Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

30 reviews

thejenstamps's review against another edition

Wayyyyyy too emotionally intense. Gave me a literal stomach ache. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment

tupeloallie's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infertility, Kidnapping, Abandonment, and Alcohol

caitbop5's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Abortion

camille_r95's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Murder, and Abandonment

ashaelise's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Abandonment

aharper's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

adrianaeckart's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

faythd's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

I don't know if "enjoyed" is the correct word for my reading experience but I couldn't put it down. The suspense is real.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Pregnancy

kspears's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

This book was sick and twisted and heavy handed on the gaslighting. Jack, the perfect husband on paper, is a psychopath with an alarming fascination for Grace's sister, Millie, who has Down's Syndrome. 

Jack was *too* evil, to the point that he was a charicature of a villain. He was a half step away from rubbing his hands together meniacally and cackling just for the hell of it. The tragic villain backstory was a bit forced, in my opinion. That being said, his actions did make my skin crawl. 

While this book may not pass the Bechdel Test, there is an underlying theme of the connectivity of women, maternal instincts, and protecting your fellow woman.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Abandonment

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Minor: Suicide attempt and Pregnancy

mecmccann's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Behind Closed Doors was a better version of the same tropes in The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden. In this book, we follow a young girl who meets and quickly marries who she thinks is the man of her dreams. But on their wedding day, her sister and bridesmaid who has downs syndrome falls down the stairs and breaks her leg. They proceed with the wedding, and her new husband turns on her. He confides that it isn't her that he wants, its her sister. (though it's not clear what for. He said this in the same breath as "having sex with you was cumbersome and I didn't want to do it," so I think he wanted to assault her). He locks her in a room, he takes all her money, he starves her and tortures her. 

It's dark. I don't mind darkness, in fact, I typically like a psychological horror/thriller book. However, this was too straightforward and lacked any suspense. And this main character was not getting that he wanted to rape her disabled sister and put off getting out of the situation until the absolute last second. Is that where the suspense was? I didn't love this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail