Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall

18 reviews

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this one at first because it just reminded me so much of Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera that I read this summer that I couldn’t feel invested. But by the midway point I was hooked and all of the ridiculous small town drama sunk its claws into me. I had guessed a bunch of the major reveals but that didn’t hinder me from enjoying bingeing this fast-paced thriller. My only complaint is that I wish there had actually been podcast elements in this book, considering that one of the main characters is a podcaster! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infidelity

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Dude shut uppp what the ffff this is so good. I was so stressed out by the end of it that I was pacing around the room. And then I had to sketch the whole plot out for my partner because I had to tell someone all of the great twists and turns. I can't wait to read more by Ms. Marshall. What a super freaking fun time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Gun violence, Blood, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Police brutality, and Death of parent

deshanejt's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-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

3.5

Somewhat convoluted, but still very good! It definitely had you guessing. Perfect who-dunnit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Rape, and Self harm

Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Pregnancy

ktdakotareads's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

magsmagicalbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

4/5 really good mystery/thriller read! I didn’t feel dragged along in any parts and my first guess of to how it would play out was debunked right before the end so I thought that was well written by Marshall. 

Overall very solid thriller novel with multiple twists and turns! Definitely kept me on my toes with surprises I wouldn’t have guessed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Blood, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

missgrangerr's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

littlemissanalog's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

hannahcstocks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Cancer and Death of parent

tifftastic87's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

OMG this BOOK! I am obsessed. 

Naomi, Liv and Cass have been friends since they were five and Cass decided they would all be friends. The summer when they were all eleven everything changed with Naomi near fatally stabbed and her and her friends putting away the serial killer that did it. The story jumps forward to Naomi, now 33, still dealing with her trauma and returning to her home town and her friends. We unpeel the layers slowly and go back in time to relive that summer and experience what really happened through Naomi's eyes. Small town drama, PTSD, and lies stacking on lies shape the tale we experience. 

Without spoilers this was the most twists in a book I have experienced in a while. I thought I knew what was happening and then I thought I was wrong and then I thought I was right again and then it turned out I was half right. I hit a point where I would have died or killed for Naomi. The story was constantly moving to the next plot point but still giving us a full feel of the characters involved. It was a perfect balance that I really enjoyed. 

Trauma and PTSD were handled really well and with care. I appreciated how themes were discussed in a way that wasn't self-indulgent or just straight up trauma porn, actually Marshall seemed to call out authors who are solely focused on that through the use of Naomi's boyfriend in the beginning. We get this sentence, among others about him, that allowed me to instantly know who he was. 

 The trouble was he’d mistaken drama for virtue and suffering for art, and felt impoverished by his own good fortune. 

He, Mitch, spends his spare time writing stories using Naomi's trauma as the center of the story. He is convinced she needs to use her trauma to sell her art instead of photographing weddings and this results in some pretty heated arguments. She says he was an asshole, she knew he was an asshole and so did he. But she was only comfortable dating assholes, someone she could never attach to - been there girl. But when she goes home to gather her things in the middle of the book there is a scene that reveals his true nature, and some of hers. 

 What the hell just happened? I should have just fucked him so he could feel like he was helping. 

When she doesn't allow him to sleep with her, he kind of loses it and kicks her out. After he promised her he wouldn't try anything. So, he's also that kind of asshole. One of the best parts, for me, was her overcoming these choices. She never shies away from it being why she does it:

 Every man I’d slept with had been a mistake of one kind or another. The mistake was the point. You couldn’t let someone in without it breaking you, but you could choose the way you broke. 

But she seems finally ready to move on from that. It just kind of made the story for me. We got so much of the character development inside this twisted story where you never know who is good and who is bad and the main character herself is morally gray and unreliable. 

Hard recommend, but check the content warnings first. 

Some more thoughts on little girls being absolutely feral forest goblins: https://youtu.be/AMY_324xjfQ?si=d5ABP_BHxWypgJOs

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Biphobia, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

chasingpages1's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Addiction, Biphobia, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Classism