Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

If You Tell by Gregg Olsen

13 reviews

systemofanoun's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Slavery, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Cancer, Body shaming, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Animal death

asmokeybear's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Cursing, Confinement, Drug use, Torture, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Excrement, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

kimmykelly's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Excrement, Outing, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Vomit, Gaslighting, Gore, Violence, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

twistykris's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

3.75

The abuse and torture so many endured at the hands of Shelly (and Dave) is absolutely horrific. A very difficult read for the content involved (PLEASE check trigger/ content warnings).

I understand how difficult it must have been to compile all of this information from multiple people, but at times the book felt very repetitive and used a lot of unnecessary metaphors. 

Also, I have

Spoiler

VERY little sympathy for Dave. Yes, he was abused by Shelly and being a victim of someone so terrifying can alter your mentality, I know. But you CANNOT tell me he didn't know that what she was doing was so fucking wrong. He literally shot and killed his own nephew because she told him to. He watched his wife abuse her children and grown adults. He says he didn't know bleach was bad for the skin and thought it was fine that Shelly made Ron soak his feet in boiling water and bleach?? HUH?! And the fact they're both OUT AND FREE? Disgusting.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism and Animal cruelty

heathermarie08's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

3.0

This is a horrible story of an evil mother, her brave children and victims. I usually enjoy true crime but for some reason did not enjoy this book as much. It read a bit slow and I felt like could've been a shorter book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and Bullying

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Child death, Excrement, and Fatphobia

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cancer, and Alcohol

melly82092's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I don't think I have ever read a story more painful and gut wrenching then this one. The Author did an excellent job re-telling the events through the POV of those involved. This one is going to haunt me for quite awhile, I can feel it... 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Death, Body shaming, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Torture, Murder, Mental illness, Cursing, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Drug use, Cancer, and Blood

cxxitlyn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

1.5

The writing in this book really ruined it for me. It felt very poor for the first half, after that it just seemed I had grown “used” to it. The events described are horrific, and it’s hard to remember that these are things people truly lived through and experienced. Reading their story is really the only thing that kept me reading. Their events are told in detail though, so this book is not for the faint of heart as some of the things described are incredibly hard to read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Bullying, Death, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Fatphobia, Grief, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Torture, Toxic friendship, Blood, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Cancer, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Hate crime, Murder, and Homophobia

turtle_camille's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

madsreads_'s review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

2.0

as you can see by all the content warnings - a grim read. also felt like the author was kind of revelling in the vivid descriptions of abuse????? the story felt almost fictional in the way it was written, unlike other true crime I have read 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Mental illness, Murder, Alcoholism, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Suicide, Bullying, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Toxic relationship, and Violence

lapluie8's review

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

4.0

SHOOKETH

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Suicide, Torture, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Suicide