Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

18 reviews

azebrareads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

abookishtype's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

2.0

 The small community near East Lothian’s Bass Rock is not a safe place for women or children. It seems that it never has been, as we learn in Evie Wyld’s unsettling novel The Bass Rock. Wyld’s narrative sends us reeling back and forth in time as depressed Viv, oppressed Ruth, and hunted Sarah try to find a measure of peace on their scrap of Scottish coast, with variable success. This is a difficult book and I’m not entirely sure that the payoff at the end was worth the creeping dread I felt while reading it...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Murder, and Gaslighting

savvylit's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

The Bass Rock is a captivating novel about the full spectrum of male violence. From gaslighting and manipulation to sexual violence and murder, Wyld slowly and subtly drips in the myriad ways that men have controlled & harmed women throughout history. The Bass Rock forces readers to pay attention to what all women know - but may only occasionally acknowledge for sanity's sake. That each one of us has experienced male violence. Each one of us has had some of the very same fears and realities faced by the characters in these pages.

Needless to say, The Bass Rock is an emotionally heavy book. However, Wyld maintains reader interest by switching between each of her vivid, flawed characters. There is so much more to this novel beyond the violence. There's evocative descriptions of the Scottish coast, complicated family dynamics, paranormal activity, claustrophobic small town encounters... Wyld writes so beautifully that you can't look away. While reading, I found myself vacillating between feeling frustrated, hopeful, disappointed, unsurprised, and deeply depressed. If you decide to read this too, please be sure to take care of yourself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

corneliusmcstrawberry's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

this book was dark. personally i am a fan of dark, challenging pieces of literary fiction, so this was up my alley. this author's use of different types of perspective (first person, third person omniscient/limited) is genius; once i realized why she chose to play around with perspective the way she did, it all clicked, and i loved it. good use of motifs as well, and great attention to detail/subtlety. the fox and the wolf are recurring motifs throughout this book and i enjoyed the symbolism. this is a story about patriarchal violence, and how society has allowed it to fester and ruin the lives of so many women across generations, in ways big and small. potential spoiler ahead (?):

the character maggie was my favourite - such a complex character, and her dialogue is a breath of fresh air that cuts through the fog and unapologetically hands you the message of the novel.

also, the prologue of this novel!!!! one of the best i have read. it sets the tone for the novel and frankly, it did have me hooked on the book from the beginning. i found parts of this book to be quite thrilling, as well as blunt and - as i have already stated - dark. if you are looking for a distinctly feminist novel, this is a great book to try. it was weaved together so well, the stories of the three women - sarah, ruth, and viviane - as well as those of the side characters have been braided together. this was a great read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Stalking, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

rosalind's review

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Car accident, and Abortion

heather3086's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• 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

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

karabeavis's review against another edition

challenging dark funny hopeful sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

Stella Prize 2021 winner. I loved this. A completely enthralling read with many funny moments, contemporary situations and flawed characters. I was absolutely at the house by the ocean and the rock, which forms the central location of the stories. This is also a deeply disturbing account of the role of men’s violence against women over generations. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

orangesandanna's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Gaslighting