Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

23 reviews

chronicallydepressedbudgerigar's review against another edition

funny fast-paced

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

It's a mercifully short read at least. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Excrement, Medical content, and Gaslighting

Extremely offensive to autistic people, anyone who might be classed as neurodiverse and/or intellectually disabled.

robin_reads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

This book is written from Christopher’s POV. Christopher has Asperger’s and he wants to find out who killed the neighbor’s dog. 

This was sadder than I expected it to be but also lovely. It was refreshing and eye-opening. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Gaslighting

kaylamoran's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

3.0

I'm genuinely torn on this book.  As far as enjoyment, I loved it.  But I don't think I can give it more than a 3 or recommend it because it just felt like a collection of autistic stereotypes clumsily thrown together.  Not that any of the behaviours are necessarily inaccurate, but I'm tired of how autism is only ever portrayed one way, we aren't all like Sheldon Cooper or Rainman.  We need different portrayals too.  

Also, I'm a bit alarmed by how many reviews describe Christopher as high functioning.  It's not the functioning labels that bother me, I only recently learned they were problematic myself.  It's the fact that Christopher clearly has very high support needs, and the fact that he's being considered high functioning reminds me of how autistics who are good at masking aren't believed.  If this is what's considered high functioning, we need more of an understanding of what autism is.

And I blame no one for that (if you wrote that in a review I totally get it, and I'm not upset and I don't think you did anything offensive).  Because it's BECAUSE this is the only portrayal we get that that causes the lack of understanding, it's not the reader's fault at all.  The lack of societal understanding of autism is largely due to this.

So yeah.  Portrayals like this are the reason I hear stuff like "you can't be autistic, you're too good at reading emotions" or "you're sarcastic" or "you're too pretty" or "girls aren't autistic."  And I guess it's not the books fault either, because it's a valid experience of autism and some people do fit this description.  I guess I just wish it wasn't the only one we saw.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gaslighting

Minor: Infidelity and Physical abuse

technoblade's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

This book is not fucking funny if you rated it funny you are only saying that cause he is autistic . This was intensely sad 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

noahsingh's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

2.0

mixed feelings about this book as someone on the spectrum, definitely related to the main character a lot but the amount of abuse he suffers from his family, which isn't properly condemned imho made me incredibly uncomfortable. yeah, wouldn't reccomend it to other people on the spectrum, definitely found it triggering

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

bellaiu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

the plot twists left and right were groundbreaking 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

seaschells's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

2.0

If you read this book, I hope you find it entertaining, well-paced, and interesting, but it is NOT educational. The only things you’ll learn about autism are stereotypes. Additionally, I’d put a trigger warning on it for parental abuse of their kid. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Abandonment

white_tea_beluga's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

The book was really nice. There were certainly times were I felt for the side characters who had to take care of Christopher and sometimes there were times that I felt for Christopher himself. I could say that in some ways it was a conflicting book because no side you choose is the right answer and you can't find a satisfactory answer to the question 'what would I do if I was in that situation?'. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Vomit, Dementia, and Alcohol

lily_kruse's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Bullying, Cursing, and Car accident

lavalaempchen's review against another edition

This book is so full of ableism and just plane wrong. It hurts me to have read something like that and even spending money for it. 
The author neither did research, nor is he a good writer. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship