Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson

13 reviews

temberhop's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

dblue236's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

This was definitely not my favorite of this author's books, but it was a solid thriller with some twists I didn't see coming. The reveal regarding one particular character SHOULD have been obvious, but I managed to gloss right over it somehow until shortly before it was unveiled. Overall this was a great story and I enjoyed it, but it definitely isn't the best indicator of how talented Peter Swanson really is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia

kathaleyenda's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

smileysam's review against another edition

medium-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

3.5

I’m pretty sure that a year or two ago, I listened to a podcast about this book. Despite that, the book was still enjoyable and I didn’t remember all of the twists and turns, which was a plus.

I had completely forgotten that Matthew and Richard were the same person, so it still came as a surprise when unveiled.

All in all, this book is a good, quick read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, and Murder

rochelleisreading's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

bethasaurus13's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

1.0

I really wanted to like this but I really did not. I’m a big fan of thrillers and I enjoyed the kind worth killing. however, I have never read a book that made me feel so sick. This book was  disturbing. 
the amount of misogyny, sexual violence was gross. The author stigmatizes DID and bipolar disorder.  The amount of sexual violence was beyond what was necessary and was described in great detail. The internal monologue of the killer was revolting. 

I listened to the audiobook which likely made that character’s internal thoughts about women even more disturbing. The way the killer talks about women was horrific. As a woman, the language was vile. It also made me uneasy that the person writing this was a man.  

The plot was not terrible but I felt sick from the sexual violence and the killer’s internal dialogue.

Also while the book is set in a fictional town, the author gives clues as to where it would be. He  says the town is on the south shore in Massachusetts, but the author’s descriptions of the town and the geography do not make sense. For example they go home from Logan airport but the author says they head towards Lexington to get home … on the south shore. The authors grasp on the geography of the region is sloppy, like most of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Lesbophobia

READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS

ashleyalyse's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I'd like to think I'm fairly observant to common tropes, especially in thriller or horror novels, but the ending of this truly caught me off-guard with an audible gasp. I can't say I've ever done that. It truly kept me listening from start to finish, needing to know what would come next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

adi_rocks_socks's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

That twist!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Stalking

victoria_2002's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

michelle_rose's review against another edition

dark 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? No

4.75

What a story!! Creepy, thrilling, gruesome... And a twist you won't believe. This book touches on mental illness, domestic violence, and the philosophical question "is it okay to kill bad people?"- a poignant psychological thriller.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, and Murder