Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Out of Love by Hazel Hayes

55 reviews

lizaxwin's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The concept of this book is so unique and intriguing. However, I found it a bit difficult to basically read the story from end to start rather than the other way around. I found myself thinking of reading it in the opposite direction if I should ever pick up this book again and I‘ll probably do that sometime.

This book deals with so many important topics and so many horrible people (all or at least some of which all of us have had or sadly will have in our lives sometime or another). Theo was a walking red flag basically, although a lot of his toxic behaviour nearly went undetected. This, imo, was one of the strength of the „upside-down“ storyline. You knew what to look out for.

I‘m still unsure if I find it infuriating that we never find out the protagonist‘s name or if I think it‘s a clever way of showing that every woman could be her.

All in all, a clever story with lots of depth, ma be a few pages too many and definitely a book which practically screams to be read at least two or three times to be grasped in its entirety.

(Definitely check trigger warnings for this one)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Rape

iloivar's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Miscarriage

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, and Mental illness

Minor: Homophobia, Grief, Sexual assault, Cursing, Abandonment, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, Death, Cancer, and Sexual content

lizziewilson's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

Loved the writing style, hilarious and very tongue in cheek. I thought it was a really interesting choice to go backwards through their relationship and I wasn't really into it at first because I felt like I already knew what was going to happen. I was proven wrong, it was a great read that masters the bittersweet. Looking forward to Hayes next book!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship

sidekicksam's review against another edition

fast-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

5.0

I am obsessed with this book and I love everything about it. How we gradually learn to love both the unnamed main character and her ex-boyfriend Theo more throughout the book, how the events unfold during their relationship, and how in the end, you both feel happy and it all falls into place. 

The main character and her struggles, the fear of sliding down the same (mental health) path as her mother, the instability of Theo's mother and the strain it put on the relationship. Everything just felt so relatable (I might exclusively start reading work by Irish authors and always recognize myself in the story) and that made the book really click with me.

As the author also states on the back of the book 'she could think of nothing more horrific than love', and this book portrays love so beautifully and realistically. I will be thinking about this one for a long time to come. 

If you loved Cleopatra & Frankenstein & Normal People, give this one a go too! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

ceryswilliams's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective slow-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

4.25

dizzying, lovely, tender genius! thank you hazel for putting words to what i could not. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, and Sexual harassment

echokore's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Abandonment

Moderate: Biphobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Colonisation, Death of parent, Incest, Sexual content, and Vomit

januaryapril's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Where to start... First I did really enjoy this book however it was just kinda sad the whole time. The main character has mental health issues that she is working on/dealing with the whole book. While it was great representation it was hard to read at times because the author wrote it so realistically and convincingly. However the references to being bisexual felt extremely forced and like they were just for show. 

The reverse aspect was very interesting and almost fun in a way because something would be referenced that you didn't know about and then down the line you would learn the origin.

Overall it was an interesting concept and a "fun" read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Mental illness, Grief, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, and Vomit

Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Biphobia, Death, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

isobelk_18's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Emotional abuse

cekuszy_12's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

 Hazel has a way with words and describing emotions that truly capture both the highest highs and lowest lows. In some of the promotional work for the book, questions like what age group is this for and how should someone who hasn't gone through a breakup understand the book? I would say, young adult or older would most benefit from reading this book. As for requiring experience, I think that there isn't a need for one to have broken up with someone to understand the emotions. It is so well written and the emotions so applicable to many scenarios in life, some of them addressed within the book, I think anyone could find a way to relate. 
From the prologue to the dedication, a wonderful story is woven with emotion presented everything and more than I was expecting. 
I've reread it several times, a couple of times from the last chapter back to the first. However you read it, I think it's worth it. I even specifically reread certain sections, more than several times over. 
Give this and her other works a look. 
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Blood, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

3.0

 
I think it was its unusual structure which prompted me to put Out of Love on my TBR. Most stories with a romantic storyline begin with the initial meeting, follow some ups and downs, and end with a happy ever after, or at least a happy for now; a breakup if the relationship doesn’t work out. This book does things backwards. It opens with the end of the relationship between the narrator and her boyfriend Theo, and moves backwards to the time that they met. Unfortunately this novelty was not enough to make this book a winner for me. The details of their relationship were just not that interesting. Basically it’s the story of two nice but flawed people whose relationship didn’t pan out. Undoubtedly factors like alcoholic parents, a manipulative mother, a previous toxic relationship, and mental health problems played a role, but none were explored in depth. This is one of those books that I didn’t hate but certainly won’t remember. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism