The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
mrs_gale's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Confinement and Cursing
Minor: Mental illness, Death of parent, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Murder
rori_ratsoma's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Confinement, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Chronic illness
s_i_g_y_n's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gore, Death, Gaslighting, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Mental illness
samcsmith's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Body horror, Medical content, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Murder, Sexual content, Torture, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, and Trafficking
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Stalking, Grief, Vomit, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment
smillaaa_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War
plsnotanotherdamselindistress's review against another edition
After reading like 20 pages I could see the plottwist coming and neither the first nor the actual love interest are likeable characters...not because they may be morally grey just because they are so dull (and kinda creepy?).Â
And while I am wishing for the fMC to simply use her brain a bit more at least I can understand why how she acts is very frustrating as she is traumatized and the seclusion has hindered a lot of mental growth.
(But it is also kind of creepy that because of the hindered development she still in some ways is a lot like a child but is really sexualized...)
Graphic: Abandonment and Mental illness
skyegbooks's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Torture, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Murder, Abandonment, and Child abuse
Minor: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Police brutality
foxo_cube's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I love the writing style. I think it does very well at bringing the reader into the chaos and intensity of Juliette's mind as a traumatised, terrified teenager, and the writing becomes more or less frantic with her emotions. Oddly, there is a note at the start of the book explaining this narrative technique, which I can't blame the writer for because it's just as, if not more, likely to have been the publisher's idea. Bit of a shame, though - like explaining the punchline to a joke. Nonetheless, I think that's what drew me in to the narrative: the way that Juliette's feelings are expressed is lovely and makes her feel more human.
The romance with Adam was okay. I think it's a bit weird that he found out he could touch her unharmed because he was caressing her in her sleep when she was having nightmares, but his feelings for her come off as sincere. I think she genuinely loves him but sometimes I couldn't help but think that surely, affection from nearly anyone will feel amazing and that could make her <i>think</i> she's in love even if she isn't. I mean, you only have to look at her weirdly conflicting emotions towards War Criminal Warner to see that.
Ah, yes, War Criminal Warner. He's a pervert and a pathetic nepotism baby and likes to kill people for fun. He turns up to be emotionally abusive and sexually inappropriate towards Juliette, intending on grooming her into his weapon/consort. She inexplicably still thinks he's hot. Sometimes, it feels like this book is resisting the urge to become Baby's First Dark Romance and go down his route.
Juliette is incredibly horny in general. It's kind of funny sometimes. She'll experience the most traumatising shit you can think of and then Adam will touch her arms and she'll be like "oh YEAH babey". To be fair, though, she is the most touch-starved person of all time, so maybe that's not that weird.
This isn't a criticism, but a thing I noticed that I found strange. So, Juliette has been given maybe one small meal a day for the best part of a year, and presumably must be terribly underweight and look like she's on death's door. Even after eating normally for a couple of weeks, she's probably not looking exactly healthy. That's whatever in itself, that's just the nature of being imprisoned in an inhumane asylum. But there're consistent reminders of how tiny and little and small Juliette is that... well, it kind of gave me the ick. Look, I've got a height complex three times my size, so I'm not a fan of big height differences personally. I don't want to feel even shorter than I am. But with the context meaning she's probably very very skinny and frail <i>as well</i>, it made me a bit uncomfy. I don't know if this is just a straight woman thing that I don't get, a romance trope that I wouldn't have come across, or if the writer has a mild macro/micro kink that's coming through or what, which is why, even if I didn't like it, I don't mean it as critique. It just stood out to me.
The ending left more questions than answers because it's part of a series. That's fair.
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Violence, and War
lizzye33's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Emotional abuse, Body horror, War, Medical content, and Police brutality
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Torture, Child abuse, and Genocide
memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Child death, Physical abuse, Confinement, Child abuse, Death, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, Gun violence, Murder, Domestic abuse, Torture, Body horror, Medical content, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Sexual content, War, Cursing, Excrement, and Animal cruelty