Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

You'd Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace

22 reviews

haileyhardcover's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

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

5.0

Claire sees people as ghosts before they die. That’s how she knows it’s time for her to kill them. Claire has been getting away with murder (literally) for years, but now, someone knows her secret…

I absolutely loved every page of this book. Never has a serial killer been funnier! Claire quickly became one of my favorite book characters of all time. I don’t know that you’re supposed to love a serial-killing sociopath, but in Claire’s defense, they were bad people! …mostly 👀 

I had no idea how this book was going to end! Wallace did a fantastic job of not revealing too much too early so you didn’t figure it all out before Claire did and the book was gripping the whole way through. 

If you love a thriller and deadpan British humor, this is the book for you!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Dementia, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Torture, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

taborw's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

3.0

The book takes on a classic concept and adds an interesting twist. I wasn’t sure where the plot was going and it was an exciting ride!  My only critique is that the delivery of the conclusion feels abrupt. You’re given many clues and pieces that start to fit together then all of a sudden it’s all gets perfectly explained right at the end. This doesn’t take away from the intricacies of the plot, rather it was just an unsatisfying delivery in my opinion. I wasn’t sure where still shocked by the end and pleased to have read the book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder

snarkycrafter's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This book was so incredibly unhinged in the best way! Claire was so…off, and yet she was hilarious (if you like dark humor)! 

I like that we got her origin story sprinkled throughout the book. 

Life isn’t a film, and in the real world people listen carefully to rhetoric but are rarely persuaded to change their minds. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse

sn0w0's review against another edition

dark funny informative lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.75

The UK specific racism was highly informative. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

justagir1's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted 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? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Minor: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

bridge_to_narnia's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

2.0

Why? 

The actual prose of the book was flowed well and was easy to read. Plus, until the last third of the book, the plot was a fairly straightforward mystery, while ignoring the ghost thing the title and summary referred too. 

This is not a funny book, all the characters are irritating (which when you are killing them is probably good?), and the plot twist x3 comes out of nowhere, making their payoff feel unearned. The character developement is a full circle and the character of the protagonist is the problem. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

rebleejen's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

Works as a mystery and as a dark comedy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Physical abuse

roonilxwaslib's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Suicide

jpfortmiller's review against another edition

dark funny fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Gore

Moderate: Physical abuse

Minor: Suicide

ninahuynh's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

The main reason why this is not a 5/5 stars even though I enjoyed the book is that

there is all this build up to Claire setting up the perfect revenge kill for Deb and Vampire Smoker/Gary yet nothing happens with it and instead, they are taken to the court system for trial. THAT felt anti-climatic and out of character for her... unless she is planning on offing them later somehow when they are inside..??

It was interesting to feel sympathy for her and root for her as she is mowing down all these people, yet it gives a comforting relief when the ugly characters get the hammer to the head (figuratively-and literally for some-).

I wonder if we got a chapter with the pov of the dad, like an epilogue or something,  what his thoughts on Claire would be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail