Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

37 reviews

its_ash's review against another edition

dark 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

afinalgirl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

oh my god.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Cancer, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

katybugggg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

2.0

I was enthralled and eager to find out the secrets, but it was just sad and horrible the whole time, with no relief. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

sasisaskia's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Cancer and Infidelity

kaitlynisliterate's review against another edition

• 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

3.25

Pros
+ Interesting premise
+ Good execution of multiple POVs and time jumps

Cons
- The author tries too hard to set everything up for a perfect reveal but it makes the first half of the book quite boring
- After the big reveal, all of the plot twists are fairly predictable

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, Murder, and Pregnancy

connorjdaley's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I read this one as May’s pick for book club. I started this one on a high, working through it fast, but then I petered out taking almost the entirety of the month to complete. 

The novel features Nina, the daughter, and Maggie, the mother. The two live together, and hate each other, in perfect disharmony. The novel is always a back of forth of who is and is not telling the truth, who has the most trauma, and who is only doing what’s right. They are both withholding incredible secrets, and the novel ends every chapter with a cliffhanger of a reveal. 

At first, that was what dragged me in so hard, but I feel like over time, it honestly kind of felt like someone throwing every single idea they had ever thought of into a single novel. Every twist, betrayal, misdirect, red herring, and deception ever created under gods eye is used in this one. It just started to trip me up. I also feel as if some serious condensing might actually have amped up the pressure and pacing an incredible amount. The ending is stressful and seriously packed, but it does feel tacked onto what is probably 150 pages too long. 

I’m not sure how else to feel, because neither main character is right or “good” by any means. Nor is there any kind of winner, truly. 

Personally a 3/5*. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

stacey_reads_books's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I did enjoy this book, I found myself looking forward to bedtime so I could read a bit more and find out what next. I also found it stayed with me after reading it. However, to enjoy the book I did have to suspend my belief as so much happened that I felt wouldn't realistically happen in real life. I'm not complaining as it still provided some great escapism. 

I was shook by the ending. Don't expect a happy ever after.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cancer, and Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury

sassykassy08's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

10/10, highly recommended. Enjoyed this mystery thriller immensely, the way it was told and the angles the author used. Had me guessing the whole way. Psychologic thriller for sure! Loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

freckles_13's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If you want a dark, twisted book with characters who have done such questionable actions due to their “love” for another, then this is the book for you.

It’s dark and heavy to read, with scenes that are so dour and sad that it physically pains you to read. No character is right, all of them are morally wrong due to their extreme ways of dealing with their past.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

hilarylouise's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury