Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

19 reviews

lunahbee's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Listen. This book is a tough read. Not because of the writing but because of the subject matter. That said, I did enjoy this book because of how many emotions it brought up in me. Most of them not pleasant. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Blood, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Self harm, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Pedophilia

Listen to the warnings (Dead Dove Do Not Eat)

hailey_horror's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Car accident, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Grief

waverlyloyd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Body horror, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Bullying, Child abuse, Sexual content, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Emotional abuse, Grief, Self harm, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, and Violence

inertia_ash's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

You are going to want to check the trigger warnings on this one.

I can normally plow through dark books but this one… this one took some time. Knowing this is inspired by the true story of Sylvia Likens made it really hard to push through. 

This was incredibly well written. It was dark, heartbreaking, stomach churning, disturbing, and felt very close to what actually happened to Sylvia. 

Proceed with caution though. This was… a tough one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Murder, Child death, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Death, Bullying, Body shaming, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Body horror, Violence, Kidnapping, Gore, Rape, and Physical abuse

cow4girl's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Body horror

Moderate: Murder, Rape, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping

1kid200plants's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

4.5

This was a deeply very disturbing book. I’ve never had to walk away from a book because it was too intense before, but I have now. I don’t even know how to rate it. And when I didn’t think it could get worse, it did. Please please check trigger warnings before reading. And then its even made much worse when you realize this actually happened to a poor little girl named Sylvia Likens. Although the writing was good, I kinda wish I’d never read this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Child abuse, Child death, Rape, and Kidnapping

ladyeowyns's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.0

I'm never having kids 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Excrement, Incest, Child abuse, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Torture, Rape, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Bullying, Death of parent, Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, Death, and Emotional abuse

bkmckown's review against another edition

5.0

Im giving this 5 stars, not because I liked it, because the subject matter can’t be something anyone would LIKE. The subject matter of this book, being based on a true story, being as horrific as it is will stick with me for a long time. It left me feeling nauseous and defeated but the writing was amazing. The way the author conveyed the depravity and callousness was chilling. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual assault, Torture, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Bullying, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Murder, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, and Rape

iremaltun's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Torture, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Violence

rsharpe97's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Child death, Gaslighting, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, and Torture