Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

6 reviews

kathleenivy's review against another edition

funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Alcohol, and Classism

vaykay's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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

3.5

Generally enjoyed reading it. I read this in tandem with my partner, which meant we would laugh over the jokes together. Good humor, good insight on diverse versions of men. Lauren is boring, and I felt that the twist at the climax made me realize we don't really know who Lauren is at all. I couldn't make sense of most of her actions, and the ending served as a reminder of her selfishness. This is a perfect example of either too short or too long; this could've been a novella or it must be 400+ pages long. Unfortunately, the last 100 pages felt rushed and as if the author just needed Lauren to do whatever (and very extreme things) just to rush the plot toward the finish line. Disappointing with little payoff. I enjoyed the tone and the characters as well as the concept and setting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Car accident and Pregnancy

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Cursing, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

purplepenning's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

aargot1's review against another edition

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gaslighting

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

lorialdenholuta's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I'm a sucker for a good book blurb. I know how hard it can be to write one that's short while also compelling. "Do you take this man?  No? What about this one?" did it for me. I even managed to ignore "A Novel" on the cover - I usually shy away from novels who proclaim themselves to be such, as that means I'm likely to be entering the realm of Literary Fiction, which can be tedious stuff.

But the blurb hooked me, and in no time I'd settled into my favorite reading spot, cracked into the book, and was willing to give it my afternoon.  It's a longish book, so it took three of my afternoons to reach a conclusion I'd grown to greedily anticipate as I had absolutely no clue how this situation could be resolved.

While the premise may sound cute and fairy tale-ish, it's anything but. Our protagonist and perpetual new bride in old marriages is Lauren. How her attic turned into a reality-changing space that switches out not only husbands but entire realities isn't known, and not important. What IS important are the people it affects. That's Lauren, her endless parade of husbands, and also Lauren's family, friends, workplaces, and neighbors.

As the novelty of being able to change husbands as soon as one becomes annoying wears off, Lauren's rationalization and actions become darker, more cynical. When she thinks she may have found 'the one' to stick with... well I won't go into details because following the escalation of events is most of the fun.

Most of the people in this story, and there are many, are a mess. Author Holly Gramazio doesn't flinch away from showing people at their absolute worst, when the situations call for it. And you'll recognize people you know, and even yourself among them. In a nutshell, The Husbands is a scathing commentary on modern-day relationships. It shines a scolding light on how we treat hook-ups, dating, and marriage.

My thanks to author Holly Gramazio, Doubleday Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Vomit