Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

602 reviews

kt2e56's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

Beauty is indeed terrifying. This book was such a solid slow burn. It really got under my skin and I think it’s going to stay there for awhile. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Incest, Racism, and Sexual content

bellaroses's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Gun violence

yappadee's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug use and Incest

Minor: Gun violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

ellenwilberg's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

cornustella's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I congratulate Donna Tartt for making me admire people whom I should loathe based on their moral beliefs.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Incest, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Antisemitism

georgiesutton's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.5

I thought the production of the audio book really took away from how much I could have enjoyed this book. It’s read by the author who is clearly not an audio book narrator and her strong accent takes some getting used to. Aside from that the time stamps are completely random, with Book 2 starting halfway between timestamps and there is no regard for the book’s chapters. 
I think had I read the physical book I may have found it more engaging and more of a page turner but I actually felt it could have been about a third shorter, there was a lot of superfluous detail. 
I found it an intriguing story but it just dragged on for me listening to it, and overall a little disappointed I gave so much of my time to this book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Gore, Incest, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape

aditi_801's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

5.0

WOW. This book. It honestly leaves me speechless, yet I have a million thoughts running around in my head. So much was happening. I hated every character except perhaps Francis who was slightly less hateable. You'd thing hating all the characters would be a turn off, but it only made the reading experience more delightful. I normally don't leave a spoiler including review, so let's go over this book without any spoilers. Bunny has been killed by his closest friends. Why? Well it's insanely complicated but maybe because of mr. manupalative and psychotic Henry. Robert was the craziest narrator i've ever had the experience of encountering. With his naive, trusting, and dumb nature, you sometimes had no way to differentiate what actually happened and what he thought happened. You could never trust him. Francis, the gay rich boy was probably the most likeable character because of his lack of pyschotic nature and mostly friendly persona. Charles and Camilla (the sus twins) are self explanatory enough. The writing in this book overall, was an experience in itself that you simply cannot miss. It kept me enaged the entire time in it's tragic beauty. Seeing Robert's view of beautifying everything he see's was so unique. Most of the books I read are from sarcastic narators that hate the world, so this was a nice change. Overall, I love this book so much that I want to tear it up, toss the pieces in the sea, and jump in with it. Beauty is terror, after all. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Incest, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

kathabooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Vomit, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Toxic friendship

booksbutmakeitgay's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

1.5

The first third of this book was interesting enough, but then it just got worse and worse

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Islamophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

quinn24's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Racism, Self harm, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Car accident