Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

10 reviews

renyoi's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Brilliant atmospheric, suspenseful storytelling that builds up to its truly horrifying moments in intensely effective ways. The protagonist,

Spoiler

an unreliable narrator in the subtlest sense

, turns out to be the most horrifying character in the book, which was entirely unexpected for me. My only wish is that the “true crime” aspect had been more present in the book; as it is, we are told it is a constant presence in the Crowder family’s life but never shown it apart from weirdo James Duvall, who comes across more as a basket case than as a representation of society. 

Aside from that, though, this work is a thrilling, grisly, appalling turn on the “haunted house” and “serial killer” genres of horror. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Abandonment, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Child abuse, Mental illness, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

junowo's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A rare 5 star read—Just Like Home was a book that actually left my heart racing. The writing is phenomenal, and the story takes a form I never expected from a book like this.
My one and only criticism is that the book isn’t particularly damning to the failures of the true crime community in a way that descriptions led me to believe. I struggle to tell if it would’ve fit into the book at all, though.
This was a great read around Halloween, playing well with both true crime style horror and supernatural horror.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Blood, Gore, Medical content, Self harm, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Murder, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Confinement, Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit

solenekeleroux's review

dark mysterious tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Torture, Blood, Gore, Child abuse, Murder, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Terminal illness

radtastical's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Medical content, Blood, Torture, Cancer, Cursing, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Violence

Minor: Body horror

onemamareads's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Read my full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/book-reviews/just-like-home

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death of parent, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Terminal illness, Medical content, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

vaguely_pink's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Murder, Body horror, Confinement, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Grief, Mental illness, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Cursing, and Kidnapping

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, and Medical content

imstephtacular's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Violence, Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Medical trauma, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Confinement, Vomit, and Torture

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Death of parent

smalika's review

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

i pretty much loved everything about it! i tore through it but the author’s vivid and extremely descriptive imagery forced me to slow down in the best way. it felt genre bending in a lovely way that did leave me a little confused sometimes but it definitely kept me on my toes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Child abuse, Murder, Vomit, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Body horror, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty

caidyn's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

Sarah Gailey keeps getting better and better. I adore their books and this one was the perfect summer horror read. A woman goes back to her childhood home to take care of her estranged mother who harbors a grudge for something that happened long ago. It kept me wondering and turning the page until the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Murder, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Child abuse and Physical abuse

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

Thanks to Tor Books for the free advance copy of this book.

 - Sarah Gailey takes on the gothic thriller and adds a supernatural twist in JUST LIKE HOME, and I could not put it down.
- Gailey excels at writing unlikable, difficult women, and Vera is no exception. You'll still find yourself on her side even as the story takes darker and darker turns.
- I also loved the commentary on our society's simultaneous disgust and fascination with serial killers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Medical content, Torture, Violence, and Vomit