Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Girl Before by JP Delaney

19 reviews

khanyisile13's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This was so nearly a five star book! So close! The writing is insanely clever, for one person to think up this story? Insanity. I don’t know what I expected going into it, but certainly not this. The story is really good at manipulating even the reader’s feelings. I was gobsmacked to find out the main twist. The dual timeline worked really well in the story’s favour, and I think the characters were believable.

I even think Emma’s dedication to victimhood is believable, even though it was the biggest plot twist that scrambled my brain for a good hour or so. It made me realize that it’s entirely possible for people to think this way, because they do. And often white women, like Emma, get away with it. Because it’s all just a game to them. Manipulation is a game they’re so good at winning. 

The reason it doesn’t get a five stars is because of its depictions of Black people. There are only two obviously Black people in this story, and they’re both stereotypes of what white people have typically expected from Black people. And I think that’s a shame. Then the second reason is that I understand that thrillers have a history of

pinning things on mental health disorders, and driving a fear of people experiencing mental illness, and I think that’s problematic.

I think it would be fine and dandy to just explain that these are terrible people. Because they are. Delaney didn’t have to add that aspect into it, or he could have found a way to add it in while still being cautious of what the reader will take away. He’s a talented writer and if he could think up THOSE twists,

he could easily find a way to make sure that the reader doesn’t find people with mental health disorders inherently dangerous.

Overall, a really excellently told twisty story. I read it in a weekend, which is insane because I’m a slow reader. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder

peachie_pie's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Keeps you guessing until the very end!! I really enjoyed this book, although I didn’t love the first few chapters finding them a little clunky the book really came into itself and I found the structure very clever as well as the plot development. Some great twists and turns! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Rape and Suicide

Minor: Sexual violence

lzjolo's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicide

Lo

lillyrose97's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

simkei's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Murder

Minor: Body horror and Blood

funofme's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No

3.0

it was fine… i felt like the author overthought everything and now i’m left confused. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Murder

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

latham9's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Eating disorder, Suicide, and Stalking

Minor: Abortion

kylieqrada's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

Do not get it twisted - this is a very well-written and spooky thriller. However, SA and narcisstic/abusive relationship themes are triggering for me. So my overall enjoyment was inhibited by that. I would definitely read more by this author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Abortion

Minor: Animal death

_mack_jack_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

3.25

it was out best by another review i saw: yet another book choosing to subvert expectations with a nonsensical twist instead of giving the plot and characters the follow-through they earned. this book was a page-turner but ultimately lackluster.

what i wanted from the book initially was to be shocked and to have my expectations subverted. as i learned more about the characters, i wanted to see the natural conclusion come about. i think the author focused on shock value over realism when coming up with plot points. the complexities of the characters, specifically the men, are unexplored to their fullest because the author takes them off course at random. the women are flawed and emotional humans, which is always good to see, but emma specifically is written to be almost a villain as the book progresses. at first it was a captivating twist, but again the path it took broke my suspension of disbelief. 

did i enjoy reading it? yes. would i recommend it? no.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Murder, and Pregnancy

chaoschali's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Stalking