down. This book will have you flipping back and forth to make sure you’re properly following the web the characters create. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Domestic abuse, Death, Mental illness, and Death of parent

jamiejanae_6's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Alcohol, Stalking, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

taliatalksbooks's review

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen was painfully slow for the first 100 pages or so, but after the end of part one, it was oh so worth the build up. I LOVED the little twist at the end of part one, and though some moments got a bit bogged down in information sharing, the book started flying after that. I think this book plays with the idea of “the other woman” and revenge in a really reflective way, ultimately leading to an epilogue that left me shocked. While it didn’t get the coveted audible gasp, it definitely got a little squeal of excitement. The pieces of this story come together perfectly, if you’re patient enough to let them unfold. This book really points to the strength of survivors, and how survivors need to support others, which I really admire and didn’t expect from the title. I would definitely recommend this book, but you have to stick it out for the first part of the book. I promise, it’s worth it! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Addiction, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, and Abortion

missa410's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Stalking, and Toxic relationship

mags88's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Twist and turns!
Loved how it came together! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Grief, Suicide, Addiction, Body shaming, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Abortion, Car accident, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Stalking, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Miscarriage, Drug use, and Drug abuse

allykhat328's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I finally found a thriller that I loved! This is the first thriller where I am intrigued but not anxious by the plot or scenarios. It is also the first time I have enjoyed the plots and not found them cringey or lazy writing. 
 
Although there are some really dark topics in it like DV, suicide, mental illness and emotional abuse to name a few. I still enjoyed it and normally those aspects would be quite triggering for me. 

I actually really enjoyed the characters even though I hated some of them they were still enjoyable. 
I also found it quite confusing at times but I felt like that was the aim and that it really added to the story.

I will 100% pick up more by these 2 authors

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Grief, Infidelity, and Infertility

niluli's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

this has one of the better portayals of

Spoiler

domestic abuse

in the thriller genre. some parts are more exaggerated than is typical, but I was impressed by the nuances

Spoiler

”he liked to keep her safe, but also to keep her afraid so she’d rely on him” realization and the not-obvious lovebombing and gaslighting

. the fact that it was pretty grounded in reality made me that much more affected and invested in the story. (although there is an unsuccessful attempt to humanize this character that feels out of place since they’re villainized the entire book & undeserving.)

I guessed a big twist from the beginning, but I still think it was a great one—I’m just very skeptical and thriller-brained. plus this book doesn’t depend on its twists, it’s plot stands on its own. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Stalking

Moderate: Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Infertility, Car accident, Grief, Infidelity, and Violence

Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion, and Blood

Details of the domestic abuse:

Spoiler

hit in the face, kicked in the ribs, strangled, her hair pulled, collapses, pushed down the stairs

jkarki's review

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The twists in the book weren't exactly unpredictable... there were a couple I didnt see coming. The plot was interesting, the way it intertwined, but I felt like the story could have focused more on fleshing out the side characters than what type of wines they drank. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Infidelity, Death, Car accident, Blood, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Classism, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Infertility, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Drug use, Ableism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Bullying, Alcohol, Stalking, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Car accident, Vomit, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage