Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

12 reviews

amp18's review against another edition

medium-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? Yes

3.0

This book didn't get good until like halfway in. When it stopped focusing so much on the romance

and Eve's "feelings".

I knew she was a rat from the start.

I liked Avery's solution to it lol even though that took place only over the last 50 pages or so. Obvious that the author wants you to keep going to the next books based on that last chapter. I know it's technically the end of a trilogy but it doesn't feel complet so hopefully the other books can help it feel that way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness

faduma's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Murder, and Classism

and_the_ocean_burned's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Kidnapping

grace_9613's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

the trilogy probably would have been better as a single book but I enjoyed it. 13 year old me would have adored this series 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Kidnapping

Moderate: Death and Mental illness

Minor: Gun violence

wynrii's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious 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? No

4.25

I was not sold on this book until the last quarter. 
The beginning felt like a recap and some of the writing felt sooo mundane or felt like it repeated the same format as the other books. 
Although the plot twists were good per usual.
 One thing I picked out was how the characters were so point blank. All of the characters, every single one, felt so dull and didn’t create that connection to the reader . I could never understand any action or motive a character made because all their personalities were outdated tropes from 2014. 

Otherwise! I throughly enjoyed the ending. I thought it was a solid way to end the series and turn a change for the Hawthorne family. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Kidnapping, and Murder

rileyhines's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

kaitlinlovesbooks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Gun violence, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent

elspethmigliore's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

It was a little hard to follow at times because the family tree is so confusing, but other than that, it was really good! I wish we could've seen more Grayson, or I wish his character had better development, but I'm happy with the ending.

I was team Jameson the whole time, even though I do love Grayson. I feel bad for him and I hope he has a better ending after the story ends. Also, I wish avery didn't just give the money away immediately.

Also, I loved the references to chess and the Queen's Gambit and I like that it connects to the title. I loved how we got to see more Xander and how the mystery seemed to build to a final point over the course of three books. I really like that Avery started solving things by herself and embracing her Hawthorne. Overall, it was very very good. 

definitely reread material ✅ 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Murder

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

eri_off_the_shelf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book including the rest of the series was absolutely amazing! A perfect series for the mystery genre. It was definitely complicated but it wasn't so out there that you couldn't play along. I could make predictions and it was actually possible to be right. The romances were perfectly complicated, and sometimes silent smile or squeal worthy. This book was an experience. Through Avery you could understand other and her own expressions and tones implication's. Amazingly written, a roller coaster, a thrill, an adventure. A gambit. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

nehanaomi's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

Damn, Grayson was dumb in this one. 

Why was everyone so shocked that Avery gave most of the inheritance away, like ya that's the obvious thing to do???

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault