Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

16 reviews

britnygottalent's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Suicide

Minor: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, and Murder

zoeelora's review against another edition

Apparently sexual harassment is funny?? This book has potential but I just cannot get over the uncomfortable dialog and situational humor. I enjoyed the philosophical parts though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Grief, and Sexual harassment

gphemsley's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

The entire story deals with grief, death, and the aftermath of death. It's not particularly graphic, but most of the story involves ghosts and how they came to be.

goodin10tions's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

I was late to the party on this book, but now I understand all they hype. I found this book very tender and compassionate. I saw that it was categorized as contemporary fantasy and although I don't disagree I'd would add that there isn't a great deal of "world building" as in many fantasy stories. It was all very relatable in a current world setting. If that makes sense. 

Highly recommend this book Trigger warning for grief and death (that is what the story is about)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Suicide

Minor: Mental illness

marsonmars's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-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

4.5

If you ever wanna read a book, were you have to stop once every chapter because you are crying so hard you can't see the page anymore, this bad boy is for you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Car accident

jbird_reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Grief

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Murder

mayday_the_cleric's review against another edition

The characters felt so woobified somehow, carefully curated to make you feel for them and relate to them, but in contrived way. One moment, Wallace was an uptight person and one of the founders of a highly successful law company. Someone who has lead a tough life and been hardended by it. The next, almost immediately after he died, he became a blubbering kid who suddenly started questioning everything about himself and threw away all the hard characteristics that he had before for a more mellow personality without any actual reasons. It’s almost like he forgot who he was before, and now, just because the people around him spew some platitudes and pseudo-philosopical questions about life or whatever around him, he suddenly has epiphanies that changed his life perspective so quickly without any actual buildups to it. Because of this, the revelations that he came to after only spending a few days in a tea shop with a bunch of strangers he hardly knows just felt so unearned and severely lacked depth. This is especially disappointing, knowing that this book came after The House on the Cerulean Sea, in which the MC had a beautiful character progression for himself, unlike in this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

Minor: Emotional abuse

fiveredhens's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-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

2.0

mmm... hugo deserves better

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Cursing and Racism

augustar14's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

You have to read more than the first chapter or two of this book to say you really gave it a try. Wallace, simply put, was a horrible person. He wasn't nice to anyone, nor did he care about those around him, yet he's surprised and angry when no one shows up to his funeral. He has unfinished business; he can't be dead. But, he is, and now he's off to the ferryman's place, where he must stay until he's ready to pass over. But he won't be happy about it, nor will he let the ferryman in, no matter how nice the guy might be, or attractive, or how wonderful his tea is...
A beautifully written story about life, but particularly what comes after. How we cope with the impact our lives had on others, and how grief impacts each person differently. About letting go, holding on, and the steps in between. You won't love Wallace at first, but by the end I think you might feel differently. I certainly did. And it's probably worth keeping a tissue box nearby.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and War

asipofcozy's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

"Energy. Life. Death. All of it. We rise and we fall and the we rise once more. We're all on different paths, but death doesn't discriminate. It comes for everyone."

This book was truly wonderful and at the moment I have no words for it. Klune has a profound way of touching his readers, especially when it comes to heavy topics. Death, is such a touchy and taboo subject for many of us. It's unknown, scary, we question what is after and what was even before. How Klune was able to calm those fears is beyond me. He bring's in his own perspective of death and it's so hauntingly charming...if that can even be a thing.

"What makes a good person? Hugo asked. "Actions? Motivations? Selflessness?"
"Maybe all of it," Wallace said. "Or maybe none of it."

This book also touches on the subject of "what does it mean to live a full life?" and "what does it mean to be a good person?". The main character, Wallace Price, is none of these things when we first meet him. He is a corporate businessman who cares more about making the next buck than if his employees are being treated fairly. He lives a strict life, on schedule and never late. Yet, the evolution of Wallace is beautiful to watch as he accepts his death and the life he really did not live.

I became so invested in these characters, this world. I found myself crying in laughter and in sorrow. So many difficult and traumatizing subjects come to light and yet it puts perspective into things.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Cursing and Cultural appropriation