Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

602 reviews

kathischm's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Mental illness

Minor: Animal death, Incest, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

uhh_sydney's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

People hyped up this book so much as a dark academia necessity when all they did was chainsmoke, drink too much, and kill people. Richard is the most boring protagonist I’ve ever read. He’s just a vessel for other characters to tell him and by extension the reader what the plot line is. He has hardly any personality if his own. This book doesn’t show, it tells. I want to watch things fall apart before me, not have some other character ramble to Richard for three and a half pages. Also, why is everyone obsessed with Camilla?

Why does Richard love her besides she’s pretty I guess? Why does she get involved with Henry? Why does HER OWN TWIN BROTHER GET ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH HER????? Still don’t understand the exact motives behind murdering Bunny either.

Felt a little uneasy about the portrayal of Francis’ homosexuality, but I can’t put my finger on it. Not necessarily a critique of the elite institution, which is what the book has the potential to be. Definitely more focused on the aesthetic. It had its bright moments, but overall I was dissapointed by this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Incest, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Car accident

Minor: Infidelity, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Classism

megxlily's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Incest, and Panic attacks/disorders

sorryviolet's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

cle1862's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Rape, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault

hailcornell's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

this was just a masterclass in the perfectly executed slow-pace novel. absolutely mesmerizing. donna really put her whole tarttussy into this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Incest, and Injury/Injury detail

kayabennett's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

bunny corcoran is a fucking menace

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Incest, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and War

agnela's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

excepto's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

It is nice to read a novel for a change. 
It is fascinating to read that and it raises the weird urge of suddenly wanting to study classics, go round a bunch of charity shops, changing the entirety of your wardrobe, and picking up a bunch of old philosophy books and also homer. This is especially enticing when in the first half of the book. At the same time you know how the story is going to end from the very beginning, in a bold move Tart decides to lay out her ending on the very first page.
It is interesting to look at the depiction of a 80s(?) American college campus and seeing the various groups and subcultures that function there. By Richard's classification I'm afraid I'm firmly placed in the hippy camp, hacky-sacking on the grass bare-foot.
At the same time the elitism of the protagonists is quite startling, just taking out cash out of their pockets on a whim. We get an interesting view of that from Richard's side who is not from money, but yet somehow manages to get on with their crowd. At places we have Henry voicing quite 'worrying' statements about how only the greats should have a say about the world, I'm not entirely sure what the book is trying to make me think of that as even Richard himself does not react to this very strongly.
I also notice how easily lying comes to Richard and it just seems odd to me, but maybe I just give a lot of consideration to truth.
The ending is quite heavy and depressing, I somehow hoped for something better, but should have known what was coming.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Medical content, and Religious bigotry

uhm_kai's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

2.5

it was wordy & descriptive which i enjoyed, but it was so pretentious and took so long to build up to actual tension - and then it was weird with unnecessary incest and a 'bury your gays' type thing...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail