Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

144 reviews

sareena's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

vouija's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Excrement, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

emmalizzz's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

A horrifically devastating story depicting the depths of human depravity and the inevitable barbarity of hive mind, the dehumanization of women, and the innocence of children. 

The writing is beautiful, but the story is bleak, painful, and deeply disturbing. 

Very reminiscent of the 1965 murder of Sylvia Likens. Going into this book with the knowledge that this portrays reality, and not some far off, fantasy society made this an incredibly haunting and bone-chilling read. Humans are monsters when put in the right environment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Incest, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

missywhidden's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

jessyjessx's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Torture

slothpaced's review against another edition

dark sad tense

got about 75% into the audiobook without knowing much about the real-life horror it was based on, believing, somehow, naively, that meg would survive in the end... i looked up the murder of sylvia likens. and i have lost even the tiniest bit of will to continue. listening to the narrator recount the story instead of reading it gives it an added sense of realism and despair, and i just don't want to hear him anymore. feel like i only now fully understand what "horror" really can be as a genre. true crime is horror; those ghost stories don't come close. this is one of, if not the, most horrible books i have ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

lightseeker's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Violence, and Excrement

chrissypops's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

kristiforkinglovesbooks's review

Not what I was expecting and it turned way too dark for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and Gaslighting

felivrin's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence