Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Gaslight by Sara Shepard, Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

5 reviews

minaminabot's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

If you had listened to the audio drama this was based on and felt it was too short, then the book is the answer.

This goes more into detail to what happens to Danny and Rebecca,  and I feel ends much better than the podcast.

Spoiler re: the ending of the audio drama vs book
My biggest fear was from memory the audio drama ends and Danny doesn't learn anything and continues to stay in an abusive relationship. But despite the years of brainwashing she tries to deprogram herself. I'm so happy it did not end poorly.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

motherofpearly's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark 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

4.0

This book was so interesting, and I finished it quickly. The authors did a good job at showing how the main character’s perspective shifted before, during, and after entering the cult. The audiobook was really well read too. I did skip past a lot of the sexual abuse because it seemed like it was going to be too graphic for me
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

likeagilmoregirl's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If you like stories centered around cults, you’ll want to read this book! I could not stop listening to this audiobook. It had everything I wanted from perfect pacing to complex characters.
The authors did a really good job at showing the way cult leaders market themselves as life coaches or spiritual healers to target and draw in people who may be more susceptible to their tactics. They also did a decent job exploring the conflicting thoughts and emotions that victims of these systems experience.
But the real star of the show here is the story between Becs, the seemingly perfect housewife, and Danny, the unexpected visitor who causes reality to come crashing down around them.
Without giving too much away, I thought the progression of the women’s stories was true to what their experiences had been and I was pretty satisfied with the ending.

I also really enjoyed the narrator, Julia Atwood, for this book. Her voice matched perfectly with the characters and kept me easily invested in the story.

*Huge thanks to Miles Joris-Peyrafitte & Sara Sheperd, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced audiobook of this novel in exchange for honest review.*
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

tinytrashqueen's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional 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

3.25

  The cult in this book was clearly based on the NXIVM cult. If you know quite a bit about it, you'll recognize it is based on that from the get-go.  The writers, apparently, could only come up with one semi-original thing to differentiate the fictional cult in the book, ISB, from NXIVM, other than their locations on opposite sides of the United States. 
   However, it was still an interesting read with me on the edge of my seat. I LOVED the ending! If only that had happened to a certain real-life cult leader. 
   Overall, it was a decent read, though if more characters had been likable it would have improved the book. 


Narrator Rating: 4.0 stars
   The narrator was excellent, they just used some annoying voices that made the book harder to enjoy. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings