Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

39 reviews

thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Actual rating: 4.75

Dot Hutchison’s mind?????? This was one of the more disturbing books I’ve ever read, an intricately woven psychological suspense thriller of captivity and control.

I was fascinated by this story, with every terrifying and twisted detail revealed, every piece of the puzzle notched into place then thrown back into the pile of crazy. The writing was very fast-paced and the dual POVs lended well to this kind of storytelling—one from the main character during her days of being held captive, the other from the FBI agent interviewing her in the aftermath of her rescue. There are no “chapters” per se, but none of it ever feels like it’s dragging.

I don’t want to give anything away about the plot and how insane it truly is, but this book definitely gave me serious chills and thought spirals. It reminded me of The OA a lot, as well as “Pretty Girls” by Karin Slaughter, both of which I loved. But overall it’s a very unique story of abduction, delusion and survival. 

I took off a quarter of a star only because there was one element of the ending that seemed a little too coincidental!! 

Only other thing I would say is this book is riddled with graphic, upsetting descriptions and depictions. Pretty much any trigger you can think of is in this book so it’s not for the faint of heart, like at all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

annalisa4's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Fudge, this book was hard to read but so darkly enchanting I couldn’t stop.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

holly_rose997's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Incredible, it was so hard to put down, interesting premise and amazing characters and such a painful story 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction

kates_cupcakes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

Easily one of the best books I’ve ever read, there was such a sense of forgetting, being forgotten. Abandonment is a large theme and finding who you are. There’s a beautiful story of persevering despite your surroundings and helping others so they don’t experience the same pain you did. I found myself wanting to build up other women and wondering why we all feel against each other when we should help. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

emelyxo7's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

swformentano's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

anissawren's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Minor: Drug abuse, Terminal illness, and Vomit

sydgolt's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

Holy fucking shit. this is one of the best books i think ive ever read. it was beyond dark and beyond twisted, but was written, so incredibly well. I have read a fair amount of thrillers and psychological thrillers, but this one easily takes its place at the top of my list. The characters were written so well and the plot developed so seamlessly in a way that I don’t feel like I’ve read for a long time. Way that the author switched back and forth between past and present, but the story itself kept flowing, was so cool and so captivating I literally could not put this book down. When I wasn’t reading this book, I was thinking about this book. I could hardly focus on anything else unless I was sitting down and reading it.

One thing I found that added to how deranged this book is, is how the author made you almost like the gardener and Desmond. she wrote them in such a delicate way, and gave them such gentle personalities that you almost started to feel safe when they came into the room. but then she would add a comment about who these people really are and it would remind you that they are monsters, and that you should not like them. It’s almost like she was giving the Stockholm syndrome. And I find that incredibly cool. I don’t think it was a particularly difficult thing for the author to do but I thought it was a really interesting addition to the experience of the book. 

I will recommend this book until the day I die, but only to specific people. I do not think of this book is for everyone because of how dark and twisted it is, but the writing the characters, the plot, the ending are just so incredible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

themichellegray's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

A grim, heartbreaking story told through unstructured writing and a confusing 'interview' format. I found it quite difficult to suspend my belief for this wildly unrealistic plot which unfortunately made it read like a commodity of other's very real trauma.

While I don't find much enjoyment in this type of book, the hopefulness is what carried me forward. I was rooting for the victims eventual escape and happiness alongside justice being served. Yet the ending wasn't as gratifying as I would've liked and instead concluded with a lazy "twist" (if you can even call it that).

There's definitely an audience for this darker book seemingly created for shock value. Without much depth written into the overarching story though, I don't fit into that group.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction and Pregnancy

letrasenrizo's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

Minor: Self harm and Suicide