Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

91 reviews

adamparrishlover's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

elizzabethanne's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

I wish all men would read this book. While this was very difficult to read at times because of the content, it was so beautifully written and handled so sensitively that I don’t feel emotionally destroyed or despondent about the state of the world but rather reminded that there are people out there that stand up for what’s right. We don’t need a culture of silence. We need a culture where we can talk about the difficult things with those we love and raise the next generation to not make the same mistakes over and over again. If you have a son, a brother, a father, a boyfriend, a husband, etc. please put this book in his hand and talk about it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

sweetteaandfiction's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-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

4.0

Note to self: Books about hockey towns and hockey romances are two very different things. 

This book was the selection for my local Indie bookstores blind date bookclub for January. It took awhile for me to get into the book, but that was because I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters until the traumatic event takes place. 

PROS: 
🏒 The world and character building was top notch. 
🥅 My jaw was on the floor from the traumatic event through the end. It has been days. This is still sticking with me. 
🏒The twists were all unexpected 

CONS: 
🥅Toxic masculinity 
🏒Boys will be boys mentality 
🥅 The subject matter for the book is very heavy. 
🏒Controversial thought: she should have pulled the trigger

🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒 out of five hockey pucks shot into the neighbor’s garden

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

leonelaleon's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

yall it's a little cheesy the way sports movies can be but this is good can't lie

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting

Minor: Homophobia

deelightfulreads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

this was such a beautifully written novel. all these characters were so well developed, i had a hard time believing they weren’t real 😭 it was so devastating, tragic and traumatic but hopeful the way the good triumphs the evil in the end. i can’t recommend enough, but please check the trigger warnings! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse

hayleyvharrington's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

jennyatesfoley's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

This was an infuriating book to read. It is full of misogyny, and toxic masculinity, and a "boys will be boys" mindset. Boys are taught that violence can solve anything, women only exist for one thing, and consequences don't exist if you're good at hockey.
I do understand that making the reader uncomfortable may be the point of this book, to present a commentary on these very real dynamics that exist in real life. However, I also think that it's possible to write about social issues and also tell a compelling story that is enjoyable and digestible to the reader. Reading is a hobby, and hobbies are meant to be enjoyable, after all.
Also, something about the writing style didn't jibe with me. Maybe it was just lost in translation, I don't know, but I felt it was odd that many characters didn't get names. It was just "the bass player" or "David's girlfriend". And often when the POV changed, the new paragraph would start with "a mother and daughter" or "a boy" instead of just saying the characters name. It just felt clunky and unnecessary to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, and Suicidal thoughts

wanderweir's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

Loved it. Slow start but once it got going I couldn't put it down. Some very powerful themes here that can be difficult to experience but it was an incredibly well-crafted story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Rape

jkohls's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I felt like it was very slow at first but once i was hooked i really started to like the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Grief, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Vomit

ohnoohkei's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Classism