Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Don't Let Her Stay by Nicola Sanders

17 reviews

aleen_elizabeth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• 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 shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

chickelope's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Gun violence, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, and Terminal illness

spellbindingtomes's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal cruelty

lizziaha's review against another edition

1.5

As a disclaimer, I probably would’ve DNFed this book if I hadn’t been reading it for a book club. It really wasn’t for me. 
The characters were insufferable, and every move being made by the author was very transparent. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Fire/Fire injury

capriqueen's review against another edition

mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.5

A very good thriller, had me very stressed out especially because of all the gaslighting. I wanted to shake Jo at times because she just believed whoever told her anything and didn’t really think critically, but also I sympathize because I think I would be like that too in this situation

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Confinement, Infidelity, and Suicide

pernillelsk's review against another edition

slow-paced

1.0

I almost never rate a book only 1 stars or below, but there was just no way that I could rate "Don't Let Her Stay" any higher. 

I listened to the audio book of this. The writing itself was fine, and so was the narration, but unfortunately, none of that helped salvage it. 

The story was terribly boring and ridiculous. I didn't like any of the characters. All of them were almost nothing but comical caricatures. They were either unbelievably dumb, naïve, and apologetic idiots, or righteous, gaslighting assholes. The only likeable character was the dog. And perhaps sometimes the baby.

No matter how much I sped it up the pace of the audio of this book, I couldn't get properly through the story. About halfway through, I couldn't take it anymore, so I skipped a few chapters forwards every few minutes in the hopes that I would eventually get to something interesting - but the story was so slow and repetitive that I could hardly even tell that I'd skipped anything until I was close to the end. The ending was unnecessarily ridiculous and twisty, but all in all not very surprising or interesting.

Thrillers are usually my jam, and based on the description, I figured that this book would be right up my alley, but no matter what I did, I just could not get through it in the proper way. It was just too boring, too annoying, and too ridiculous. Just skip this one and go find an actually interesting thriller - there are so many out there much better than this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Classism

ktreml06's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I read this book in one day because I simply could not put it down! From the very first page I was intrigued and on edge. The author did an amazing job of immersing you in the story— I felt the anxiety, fear and suspense that the main character felt the entire time! In the first half I felt frustrated with the characters and how predictable it was, but as the story unfolded in the second half I realized I was being tricked just the main character. Every time I thought I knew what the truth was, things got flipped upside down and I was questioning everything all over again. 

This truly was a wild ride and I highly recommend you take your blood pressure meds before reading!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

_msmarian_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

Wow. WOW. WOWW.

I have no words to really describe the rollercoaster of emotions that I went through while reading this book! It's a proper mind boggler, to say the least.

While the reader may start formulating who the villain is, it's impossible to really know until the very end.

Probably one of the best paychological thrillers I've EVER read!

HIGHLY recommend this fast-paced page turner if you're interested in this genre.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

33vee's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

hellokatya's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

i finished this book in one sitting. 
as much as the characters annoyed me, and were truly insufferable, the author really knows how to weave a story together and make it addicting.
definitely a strong recommendation for a thrilling binge read. 

i most definitely saw through the richard misdirect, but it was nice to even question just a little bit what really was going on.

i do wish there had been more done with the aspect of joanne being an unreliable narrator, with her mother’s history of PPD. i think it could’ve been a really good plot device, but it seemed to be put to waste.

the story reminded me of the omen or the good son. 
in its entirety, it’s very creepy, frustrating, and really puts you on the edge of your seat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury