Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

603 reviews

leepc's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

This is the first contemporary book I’ve read in quite some time, and the writing is equal to the classics I usually stick to. It’s incredibly unique and intriguing, and the accurate and realistic description of daily life at a liberal arts college as a language student was amazing- critical and pastoral in equal and appropriate terms. My one criticism (and reason for not giving the book a full 5-stars) is the treatment of Francis. As a queer reader, it was disheartening to see him guided so heavily into tropes, especially

in his relationship with Charles, in his promiscuity, and in his ultimate forced marriage. The latter especially seemed unnecessary and forced, an oddly cruel fate for a character that could have found some sort of redemption like the others<spoiler/>

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Minor: Body horror, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Vomit, Grief, and Outing

Expect every possible trigger you could associate with a story about college students with access to alcohol, drugs, and money.

stumbling's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Infidelity

isaclaire's review against another edition

dark slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, and Murder

sm_moon's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Incest, and Self harm

Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism

_nessa_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book. The first 50 pages were slow and i didn’t think that i would like it, but after that i was completely engrossed in the plot and the characters. Although all the characters are horrible human beings i couldn’t help but feel invested in them. It is quite a long slow-paced book but i loved every second of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Racism, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Rape

delainymaynes's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

technicallyaly's review against another edition

dark 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

I don't know why I loved this as much as I did. 

I didn't particularly like any of the characters, and as far as plot and twists go, not much happens that is unexpected. But, something about the writing had me hooked to the very end. The descriptive language and the unreliable narration and the fact that Richard is so oblivious to everything unless someone is spelling it out for him — I was intrigued since they beginning. 

It's slow going — took me a long while to get through — and definitely not for everyone, but I loved this and would probably read it again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Animal death

lexierobertson's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

So I definitely enjoyed this book but it was just soooo long that it took me so long to reach the end. Admittedly I did read this during my exams so I wasn’t reading as much as usual but still. The book is just deceptively shorter than it is because there are just so many words on each page. 
I loved the themes and ideas  

and all the plot twists and unexpectedness

. Would definitely recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content

louisar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

First reading: Intriguing. I don’t have the thumb strength to say anything here other than that this book invented tumblr “dark academia” and Donna Tartt’s voice and writing are like smooooth honey. Eerie, thought-provoking, enigmatic. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

Second reading:
This book makes you feel trapped, as if you have to keep reading to see whether or not you, the reader, who alongside Richard so badly wants to fit in with these elite, erudite people, will accomplish this—belonging. And, you don’t. The genius of this book is that you find out just how superficial you yourself, the reader, truly are, as layer by layer, the characters are peeled back, revealing underneath their polished, sophisticated veneers how haunted and flawed they truly are. In the end, you are achingly disappointed—with them, with richard and, by extension, yourself, tempted to flip back all the way to the beginning, to the shine and luster and beauty of “before”. I will never not want to read this book, and discover everything all over again, to be captivated by the mystique and desire to adhere to it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Incest, Islamophobia, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Classism

alicelalicon's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death and Car accident