Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers

5 reviews

averirachel's review

challenging dark fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual violence, Torture, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent, Child abuse, and Death

cheeserue's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.25

"run, little stranger"

This book was an absolute rollercoaster. It's one of the more disturbing stories I've read.

Putting aside the brother-sister thing (I know they're not actually related), they both have absolutely no character. Malachis' whole personality is that he has an ASPD diagnosis. He's the "dark and mysterious" mute that wears black, has shaggy hair & probably wears too much eyeliner. Don't even get me started on Olivia. She has even less personality than her "brother." She does anything and everything that anyone tells her to do, especially her parents. She goes through four (maybe five) betrothals throughout the whole thing (including going along with her mother selling her virginity.) she makes me want to rip my hair out.

I'll gloss over the fact that they fucked raw-dog on top of their fathers beeding out body and then at the end her father (for some unknown and unwritten reason) completely flipped his script and was okay with his daughter running away from her wedding with her brother.

“Go,” Dad says, kissing my cheek. “We’ll deal with them. Be happy, angel."

Like WHAT THE FUCK?!

That ending was absolutely horrible. It felt rushed, like they were tired of writing and wanted to wrap it up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Addiction

howboutjane's review

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

OBSESSED... 

I f'kin inhaled this book. Leigh pushed the limits of dark + taboo with this novella. It is deranged and twisted. Nothing about what happened in this book is okay. But it was also beautiful and raw and had me bawling like a child by the end of it.

This is not feel good or cozy. It's heavy smut with taboo kinks and fetishes. If you're one of those people that like to skip trigger warnings...Don't. Do not set yourself back years of growth + recovery because you wanted to f'ck around + find out.  If you've read the synopsis, trigger warnings, took time to reflect and think you can handle it then buckle up and get ready for the darkest ride of your life. Malachi is THAT psycho. 

"Run Little Stranger" 😈

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Blood, Physical abuse, Drug use, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, Murder, Rape, and Sexual content

Minor: Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Death of parent

hannaspages's review against another edition

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

2.5

This book feels like a fever dream… 
I was told that Malachi was a Zade dupe but he is giving schizophrenia/ an autistic joker vibe instead. 
Some of the scenes really threw me for a loop though,

like when he shoved a skrewdriver up the fmc’s ass?

I would say that this book is more like ‘The Dare’ and not Haunting Adeline, it’s definitely heavy on the kinks.
Some of the scenes don’t make sense as well, like the end

where the father that Malachi almost killed and whose blood he fucked his sister in, suddenly just accepts that his kids are in a relationship…

The 2 stars I gave are for the narrators because they were actually good, but the story lacked plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Rape, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Stalking, Blood, and Violence

alxisrae's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Though taboo with a stepsibling dark romance. I can’t take away from the fact this was a good story. Joe Arden really brought Malachi to life despite the character being mute. I’m not sure if this book would’ve gotten such a high rating if I didn’t listen to the audiobook. The two voice actors really put the emotion behind the words and you were able to feel the pain, conflict, desperation and love between Olivia and Malachi. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Drug use, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment