Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

18 reviews

kirstym25's review

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, and Murder

Minor: Gaslighting

sarahclaire's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

bealmg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Violence and Sexual harassment

Minor: Miscarriage and Gaslighting

weatherington's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I’ll admit i didn’t research what this book was, so that’s on me and maybe I’m not “intellectual” enough to really “get it” but it’s straight trauma porn. I like hard book and I enjoy a realistic ending but to create something so vile and devoid of hope with the overall point being men and masculinity have been and continue to be fatal to women, I’m just not sure the book made any argument beginning to end. I know I’m sensitive and imaginative but some chapters made me literally gag - and again for what? To continuously hone in the point that men frequently treat women with extreme cruelty? Just like beating a dead horse although if given the chance I’m sure the author would relish writing about a man beating a dead women, in fact she writes several about men beating women dead. 
I will say - well written, and some storylines I found fascinating, they were just cut with incessant cruelty to the degree I will not be able to think of this book fondly 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

any_bethany's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A brutal, visceral and important portrait of male violence and the way it distorts, destroys and stains lives.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

my_a's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

funktious's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

3.0

Objectively speaking, this isn't a bad book, but I absolutely hated it. 

The good: the characters, the setting, the fierce sisterhood amongst the women through all the generations. The Bass Rock looming over it all, the witchiness. Ruth, Betty and Bernadette. Maggie for about 10% of her page time. The post-war trauma in Ruth's section.

The bad: the sheer unrelenting misery ('oh look, it's a new female character, I wonder what's going to happen to her? Oh, she's being raped already'.) The constant drinking. The metric ton of rape. That only one living man in the whole book is not an absolute monster. Maggie, like 90% of the time.

I may have enjoyed this more in a different time of my life, but right now I need a bit more hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

catha1na's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

oleanderwillow's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

Reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier's 'Rebecca' and similar to Laura Purcell's books. Took me a week to read because of a reading slump but also because I needed time in between the chapters. This book is so full of realistic and heart-breaking violence against women and young boys that it is difficult to read, so I didn't rush it. You need to be in the right headspace to read this, and please take into account all the trigger warnings attached to this novel. Well-written, beautiful setting, realistic characters, wonderful book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

anna220310's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Death of parent

Minor: War

This is very hard to read, emotionally, but a very important read. A masterful representation of the pervasiveness of violence against women throughout time, and a call for rebellion. Although The Bass Rock could be classified as gothic fiction, it is much too realistic to be called that, even though that fact is hard to stomach. Evie Wyld also does not only portray violence against women, but also the violence men enact on young boys, so it feels like a comprehensive portrayal of the ridiculously extensive normalisation of sexual violence that is integral to the patriarchal system. If anyone doesn't understand why it is dangerous to be a woman, today as well as throughout history, hand them this book.