Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Midnight Is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead

13 reviews

gwenswoons's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I’m an Ashley Winstead superfan (ever since reading The Last Housewife! Maybe my favorite thriller ever?) so it pains me that I really didn’t love this one. I found the pacing and narrative too slow and too local — the main character seems almost willfully naïve, both in the flashbacks (which, fine, teenage kid raised in a bigoted evangelical church, I get it) and, more irritatingly, in the present. The setting is vivid and the characters are interesting! But I felt over and over like this could have been considerably shorter — edited for less repetition, for hemming and hawing that, even if it perhaps felt necessary to Winstead for character building(??), wasnt always the same. I think this book somehow gets a little stuck between trying to be beautiful in the language and world-building and leaning into Winstead’s huge skill as a craftsperson of plot, tension, and thrill. There was a really exciting crescendo for a bit toward the end (though the end itself…..huh?), so I bumped it up to 3 stars — but the majority of the book felt like a 2ish-star slog to me. I thought Sarah Welborn’s southern-accented audio narration was really well done, even if it somehow also underlined the things about this book that didn’t really work for me (repetition, fluffy/insubstantial inner dialogue, etc.). I will still pre-order and read Ashley Winstead’s other books (I’ve read all but one romance from her backlist — her romance writing is really good!)! But this one was not a fave for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

auri_underthing's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

Well. That was quite something. I can’t tell if I liked the ending or hated it. I feel like the author tried to make the book very descriptive and atmospheric but for some reason it didn’t work for me. I think that’s just me though. 
An incredible story. I loved how morally grey it all was.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder

eacrunden's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

4.0

Very, very dark just like other books from this author, and wouldn’t say the end doesn’t spark some frustration BUT very engaging and gripping, with a willingness to go places a lot of writers aren’t 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

       You may not like this book if you are a fundamentalist Christian, as it deals with some of the hypocrisy of a fictional pastor, I'm sure modeled after some real ones. It also deals with an incorrectly labeled fictional Wiccan sect which was much more Satanist than true Wicca.
    That being said it was an excellent book, in my opinion, very dark, but a good romantic thriller. However, the end left me unsatisfied. I'd have liked an epilogue of what happened to the town after, and if the MCs made it through.
    I found the journey enjoyable, and it had some unpredictable twists. Overall, an excellent book.
 
 Narrator Rating:  4.25 stars
   Well the narrator did a good job, she didn't do enough tonal shifts for different characters' voices. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Medical content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Drug abuse, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

The graphic animal cruelty & animal death were not too drawn out and at the start of the book. The other animal death wasn't on the page, just some parts with talk or one of the characters having a dead animal (snake and deer).

tiiiger35's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

I really enjoyed this book, I’d have given it 5 stars if it wasn’t for the ending which was open ended. 

It’s definitely a southern gothic thriller with an underlying supernatural element. 

It’s set in a religiously zealot small town, the author does a great job of describing the hot, humid, swampy, surroundings of the Deep South. 

Ruth, the pastors daughter is naive, submissive and too easily influenced. Her blind ignorance towards her surroundings irritated me a lot. 

I was very drawn to Evers’ character, a tormented soul who’s been mistreated his entire life. His vulnerability around Ruth is endearing & balances out his lingering darkness. 

I see a lot of people slating the Twiligjt references but what they don’t get is that young girls are drawn to books like that and figures Edward Cullen because it’s a love interest outside of society and morality. This cries out to a girl like Ruth confined by religious beliefs & restrictions. It’s no wonder she looked at Ever, as her idea of a dark romance waiting to save her. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the book.

It was hard to put down at times and I raced through it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

jamie_rich's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

rustlngpages's review against another edition

a myriad of reasons but i have a specific trigger for fundamentalists that makes me physically agitated & anxious, and the twilight undercurrent was ridiculous. i was just too stressed to keep reading. it was written just fine but if you have issues with fundamentalism and extreme misogyny… maybe give it a pass. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Addiction and Sexual violence

ariana3's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I surprisingly liked this! There's nothing exciting about the story, but I couldn't put it down and read it quickly!

About the daughter of a reverend (religious fundamentalist that's abusive) and her friend (outcast, son of an alcoholic, known as Satan's son) and their relationship. Her friend, Everett, has killed people he wanted revenge on or to protect her, Ruth. She didn't know it was him so she feels like her adult childhood was a bit of a lie. Her father is a crazy religious preacher, was abusive, and ringleader of this town-wide drug circle which is why they have all their money. Ruth and Ever uncover it together and runaway together (now romantically involved...finally - it was teased the ENTIRE book), but do they survive?!?!?!?! The ending is ambiguous - I have hope that they did

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Minor: Bullying and Abortion

brandilovesbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Midnight is the Darkest Hour is a book about the fine line between good and evil.

Ruth is the daughter of an extreme minister in coastal Louisiana.  She has one friend- Everett, a boy who saved her from rape.  She dreams of leaving her small town and going to college.

Everett teaches her to climb trees and savor nature.  He is a reader like she is.  They read together and talk about books.

When Everett moves out of town, Ruth is forced to stay.  He returns after staying away for a year.

A skull is found in the swamp.  Ruth and Everett are worried the skull will point to them.  

Midnight is the Darkest Hour is told in two timelines- the summers beginning when Ruth was 17 and now.

It is the story of two people making one shady choice after another while they try to avoid the truth coming out.  This is the first book I've read where you know the MC committed murder in their past.

As the book goes on, they learn that evil in the most unexpected places.  Power in their small town means some people are above the law.

I almost put the book down a couple pages in.  Ruth has an obsession with the book Twilight and idolizes Bella.  I was not a fan of that character- I found her annoying and weak.  I decided to keep reading because I understood why a very sheltered minister's daughter might see something in Bella.

This book is a train wreck.  You can't look away.  Ruth and Everett continuously make bad decisions.   Everett convinces Ruth that committing small crimes is okay because the person is bad.  This continues as the crimes get progressively worse.

About half way through the book, the tempo really picked up.  It was hard to put the book down.

Ruth and Everett are lovable in the same way you love a stray animal.  You can't fault them for their issues because of the damage inflicted on them in the past.

I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook.  The audiobook narrator had a perfect southern accent.  Listening to dialog was much better than the Midwestern voice in my head could do.  

I recommend this book for anyone who likes reading about moral grey areas, sheltered girls and the bad boy, or southern small towns.

My content warnings-  lots of fire and brimstone preaching, murder, attempted rape, child abuse, an unhealthy obsession with Twilight, sacrifice, old fashioned beliefs that women should be obedient, cursing (but appropriate and no F words).

The romance is closed door.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I was so excited to pick up this book because I have been become such a big fan of Ashley Winstead's.
"Midnight Is the Darkest Hour" follows Ruth Collier, a young woman who has spent her entire life trying to overcome her struggles as the preacher's daughter. In Ruth's small, southern town of Bottom Springs, there is only one thing the citizens fear more than God, and that is the Low Man. When a skull is found in the swamp, the town believes the Low Man is back, and their prime suspect is Ruth's best friend, Everett. Everett has always been an outsider, and never been accepted by the town because of his father, but the townspeople are all the more suspicious of him because of secrets from his past that he is trying to keep hidden.
I was really engaged with this story from the beginning. I am normally not a fan of stories set in the deep south, but this one really hooked me. I was fascinated by the hypocrisy of the townspeople because they seem to preach being good, God-fearing people, but then they are so quick to turn on someone who is different than themselves. Ruth's father is a tyrant and has used his position as a church leader to break Ruth into submission for her entire life. Ruth has spent her adult years trying to discern who she is outside of church, and if she is a good person. This book exemplifies religious trauma.
I really enjoyed and appreciated Ruth's and Everett's friendship. They were both such misfits, and I think they really complement each other well. Through all of their hardships, they have remained close, and I really loved seeing their story arch.
One of my few gripes with this story is the reference to "Twilight". When Ruth is young, she steals and hides a copy of "Twilight" from the library. She finds such comfort in the story and the characters, and she dreams of having a romance like the one depicted between Bella and Edward. I think this was a nice touch, and really helps to highlight this idea that teenaged girls are often ridiculed for their "immature" interests. People are often so quick to dismiss things, like an interest in "Twilight" as dumb, because a teenaged girl loves it. My critique is the other used this as a plot point continually, and at one point a character tells Ruth that life can be like "Twilight", and I laughed out loud. Perhaps that was part of the point the author was trying to make, but it completely took me out of the story.
The greater mystery of what was going on, and who the Low Man really was, was captivating, and I did not see it coming. I felt like the mystery had layers, and I really enjoyed seeing all of the reveals come through.
This is probably my least favorite of Ashley Winstead's thrillers, but I still very much enjoyed it, and I would recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content