Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Chouette by Claire Oshetsky

18 reviews

kys831's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

mermaidsherbet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment

catwhisperer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Gore

Moderate: Animal death and Gaslighting

niaaaaa's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical trauma, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Excrement, Vomit, Dementia, Abortion, and Pregnancy

rory1387's review against another edition

dark hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

Chouette by Claire Oshetsky was a wild book to start off 2022. It follows a woman who becomes pregnant with a baby that is half owl, her final decision to keep it, her struggles with juggling her career as a violinist with being a mother to her child, and her frequent fights with her husband over whether or not they should attempt to "fix" their daughter. Oshetsky masterfully constructs believable -- yet some still undeniably toxic -- relationship dynamics that work together to form a realistic backdrop for such an absurd book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Abortion

thistledown's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual content

tualha's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

My experience of this book was odd. I completely enjoyed the concept and the themes. Who wouldn't be excited by the story of an owl baby produced by illicit lesbian owl-human-love? I was drawn to the fierceness of the depiction of motherhood, of protecting your child from forces that would seek to "fix" her, the hollowness that can result from caring for a child, let alone with needs unlike those of "dog children". Chouette doesn't really set out to give you any answers, and leaves you with a lot more questions, and a general feeling of unease for most of the book. This is generally a quality I like in books. But I felt like there was something missing for me to hold onto in this book, like a thread of music I couldn't quite catch.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Abortion

bibliophilecrocodile's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.25

Wow, I don't know what the f I just read but that it's unexpected and grotesquely beautiful. The way motherhood was described here is just very different and phenomenal. Totally recommend reading. Great start to a new year for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Vomit