Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - The Chase

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

myhandmadehell's review

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

Youth is wasted on the young.

I really really liked the representation of ADHD (in a woman, no less!) as well as the overarching messages of not judging a book by its cover. Jocks can also be nerds, hot fashion-loving girls can also be smart, etc etc. All very good stuff.

But this book was lowkey painful to read. The slow burn aspect of it felt interminable - and not in a good way. The two leads hardly spend any time together in the first half of the book, partly because there are like five hundred other characters who all need page-time for some reason, and partly because they’re both being very stupid. And not in a fun way, but in a “oh no I can’t say what I feel” way that just kind of grates after a while. Their eventual decision to get together feels anticlimactic (despite there being one whole climax between the two of them in their first sexy scene together) and after that it kind of seems like both of their “flaws” just sort of…vanish. The book then carries on with the task of wrapping up about 1/4 of the plot points it opened - I assume there are more novels after this where we’ll see some of that move forward.

Anyway this felt like kind of a mess: the pacing was weird, the book felt too full of multiple other characters who took time away from the main romantic plot, and honestly some of the bad things that happened to female lead Summer felt really distressing and unfair (not to mention, trigger warning, an attempted sexual assault against another character towards the end of the book).

Also are there really so many adults in this world who not only still have deep grudges from high school but also have genuinely never encountered young people who challenge that narrative for them? One of them was literally an adviser at an IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL who later admits “oh I was poor growing up and I have an issue with rich kids getting what they want in universities and that’s why I was such a dick to you in particular) and like…really?? Was she the only student who you ever treated that way? And was she really the first one to ever make you think that maybe you shouldn’t do that?

Anyway, didn’t love this one, but the character voice was very good between the two POVs, and the leads felt like real people. It was just sort of the plot and pacing that was weird.

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kirareadssometimes's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

Has that class is off campus feeling that is just so comfortable to read. All the characters were so fun! A little too much time spent on stuff that felt irrelevant or just entirely separate from the couple. Like too much writing about her class when I’d rather them doing something together. <I was also bummed how things ended with hunter. I know he has his own book in the series but it felt neglectful.> summer was way less stressful than I thought she would be. Sexy and lighthearted but with a touch of real world issues near the end.

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megcarrick's review

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funny reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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midnight_rose_reads's review

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

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

4.0

The first book in the Briar U series. Summer DiLaurentis, who is a fashion major, transfers to Briar U from Brown after she accidentally sets a fire at her sorority house. She moves into a house with a few of her older brother’s friends and develops a crush on one of the hockey players there named Colin Fitzgerald. Colin is a coder who develops video games, in edition to playing hockey. They dance around their feelings for each other, eventually giving in and finding out they have more in common than they thought (such as their love for a epic fantasy series).

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tayloraddison's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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steffandbooks's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

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

5.0

Ugh, really, I can’t with these boys! Why are they all so freaking cute in this series? God, Fitzy is so cute! The hot, dark, grooming nerd from the outside but inside such a softy! He should have opened up to Summer earlier though, although I didn’t like how much Summer was pushing him from time to time. Still, enjoyed this story very much from Summer being labeled as the rich princess, which she never wanted to be and never was, to Fitzy‘s and her slow burn love. Jesus! Took them so long to finally admit their feelings and desire for each other and hurting Hunter in the process. He‘ll get over it, eventually, but I also think that Summer should have shut him down earlier and stop keeping his hopes up and definitely she shouldn’t have kissed him on New Year’s Eve. Anyways, five out of five. Now, can I get my hot, tattooed, painting, video games playing man as well? Thanks much.

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dlrosebyh's review

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lighthearted medium-paced

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

1.0

i left off reading off-campus with high expectations for its sequel. i was ecstatic to pick this up, especially that i’ve been intrigued with summer since i met her in dean’s book. however, it did not reach my expectations.

don’t get me wrong, i love both fitzy and summer; i’m in love with their relationship. but, being exactly there was definitely not happiness and rainbows. it was exhausting to see them fighting over almost non-sense for above 50% of the book. i’m aware that summer’s character flaw is her stubbornness and that fitzy’s character flaw is being unable to speak up, however, it pisses me off that they won’t communicate and were leading each other on.

regardless, i still enjoyed the book. i now want dean as a brother of mine, and i definitely fell in love with tucker all over again (even if he only had one appearance). i’m excited to read the next book in the series, and hopefully it’s better.

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