Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

39 reviews

kitanda's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Minor: Biphobia, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

sennaje's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

codyemma's review against another edition

dark sad tense

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Suicide

takarakei's review against another edition

Tbh I was just not invested in the characters and was only mildly interested to know how Oliver ended up in prison. This book just wasn’t for me: imo if you are not a Shakespeare fan then I think you’ll feel like you’re missing a lot from this book. 
A friend told me the ending and I’m glad I didn’t continue with it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Gore, Blood, and Vomit

recycled_personalities's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I do recommend it. There’s one outdated term that used near the beginning of the book that stopped it from getting a higher score. But it’s a compelling mystery, with a side of tragic love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

badmom's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Biphobia, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Gaslighting

snowydaze's review against another edition

tense slow-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

2.0

This book was pitched to me as a dark academia meets Shakespeare novel. Although it hits both of these points, I found the characters to be very one-dimensional and the women to be overly sexualized for most of the novel. The plot, was run of the mill, with relationships between characters that seemed to be lacking of any depth besides some weird love triangles. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

t_swizzle's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

itsheyfay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Outing, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

luvsbagels's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

If We Were Villains is officially my second 5 star read of the year! As someone who doesn't have a particularly strong interest in Shakespeare, I was surprised by how entranced I was in this story. 

I've always been too impatient for Shakespeare and I was worried that I would feel the same way about this book. Fortunately, that was not the case. While Shakespeare's text and stories are heavily woven into the plot, it is done so in a way that is easy to consume. 

This book is poetic, tense, and a true Shakespearean Tragedy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol