Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

114 reviews

peasandpancakes's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

I really immensely enjoyed this book. Merricat was a very interesting narrator, obviously very unreliable, and I loved her little disturbing thoughts. A reddit user whose account was deleted really nicely summarised the writing as a “sense of overwhelming dread that lies beneath the surface of ordinary life. Like something sinister is slowly, but surely, making its appearance, but you don't know when or how it's going to happen”, and I fully agree with that. 

At first I was a bit confused with the kind of sudden ending, but I have come to appreciate it. This will definitely be a book that I will think back on from time to time!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Mental illness

ilaxaria's review against another edition

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Suicide

bobbijo104's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Bullying and Classism

shedevls's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Classism

glacialis's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Mental illness

eiriee's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Bullying

otterforce's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

 This is a story about so much and so little, and that’s the least of the conflicting or opposing elements involved. If you like character driven stories with a side of mental health issues and some darkness, this story will serve you well. 

It’s a story where no one is innocent and no one escapes unchanged, but whether the end is happy or tragic is left up to you.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, and Gaslighting

perth_is's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism

elsabell's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury

rceparski's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

This is such an unconventional book and I wasn’t sure how to rate it. But I thoroughly enjoyed the odd characters, the way some of the repetitive phrases/scenes felt like a fever dream, and that even though there is so much unsaid you can read between the lines and still understand.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, and Death of parent