Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

47 reviews

justmasyn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

judassilver's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Car accident

vj_thompson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.5

A thought provoking story that depicts why sexual assault cases next see the light of a court room. The process is time consuming, lawyers can brutal, and it may do more harm than good. 

Megan Goldin is an auto-buy author. The first book I read by her was Stay Awake. She does an amazing job at character building and touching on subjects matters like sexual assaults or mental health conditions. These topics are normalized in Megan’s stories. I found myself both times rooting for the main characters, and the side characters, wishing them all a happy and successful outcome.

I am looking forward to reading the sequel, and I hope our main character Rachel continues to fight the good fight.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Pedophilia, and Stalking

haleysversion's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

bookedandbusy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was an absolutely incredible thriller! It kept me on the edge of my seat and I could not stop reading. It got to a point where I had to know how it ended.  I really liked the podcast sections and the dual pov. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

cassielaj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

I cannot give this book a star rating. While the writing was good and the mystery compelling, this was a really challenging book to read, and it deserves more nuance than a 1-5 rating. This story is heavy. It is graphically detailed at times. It is tragic and disheartening and just the tiniest bit hopeful. And I honestly think it’s important. This book treats rape and sexual assault victims and trials in a way I haven’t seen enough in popular media, especially in the thriller genre, which often sensationalizes tragedy. It explores the challenges and injustices of the justice system when it comes to trying a sexual assault case. It explores class differences and politics in a small town and shows how power can be abused. It explores the guilt that can come with doing nothing to help someone in a time of need, and it explores redemption from the horrors of the past. I want to recommend it because it’s a good book, but I don’t want to because it was heavy. If you choose to read this, go in with as much information as you can, and be kind to yourself while you read it. 

From a thriller perspective, I did find it a bit predictable, but overall I thought the mystery was well paced. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Detailed descriptions of a trial process. Graphic and disturbing details of manipulation, sexual assault, bullying, and more.

gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

3.0

The Details:
Narrated by Bailey Carr, January LaVoy, Samantha Desz
Unabridged 

One of my late netgalley arcs, I decided to listen to via my library app.

This was riveting and harrowing read following a dual sexual assault case, one in the present day and one set in the mystery of a cover up that happened some years before. 

We follow a podcast presenter investigating both cases and it was interesting to see the perspective of varying characters of what, to me, is an obviously awful crime.

The acts done to the body was so graphic and really hard to read, so please bear that in mind.

Overall, I'm glad to have finally read this, but it was a heavy, difficult read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

lpdx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Car accident

Minor: Cancer, Gun violence, and Blood

ruthypoo2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail