Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Hollow Heart by Marie Rutkoski

7 reviews

xlpurple18's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Despite the controversy over this book, it was so well done and well written. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because if you’re expecting Sid and Nirrim to have a lot of quality time together, that is not what you’re going to get, and it’s really disappointing. I read to the end because I had no idea how everything would’ve been tied together, but I’ll admit I was hoping to see more of Sid and Nirrim. believe the last couple of chapters

where Sid saves Nirrim and Nirrim surrenders her ruthless cause

would have made a great third book. It would have been amazing and much better to get a third book exploring where Norris goes from here, and how her and Sid’s love evolves and grows, then been given insight to Nirrim’s psychological recovery after all of the damage she caused. That said, it was tied together beautifully, although it felt rushed and felt like we didn’t get the rich end of the story. Marie Rutkoski did a beautiful job of depicting Nirrim’s ruthless self while not overloading her POV, and giving us more time with Sid, whose character development in this book is phenomenal as she navigates the complicated relationship of parent and child, and of her relationship with herself. Both kinds of love, love between parent and child and love of self, are so hard to put into words, but Marie Rutkoski did it beautifully, in a way that we all see ourselves in somehow. It’s difficult to write such a complicated, multi-layered narrative, but she did that beautifully. Despite the book feeling like it was rushed at the end—and we could have used more of Sid and Nirrim’s growing and loving relationship, and Nirrim’s recovery—it was still written beautifully. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Mental illness

sandy_21's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Gaslighting, and War

Minor: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Death of parent

dreamdust1600's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Pretty evil lady please step on me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, War, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror

hue's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My heart is swelling!

I must admit I was afraid at first to find out the sequel was written in first person rather than third like the Midnight Lie, but I was pleasantly surprised. The dwelve into both Sid and Nirrim's thoughts and turmoils—as well as the storytelling of the God of Lies—was absolutely marvelous. Sure, sometimes it felt as if there was no "true" plot to follow, but I did not mind one bit about it. The characters and their stories, the threads that weave their lives—it was rich and fantastical, full of grief and love and desperation. I cannot find the words to describe it any better. I could stay in this world for all of entirety!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and War

strawberrycandy's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Gaslighting

Minor: Gore and Homophobia

orchidd's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Gaslighting and War

imaginingly's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

i enjoyed how this book ended although i wasn’t the biggest fan of nirrim’s character for this book i really enjoyed the development of (almost) each character we met from the midnight lie and how it all came together in the end

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Blood

Minor: Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Torture, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism