Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

152 reviews

masonwe's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal death, Biphobia, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Transphobia

pola_pocket_'s review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

3.75

I can't say I liked the book because I truly didn't, which is weird because unhinged women characters is my cup of tea. But damn Irina was truly unlikable. Some parts were funny but the whole book was just an acid trip. Very much unreliable narrator which I loved. Ultimately I kept reading the book because I simply couldn't stop. I guess the story was entertaining and Irina was so crazy I wanted to see what the hell she would do next. I feel like nothing really happend, the closing of the book wasn't strong enough for me so I don't think I'll be recommending or reading this book again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal death

yanaorwhatever's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal death, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Vomit

jessalicemorris's review

challenging dark emotional medium-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

5.0

You know when you read something that is so utterly confusing but also never fails to amaze you at the same time? That is this book for me. The constant battle between wanting to believe that Irina has done the things she says she has and also wanting it all to be in her head is one that remains unsolved right up to the end and yet also I am okay with not knowing the truth?? V weird and yet v intriguing, I was hooked from start to finish! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

baileymorgannnn's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

1.75

Read bc BookTok said it gave brat summer vibes. (Eh)
The main character is an insufferable bitch & truly not a good person. Her friends are pathetic and you can’t help but feel bad for them.
Lots of pop culture references and it was very modern. Lots of drugs, alcohol and sex. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

themookintosh's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This is a super dark story that I loved not only because it's from and mentions my hometown but because of the twists and turns and unreliability in the narrative. You think things couldn't get any darker, any more deeper and it just does. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Eating disorder, Self harm, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

makayla_m812's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death

purplepickle's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death

unhingedreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

My current favourite book, I have recommended it to too many people to count. I have listed some trigger warnings attached to this review and this book will certainly not be for everyone. I would recommend the audiobook version as the author narrates it and it really adds to the experience.

This book is a very visceral read, without giving too much away it has an unreliable narrator and many twists and turns. 

Irina is the kind of friend that you warn people about, she is manipulative and gaslights those around her. Somewhat similar to a car crash scene that you know you shouldn’t look at, but can’t quite look away from. She has some interesting pastimes including drug and alcohol abuse, which she seems to utilise as a crutch to escape her current reality of the under appreciated artist. Apart from her bar job her main career focus is photographing generic looking men that she scouts on the streets of Newcastle. Her photography specialises on fetish art and the book follows her attempting to revive her career whilst being entirely horrible to anyone in her vicinity.

There’s many reasons I enjoyed this book, it sticks with you. Irina’s perspective will have you want to laugh at her dark wit and recoil at her true desires.

I have had the pleasure of meeting the author Eliza Clark who is a very down to earth person that writes some pretty messed up books. I would look into some of her interviews because I really think it adds to the overall narrative of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Drug use, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

houseofjules's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I liked this book, it made me realize that I find stories about fucked up women fascinating. 

It also made me realize that this is what My Year of Rest and Relaxation wants to be and falls drastically short. I have also seen this compared to American Psycho but for girls. And you know what, I liked that story as well (I've only watched it, not read it). 

I think this says something bad about me, just not sure what. But I think this is a successful story because of the commentary rather than the behavior displayed by the MC. I mean, girlfriend needs therapy BAD. But her support system failed her from the beginning, starting with her relationship with her mother and the things she goes on to experience in her early years.

 This is pretty privilege at play as well, which allows her to get away with lots of things. In fact its the main question she tried to find an answer to. This book feel like running your tongue over a recently extracted tooth. Painful, horrifying even, but hard to stop exploring. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail