Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

45 reviews

goobyworm23's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.0

The plot of the book is 5/5. It had such great potential to be a horrifying psychological thriller. 

Unfortunately, the writing was too…. Obvious? Cheesy? The writing just didn’t land for me - it made it seem like a low budget scary movie. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Gaslighting

tupeloallie's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infertility, Kidnapping, Abandonment, and Alcohol

mckinleyelle's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Gaslighting

aharper's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

lauren06100's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Amazing book!

The way I hate Jack with every fibre of my being shows me that B. A. Paris can write the hell out of a character!

Millie is a hero, love her! And I knew I was going to like Esther. 

I would have liked the ending to maybe have a bit more substance and shock factor, but it gets 5 stars from me anyway!

Favourite book of 2024 so far.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Murder

Minor: Violence

bendersanchez23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

mecmccann's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Behind Closed Doors was a better version of the same tropes in The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden. In this book, we follow a young girl who meets and quickly marries who she thinks is the man of her dreams. But on their wedding day, her sister and bridesmaid who has downs syndrome falls down the stairs and breaks her leg. They proceed with the wedding, and her new husband turns on her. He confides that it isn't her that he wants, its her sister. (though it's not clear what for. He said this in the same breath as "having sex with you was cumbersome and I didn't want to do it," so I think he wanted to assault her). He locks her in a room, he takes all her money, he starves her and tortures her. 

It's dark. I don't mind darkness, in fact, I typically like a psychological horror/thriller book. However, this was too straightforward and lacked any suspense. And this main character was not getting that he wanted to rape her disabled sister and put off getting out of the situation until the absolute last second. Is that where the suspense was? I didn't love this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

tinkerbell2706's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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

Completely fell in love with this book finished it in one day, could not put it down! The characters are so well written and I can’t stop reading the last 5 pages! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting

saskiahill's review against another edition

fast-paced

1.5

Super predictable the whole way through and just horrible content throughout. The author over-explains things often.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit

mirandalikesbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

A quick and easy read! Would be great for a flight or a rainy day.

I thought I was settling in for something a little meatier. In my opinion, the story introduced the conflict right away and didn't do much to surprise the reader throughout.

However, I did like Millie's role in the plot - she was more clever than people wanted to give her credit for. I also liked the battle of wills between Jack and Grace. The "who will win" of it all kept me reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Infertility and Forced institutionalization