Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

11 reviews

bookedandbusy's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No

5.0

This was a gritty coming of age story clouded in grief and mystery. It provided an in depth look at privilege and racism in the 1960’s.  Harriet was an interesting, unique character who, despite never knowing him, was desperate to solve her brother's murder.  This is shown several times through the book in different ways.  It shows that grief doesn’t come only from death, but growing up in the shadow of someone else. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Excrement, Stalking, Animal death, Child death, Grief, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Vomit, Ableism, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

cosmopsis's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Drug abuse, Violence, Addiction, Animal death, Medical content, Gun violence, Classism, Vomit, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Car accident, Ableism, and Racism

Minor: Cancer

nicolaparty's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Animal death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Child death, Car accident, Classism, Death, Stalking, Ableism, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction and Racism

Minor: Blood, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Alcohol

jelliestars's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

1.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Racism, Ableism, Child death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Classism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Car accident, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Medical content, Vomit, Alcohol, Murder, Abandonment, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Xenophobia

Minor: Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, War, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Body shaming, Excrement, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Confinement, Cancer, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, and Trafficking

kari_t's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

3.0

I can't say loudly enough how much I love Donna Tartt's superior writing ability. Truly next level and unlike literally any author I have ever read. But, unfortunately, the problems I had with this book outweighted the enjoyment.

First: The constant flow of disturbing events and misery. Just a parade of depression: animal abuse, animal death, animal neglect, child abuse, child death, child neglect, racism, drug abuse, meth dealers, white supremacy...and on and on. It just didn't matter to me anymore how well Tartt could write. I just got SO sick and tired of all the awful everything of EVERYONE's life in this small town. 

Second: Not a thriller. After reading (and loving) The Goldfinch and The Secret History by Tartt, I was particularly excited to pick up The Little Friend, seeing it slotted as "Mystery/Thriller" and "Psychological Thriller". It is neither. The blurb proclaims things like "...Harriet...sets out to unmask (her brother's) killer" and "Filled with hairpin turns of plot...". Meh. While true Harriet tries for a time to determine the killer, as a pre-teem might do, she decides quickly who to blame. Then it's all about how she'll try to get revenge or justice. Most of the book is just atmospheric description (albeit brilliantly written) but there is not much going on from page to page. There are scenes of action and suspense at some times, but overall, no...this is not a mystery/thriller. 

And so, I'm being generous with 3-stars because of Tartt's writing. But the deeply dreary and subject matter and violence on every...single...page, and the ambling, pointless arc of the plot was a 1-star.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Grief, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Racial slurs, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Incest

another_dahlia's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child death, Racism, Death, Classism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Murder, Addiction, Cancer, Sexism, Drug abuse, and Drug use

lief_'s review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Ableism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racism, Addiction, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Classism, Death, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Confinement

carlytenille's review

adventurous mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.75

This murder mystery has everything, and as intense as it can get, it was such a fun read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Child death, Murder, Blood, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, and Violence

petrichorandcoffee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A compelling, painful, dark, beautifully written, unpredictable book. I am very glad I read it. There were some points in the book where I felt upset by racist language used, but I realized as the book progressed that we (readers) are meant to be upset by it and to see it as commentary on the time and place. It is not quite as resolved at the end as I personally would have liked - but that serves the story well so I don't mind. This is a story about loss, pain, growth, inherited trauma, structural classicism, structural racism, childhood, grief, dreams, and family. I would say it is southern gothic despite the fact that is lacks the supernatural/magical realism I feel is required for that genre because the text feels haunted and in the service of ghosts despite their lack of presence in the story itself.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Murder, Car accident, Animal death, Gun violence, Vomit, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Gore, Classism, and Addiction

ellensmith's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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? No

2.75

This book could be taken up to somewhere in the 3 star range or as low as a straight 2 star. I tried to average it out and marked it as 2.75. This book seemed to lose the plot at some parts, only to never pick it up again. I did really enjoy the discussions about class and race in the southern town. Tartt's writing makes you feel like you are truly in the place and watching the discussion happen. I just cannot justify the beauty of the setting for the actual plot of the novel. It would be a good book to fall asleep to I think. Also! Who the heck killed Robin?

I really do not think it was Danny. Maybe Pem or Pharish. Who knows. Maybe even Alison killed him.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Vomit, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Cursing, Classism, Child death, Car accident, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Addiction