Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Still Beating

Bro, this book was a heavy read for me. I mean, I’m a dark and twisty kind of girl, and I was aware of the plot, but reading it broke my heart. I think this is a powerful book that shows the process of healing from traumatic events, so I definitely see its importance, but, for me, it was not the kind of book that I could just blast through - it hurt too much.

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reka111's review against another edition

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Okay, you've got me me, I can't go on, it's just TERRIBLE.

The writing is incredibly awful, FMC is terribly annoying, MMC gets a little credit, but he doesn't get much either. Both are completely empty and utterly unrealistic. I don't have a problem with the theme itself, I think it was bold that the author chose this and put it bluntly lively, but it was harder to execute for her.

PS; why is Core's rape only mentioned when Dean ALSO went through it? It doesn't make any sense.

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louise_jayne99's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

4.0

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blumerlamotte's review against another edition

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challenging 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

3.75

Heart wrenching, intense, dark, complicated. Check the trigger warnings. They’re no joke. This novel is NOT for the faint of heart.

Folks seem to either love or hate this novel. I swear reviewers either give it 5 stars or 1 star. I’m really torn. Unsure how I feel about it. It started so strong (but extremely hard to read) and from there… the character development was convoluted and messy and erratic. I think that follows with the excessive trauma the characters had to deal with. For me I think it just felt a little too contrived and not quite authentic enough.

It’s a good book with awful topics. The authors writing style is smooth and easy to follow. Something about it just left me wanting but I don’t know what I want …

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mariahlynnpeck's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

This book has very hard topics and traumas but the love story that unfolds is a good one. I feel like the author captures the story very well and how they deal with their trauma after everything.

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mickiec03's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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rdaacvhiesl's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

If you can make it through the triggers and initial taboo, this is a unique love story that will stick with you for all the right reasons. Everything written had a purpose and never was used as a prop or just shock value. I applaud Jennifer Hartmann for masterfully toeing that line in order to share this beautifully traffic and harrowing story.

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