Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

A Welcome Reunion: A Short Story by Lucinda Berry

8 reviews

sophiemartin's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Confinement, Death, Child abuse, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

cheeserue's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.0

after I finished reading, I learned that this is actually #1.5 in the series. I will now be reading book #1

“She was a rabid dog, Christopher, and I put her down.”

that was absolutely crazy. Hope Janie is the definition of the tragic  "child can't be helped" story. sometimes no matter how hard you or anyone else tries you can't reform everyone. some people are truly evil.

Hannah's actions blow my mind. maybe I'm incapable of understanding because I'm not a mother; but I'd never even think of

actually killing someone

I completely understand wanting to keep your child safe and I also understand how post partum can completely change who you are; I just couldn't fathom.

the ending left me with more questions than answers. what happens next?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Abandonment, Confinement, Infertility, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Murder and Sexual assault

amaranth_wytch's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Gore, Child abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, Grief, Stalking, Self harm, and Torture

Minor: Confinement, Infidelity, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol

katelynndzindzio's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Janie continues her manipulative tactics but this time she doesn't get away with it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Mental illness, Blood, Abandonment, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, and Emotional abuse

midnightrose_reads's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A Welcome Reunion is a short story that takes place 11 years after the events of The Perfect Child. Janie is a 17 year old who has written about her life that has become an instant bestseller. Using the power of social media, and people’s obsession with true-crime she manages to get an interview with a tv journalist. She describes her life with the Bauer’s manipulating everyone and twisting the facts of what actually happened. Christoper & Hannah Bauer are disgusted. Piper the social worker who was assigned to her case long ago is equally dismayed. Unbeknownst to Christoper and Hannah however Janie has been communicating with Cole their now 13 year old son. And he has he own ideas about the fact that they kept him from his sister….

Another wild ride in this second installment!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Death, and Murder

wytherwytch's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

A good fast paced read. Leaves you wanting more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Violence, Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Bullying and Rape

pippamillerxoxo_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gore, Mental illness, Confinement, Death, Grief, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Physical abuse

onemorepagecrew's review against another edition

4.0

A Welcome Reunion by Lucinda Berry is the follow-up to The Perfect Child (a 5 star for me) and reads like an extended epilogue on one of the most unnerving characters I’ve read about, Janie. Definitely do not read this unless you have read the first book – but do read them both if you like psychological thrillers that veer into disturbing waters. 

 

Bottom line – this was super bingeable at 82 pages – and it was great to read with friends who were just as excited it came out.  We each felt a little differently about it which made the group chat even more fun. For me, I was sucked back into the characters so quickly and loved that.  The ending was not my favorite, and I could have used about 50 more pages to develop a few things, but that wasn’t the vibe.  It was a quick and dirty conclusion to the story that left me on edge last year.  If you read this DM me so we can chat! 

 

Content warnings: death, emotional abuse, physical abuse 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Death