Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

30 reviews

lykida's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

hjb_128's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Animal death, Racial slurs, Death, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Child death, Racism, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Abandonment

rzh's review

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, Racism, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism

_rowan_'s review

dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Racism, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Grief, Car accident, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Body horror, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Child death

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. 

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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

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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

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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

beanqueen_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Drags on, there is a lot of unnecessary slurs. Love how descriptive the writing was, and the story was interesting but I wasn't super captivated or invested in the characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Death

Moderate: Racial slurs, Ableism, and Animal death

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

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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.

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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