Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry

7 reviews

ksamaine95's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I signed up for Psychological thriller.. this was giving horror. 

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I give this rating because I can’t imagine how hard it was to write about something so controversial, triggering, and nuanced. This is how you use your pen to inform, confront and create space for difficult real life topics. not demonized, not romanticized. 

I would not say this made me question my morals or force me to “see both sides”. It did shine a light on the harsh extremes we put on delicate and devastating situations. 

As a story by itself I would give
2 ⭐️⭐️

I found the characters deeply irritating. I think the mother and father had to be rigid in their roles and stances for this to work. As someone as in the mental health field, I wasn’t triggered by the content as much as I was internally at war with my professional brains and my human/gut reactions to the characters & their responses. 

I spent the last three chapters repeating “girl — hell no!” I think the twist was necessary.  I called it early but felt maybe that would be too obvious.  I’m glad it was not what I was bracing myself for. 


I’ll probably sit with this one for a bit before reading more by Dr. LB. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

k8lynn's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

5.0

this is the most difficult book i have ever read. i cried so hard. but it really opens up questions in your mind you never thought you'd ask.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

aleen_elizabeth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

cewhouser7405's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

trashgobby's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

beffjt's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

5.0

What a rollercoaster. My head was SCRAMBLED!!!
It makes you question everything you onced thought about the subject of the story line. I couldn't help but feel for Noah and his mother. As much as I wanted to hate noah for the crime he committed a part of me wanted to fix him. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

kiddocut's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

This book is not for everyone. Don’t go into it thinking there is a big twist once you read what the subject matter is-there is no twist.  That’s the point.

It’s one of the most challenging and upsetting things I’ve ever listened to and if you skip bits I don’t blame you-I had to skip some final chapters to “finish” this book. <specifically those associated with assisted suicide>

I think it takes great skill to write about this subject matter in a humanizing light without excusing the actions of the MC’s son. 

The point of the book is seeing her do everything she thinks she can to save her son from his own urges-even denying the truth or hoping it’s a mistake…and how that rips her family apart.  And yeah the MC does stupid and dangerously risky things to do that-but I can’t help but understand how hard it must be with the association of someone like her son. 

I think this book does a good job with the ripples of victimhood that the actions of the MC’s son actually does. That it affects every family member and how it affects them. And I think we forget that aspect of these kinds of crimes. 

If you can stomach it, (again, it’s not for the faint of heart) the change of perspective is interesting in and of itself.  

And as much as I like that, I do wish there was like a blurb or something about the research in this book-especially when it comes to the profiling efforts. It’s well researched but i still felt left hanging. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Don’t go into this thinking there is a twist like I did-I was mislead by a friend suggestion, there *is* a slight one, but it’s so minuscule and misleading that it’s a pseudo twist that has no affect on the MC or her son.