Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

328 reviews

zero_sjl's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

2.0

dark academia is just not my cup of tea

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide, Murder, and Addiction

Moderate: Drug use and Suicide attempt

Minor: Self harm and Incest

mmeschi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Alcohol, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Classism, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Gore and Cursing

Minor: Incest

hbocking's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Murder, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Self harm, Incest, and Animal cruelty

robin_c's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No

1.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Gun violence, Racism, Xenophobia, Sexism, Violence, Suicide, and Self harm

lakinlindsey's review against another edition

dark sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Suicide, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, and Murder

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

lizkocher's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Murder, Physical abuse, Incest, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Mental illness

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Self harm

ringofkeyz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

there's a reason why this book is so highly recommended.

donna tartt is able to paint a scene so well with the language that she chooses. the characters feel real - while they could all fall into stereotypes quite easily (henry, the serious, studious boy with a dark nature. bunny, the playboy coasting by on forcing others' hand to generosity. etc.), they never come off as caricatures. their personalities and struggles feel believable and, even though they're all horrible people when it comes down to it, you're able to sympathize with them when need be. and those types of characters make a story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Addiction, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Self harm, Physical abuse, and Suicide

sydfay03's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

impressed me with its expert writing and kept me guessing up until the end but can’t say that this book was to my taste. i usually like a dark academia, but i felt very disconnected from these characters and the general story. read it quickly only because of my impending book club deadline and my morbid fascination with the story. but overall have to give it points for just how incredible the writing is (so twisty yet somehow it typically lined up with the plot/character development) and the fact that this book has stayed so relevant despite it being three decades old

*edit the next day*
okay coming back to this im knocking it down a bit because thinking back, there were some really unnecessary misogynist and homophobic undertones that grated on me while reading this. like camilla was the most well-rounded and thought out female character and she still was only a sex object for the other main characters. and at times this book was incredibly boring and if i didn’t have my deadline it would have taken me much longer to get through it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Physical abuse

Minor: Self harm

neverlandingonabook's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Murder, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Incest, Grief, and Gun violence

Minor: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, and Self harm

kirstenpod_'s review against another edition

dark 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: Self harm, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Racism, Alcoholism, Addiction, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Classism, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Incest and Homophobia