Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Very Nice Box by Eve Gleichman, Laura Blackett

16 reviews

ambereen's review

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse

oliveflounder's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

i really liked this book for all its silly furniture names and pacing. i also thought ava was a realistic character—she let her grief totally consume her and her actions made sense (to me!) the ending was a bit……….unbelievable, especially the bit in the warehouse. thats the only thing keeping this book from a 4.0,,,

i did definitely think she was about to get murdered though, so i guess i’m happier for that than anything else. i was really on her side throughout the whole thing—when you’re being manipulated like that, it’s hard to accept help

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Toxic relationship

annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition

hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

(vague spoilers about the premise)
this doesn't really become a thriller until over three-fourths of the way through—before then it's more contemporary relationship fiction. but i think it was necessary, for the most part, and actually really well done. even though i knew from the blurb and other reviews that the love interest was not to be trusted, i found myself won over by his charm just like our protagonist. and the thriller part was also very well executed. i enjoyed both aspects of the book.
as for its themes. the woes of corporate capitalism are played out in a nuanced subplot, but i wish it had a bigger role in the end, maybe somehow connecting back to Mat, like if he had been

one of the "Vandals"

(but like in a way that makes sense). or maybe i just want to see a man be the root of all evil

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Grief

Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Sexism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Misogyny, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Classism

Minor: Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Bullying, Gore, and Animal death

not so much murder but manslaughter

emmaura's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

I loved this book!!

Characters are mostly lovable and realistic and it explored a lot of themes arouns grief and friendship well

My biggest issue with it is that I wanted another chapter to wrap things up - 

mostly because the sudden getaway after the very tense few chapters had little resolution

  .

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Emotional abuse

elderwoodreads's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I highly recommend going into this with as little information as humanly possible. This book was leant to me by a friend who is a connoisseur of the "girl vs the void" genre/trope and wanted to give me a taste. This was literally all the info I had and this book blew my mind. Genre bending doesn't even begin to cover it. I love Ava Simon. Minor reduction for

Mat getting boxed up and there being no resolution? That felt a little cartoony and odd

other than that I LOVED this with my whole heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Car accident, Grief, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Stalking

Moderate: Death of parent, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Death

Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship

pixe's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Death of parent

jessdoe's review

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Gaslighting, Car accident, Death of parent, and Stalking

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Emotional abuse

Minor: Bullying and Cursing

constantbookaddict's review

dark funny mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

You think you're getting a goofy book about working in an IKEA-esque corporate headquarters (or I did because I didn't read the full description) from the eyes of Ava, a project engineer who breaks her days up into productive units and dreads any socializing at work., then the layers start to get pulled back due to a charismatic new boss and a mandatory new therapy app. Ava suddenly has to imagine the person she could be if she stopped living in the very nice box she's built for herself (see what I did there?). BUT THEN! THERE'S TWISTS! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Car accident

Moderate: Sexual content and Biphobia

Minor: Gaslighting and Emotional abuse

quietlex's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Holy shit. I did not expect that ending from this book. I am truly floored and completely blown away by the twists and turns.
Ava was so frustrating to me! The book sets her up in the beginning as a very practical, punctual, and professional woman who works extremely hard and efficiently. She is blunt and short with people, and very stubborn. Yet when it came to Mat, it’s like she couldn’t help but make mistake after mistake with him. A majority of this book just seemed like a retelling of all the bad decisions one can make in a relationship, including Ava’s friendship with Jaime which was also extremely frustrating.

Ava was awful to Jaime, just a terrible terrible friend. She ditches him the second Mat is interested in her, even when they only have a once-a-week lunch. She couldn’t manage one lunch a week with someone besides her lover boy? And then to come crawling back to him after being so rude time and time again. Both of their perspectives are totally valid, Ava just trying to move on and be happy finally, and Jaime trying to keep her safe with his growing unease about Mat. At first, I really disliked Jaime’s apparent random hatred for Mat, which seemed to stem from him still clinging to the memory of Andie and her relationship with Ava. “He’s not Andie, but I think I can forgive him for that. Can you? Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been with anyone?” I felt bad for the guy, clearly still grieving the loss of such a wonderful person. Andie was perfection to everyone, and Jaime was insistent on making Ava see who Mat truly was.  Too bad you can’t truly appreciate his concerns until the very end. Those last few chapters were incredible, I really did not see it coming. The way my mouth dropped and I got chills as soon as the realization set in. This could be a thriller! The panic I felt when Ava is trapped at the party at work, frantically trying to escape from Mat, all while he chases her down was very nerve wracking. I think the disposal (because what else can you call it) of Mat’s character was a little childish and fantastical, but there’s just enough shock value and humor involved, that I can overlook it. Also, justice for Emily!

I was very pleasantly surprised with this read. I found it boring at times, and couldn’t see how this tale of an engineer falling in love could be that interesting. But man, was I wrong. I was wrong! Read this book!

I leave you with one horrible word to ruminate on: Lamby. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Gaslighting, and Grief

grantsharpies's review

dark funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Car accident

Moderate: Alcohol, Biphobia, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Sexism, and Toxic relationship