Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

22 reviews

black_cat_iiix's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism, and Deportation

Minor: Confinement, Gun violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Stalking, Car accident, and Deportation

kt2e56'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

2.0

An interesting set up! Unfortunately, some shoddy performances (Mimi and The Concierge both stand out) and some truly baffling “twists” with a laughable amount of plot holes sort of takes away from what could have been an interesting mystery. 

I think hiring actual French voice actors (or in the case of The Concierge, an Albanian voice actor) would have helped quite a bit.

I also don’t believe for a second that there was any chemistry or romance between Jess and Theo so that was pretty funny to have them just fuck randomly in a bathroom.

Speaking of Jess, she was Bella Swan levels of bland which was extra apparent when other characters would try and describe her as “fiery” or “brave” or “in love with danger.” She’s quite literally none of those things? She’s just a blank slate protagonist that spends all of her time moping.

Another chemistry issue was between

Sophie and Mimi. By the end, suddenly Sophie is supposed to be a warm, doting, devoted mother? Even though for 99% of the book she doesn’t mention having children (step or otherwise) and Mimi goes on and on about her issues with her father but also never once mentions that she has a mother that she’s super close with? Really? I think the author picked the family twist without putting any actual effort into executing it realistically because it really just doesn’t hold up. At all.

This was a big disappointment for me. I’ve seen it hyped up and it really did have me interested in those first few chapters but it just seemed to spiral out of control from the author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Slavery, and Trafficking

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Blood, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

bookishwondergoth's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

I really struggled to remain interested in this. The revelations kind of saved it. RTC.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Stalking

Moderate: Body shaming, Drug use, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

fraise's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Police brutality, Trafficking, and Death of parent

Minor: Homophobia, Suicide, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Deportation

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Death, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Suicide, Blood, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Deportation

growintogardens's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Enjoyed isn't quite the right word for this book, but it kept my attention and I think overall made a good thriller. It also surprised me a few times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Stalking

Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Police brutality

prairieraven's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

saraellenme's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Stalking, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Blood, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Death of parent and Deportation

applejacksbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

Oh wow, so my brain has had a thing for mystery/thrillers recently and this was the next one on the list. So overall, I think it was a fine book. The twists and turns throughout the story weren't totally predictable, but I do find that I thought the story lines with timeline was a little disjointed at times. When it was clear that a flashback was taking place they worked really well, but there was a few times that I didn't think it did and it added to the confusion of the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicide

jessgreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⬜⬜

Title: The Paris Apartment

Author: Lucy Foley

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Setting: Paris, France

Month Read: March 2022

Book Type: Hardcover

Publication: 2022

Publisher:  William Morrow

Pages: 360

*March Book of the Month Selection

TRIGGER WARNING- 

Death / Grief / Sexual Content / Assault / Alcohol / Drugs / Abuse / Verbal Abuse / Prostitution / Kidnapping / Rape / Blackmail 

"I could not explain that I simply wanted someone to love. Wholehearted, unreserved, requited."

No Spoiler Summary:

Jess shows up in Paris to visit her brother, Ben, after she needs to get away after an incident at her job in England. She arrives to his apartment only to find out that her brother has seemingly vanished, and she quickly starts to try to unravel where he is, and why it has happened.

As hours and days go by, Jess starts to meet the other inhabitants of the apartment building. Each seemingly having their own secrets, and own motivations to get Ben out of the picture. As more secrets start showing up, and Jess starts to realize Ben was writing a story about something that could be big, the suspect list only grows larger.

Will Jess find Ben? Alive? Will she uncover the secrets people tried so hard to keep hidden? You'd have to read to find out.

Review:

I really loved The Guest List and had high expectations going in for this after the hype that has been building steadily the last few months, and I thought the book was okay. The twist was more unexpected than I thought it would be, and some parts of this book reminded me of my favorite Agatha Christie novel, And Then There Were None. Overall, glad I read it but it certainly is not a book of the year contender, but a nice thriller to read in a day or two if you so choose.

The Characters were interesting, for sure. I did love that Lucy gives you just enough information to keep you wanting another page, and then another, and then another until you finish. I was pleasantly surprised the motivations some had, and the ties that are bind throughout the read. 

Paris is a great backdrop for a good thriller. I loved the mood, and the attitudes, and the posh vs poor dynamic in the apartment building. I loved the subplots, and the callbacks to England for some of the characters. I think it was super believable, and the seedy underbelly of such a romantic, beautiful city did a lot for me.

"It’s not about where you came from. What kind of shit might have happened to you in the past. It’s about who you are. What you do with the opportunities life presents to you."

See more reviews at: https://jessgreads.wixsite.com

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail