Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone

2 reviews

collinsd's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Death of parent, and Child death

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Stalking, Mental illness, Grief, Gaslighting, and Blood

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Dementia, and Car accident

Is lying a content warning? because by golly this book is filled with lies, people pretending to be other people, lying for no reason and people lying and saying this is a good book. The book is well written and the setting is great but jesus christ there's so many descriptions of fishing and farming and mythology and a fuck ton of characters that quite frankly weren't needed. All I can say is poor Robert, yes you did some questionable things, yes you didn't get along with anyone but that's not a crime. Also fuck Charlie with my whole heart, bro just kept lying and gaslighting and gatekeeping and just being an all around menace and for what, he doesn't deserve peace he deserves to suffer. This was such a slog to read.

I can't believe someone thought hmm you know what's a good idea have this character be reincarnated and have them fuck another character that was their son in another life and then let that son not know that every single person he's grown up around has not only lied to him but let his father die because of his mental illness instead of getting him actual help. Like the whole community hated his father from the start and gaslit and terrorised someone else just for wanting to get answers and justified it by saying they tried to be nice to him like no you didnt you fucking stole his sheep and werent fucking watching your kids

zosiablue's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Ohhh this was lovely. Atmospheric, rainy, Scottish, small islander town, mythology, mystery, murder!, romance with a farmer. There's one scene that's going to stick with me forever, where a character makes a devastating choice and changes their mind too late to reverse it. My biggest fear. Part of the twist at the end you kinda gotta go LA LA LA to pretend it isn't SUPER weird but I was able to la la la successfully. Epic and pretty and heartbreaking. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Child death

Moderate: Sexual content, Murder, Dementia, Animal death, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Stalking