Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough

13 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

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

3.5

This book probably could've done with at least 50 pages less. It got so tedious! But overall, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author. 
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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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

3.5

I thought this story was quite good, and I was really REALLY upset when Emma was getting gaslit by everyone around her. I do wish the reveal was a bit more expertly unfolded; I didn't feel like everything was really wrapped up nicely. The end did hit me hard, but I think based on how into the story I was, the ending could have been just explosive. And the whole daughter side-plot seemed maybe too much? When describing the plot to my partner, he commented that there was quite a lot going on in here, and that's the truth.
I also feel like if an author is going to use the kind of supernatural aspect, then it needs to be established as a possibility throughout the book. Like, the reader is looking for a realistic answer until told otherwise, so I supernatural answer doesn't feel very satisfying.
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faythfarrar's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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meeklovestoread's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

I'm not gonna lie, the main reason I read this book was because the twist for "Behind Her Eyes" was spoiled for me and I thought it was the craziest twist I've ever heard about. So I decided to see if her other books were the same.

This book was pretty slow in the first half in my opinion, but it kept my intrigue enough to continue. I have to admit it did take me a while to get used to her writing style. The book was kind of like a slow burn with many leading plot elements. It was entertaining enough.

I love how we really got into the main character's head.
At one point I seriously thought she was going crazy. I'm so happy she left her no good unsupportive husband. He really got on my nerves. And I'm also glad she was able to gain a better relationship with her sister and finally understand her mother.


Also, the twist (many might think it's outlandish) but I really liked it. It bumped the book a 0.5 star for me. 
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katosta8815's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective 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

4.0

Very creepy. Repetitive at times, a lot of filler sub-plots, but overall interesting and mysterious enough to want to continue.
There are some plot holes regarding the “family curse/gift” — there is mention of family members before Patricia having similar issues, however when the story concludes, we only get an explanation for Patricia, Emma, and Will.

Trigger warning for
child abuse and statutory rape (I have a big issue with the way this topic is handled in this book….)
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tspice24's review against another edition

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

3.5

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theliteraryhooker's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-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

2.5

This book is nonsense. It's quick, entertaining nonsense, but nonsense nonetheless. 
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dalmavatai'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? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

There were some decent twists in this book that I enjoyed - definitely similar to Behind Her Eyes so if you enjoyed that I'd recommend this book. However, a lot of it was very repetitive and boring, I honestly think this book could've been about 50-100 pages shorter. Plus, I'm tired of the trope of a woman not being believed & being gaslit by everyone in her life, it's just exhausting to read in a thriller for the millionth time, especially with how repetitive this book gets. Also there was a lot of ableism in this book from all of the characters, including internalized ableism from the MC, and a shit ton of throwing around words like 'crazy' and 'mad' which I thought wasn't properly addressed at all. 
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onemorepagecrew's review against another edition

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

3.5

I love psychological thrillers and the premise in Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough was intriguing.  The protagonist, Emma, is experiencing insomnia in the weeks leading up to her 40th birthday and it’s causing a multitude of issues in her work and personal lives.  The situation is further complicated by the fact that her mother experienced similar issues at her 40th birthday which led to a traumatic situation for Emma and her sister, leaving them in foster care and their mother in long-term psychiatric care.  Emma spends the duration of the book trying to figure out if she is following in her mother’s path or if someone is intentionally harming her.  
 
As far as psychological tension goes, this book did a good job creating the mental puzzle that keeps a reader searching for clues.  The pace is fast and there are thrilling points, though it is not scary (in my opinion).  As far as a satisfying ending, I felt resolution with a realistic plot twist and a touch of supernatural.  It wasn’t shocking and there were a few loose ends I thought needed to be addressed, but overall if you like a fast-paced mystery that you can crunch through in a day or two, this will do it. 
 
I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention that the language around mental health is… outdated and cringey.  Primarily using words like insane and crazy to describe a person experiencing mental distress and a few therapy scenes that felt off.  I read the acknowledgements and didn’t see any reference to a mental health professional who consulted on the book and perhaps it’s just not listed, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if it was a miss. 
 
Content warnings:  Mental illness, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Car accident 
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doreyghc's review against another edition

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

4.0

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