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Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa

10 reviews

jstilts's review

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dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book is a bit of a trick, and it's - only just - won me over. The first 70% of the book follows one character trying to ruin the wedding of her ex-best friend to her ex-boyfriend. It's a fun fast-paced affair with a kooky character that drags you along deliciously because it's pretty clear she has serial-killer tendencies and this gloriously silly thriller is going to ramp up and up into some glorious crescendo of camp drama. The plot is interspersed with flash-forward interviews of the suspects of a slowly-revealed crime, which sounds cliche but is very neatly done.

Then in the last 30% the book changes gears and viewpoint, and becomes rather serious, revealing the main chunk of the book to have been - not exactly wr tten by an unreliable narrator so much as a cunning author determined to see an illusion through. At first this rather sucks all the fun out of the book. Then it becomes VERY serious indeed, and somehow I'm invested in this new style. It ends satisfyingly, and then in an epilogue of sorts there is a rather nice little extra twist, and I find myself living it again.

In the end I have to say well done to the author, but I still want to read that unwritten other version of the book where it goes to where it looks like it is going for the vast majority of the book!

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hookerkitty's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Ugh, it’s so disappointing when a book you’re totally vibing with just gets ruined by the ending. I was absolutely loving all of the dark humor and cracking up. I was getting really into it and had to know what was going on…and then the ending is rather abrupt, tries to wrap things up in a bow, but yet still leaves some holes, I thought it’d be a slower reveal, but nope. The author must’ve been close to a deadline, or they don’t know how to finish their book (or both). 

So now I feel like a deflated balloon. I was totally planning on giving this high stars and seek out more books by this author, but I’m afraid the ‘ending ruins the book’ would happen again. Such a bummer. 

FYI content warnings: self harm starts on page 6, mental illness practically from the beginning, and the DV descriptions def made me anxious 

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anniepatt's review against another edition

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3.0


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ekata's review against another edition

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

4.0


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alyssone's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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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beckyremillard's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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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blackcatkai's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

CW: casual ableism, self-harm (on page), violence, death, blood, gun violence, mental illness, trauma, alcohol use, sex, slut/body shaming, domestic abuse, gaslighting/catfishing, misogyny, brief mentions of drug addiction and pedophilia (not graphic)

this was quite the ride with a bunch of twists & turns, especially in the end. love me a book with rich people drama, even if it's not the entire focus in a story. will definitely pick up more from Jayatissa in the future, this was so easy to get into.

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theoceanrose's review against another edition

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

4.5


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ekmook's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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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getlitwithamy_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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 had the pleasure of reading this as an early release through Book of the Month! 

The first thing you’d imagine when reading a book about an obsessive woman who plans to stop her best friend’s wedding at all costs, especially when she’s marrying your ex boyfriend, you normally know where things will go. But that was not the case here.

I ZIPPED through this book! There were times where I was sure I knew where the plot was going but was still left surprised when a new twist came up. Amanda Jayatissa really knows how to impact a reader!

The one downside is that the characters were hard to like. The main character Amaya seemed unlikeable for most of the book, but that was probably intended so we can see into her true intentions. 

Overall, this is a great read about traumatic pasts, gossip, and the things people will do to get their way. 

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