Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

148 reviews

maddieads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

An incredibly well-written book by Gillian Flynn. Although all of her books are dark I think this one is the darkest. I had DNF’d it several years ago and just recently picked it back up. I remembered why almost right away. It’s a book that makes you viciously uncomfortable at almost every turn. This is not a book with a happy ending but it does have a fitting one. There are definitely major trigger warnings to go with this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Blood, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Child death, Cursing, Violence, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, and Vomit

alidathealien's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

This should be called Yucky Places because Gillian Flynn is very talented in the art of describing a scene that makes me want to take a shower. I liked this a lot more than Sharp Objects. The plot was fast paced and engaging and I certainly didn't figure out what happened before it was explained! I loved how little things mentioned at the beginning come back in a significant way just as you were starting to forget about them. The way the different character perspectives tend to refer to the same things but with very different contexts would be very funny if not for how serious the book is. Just that aspect reminded me a lot of Arrested Development humor. Can we get another mini series starring Amy Adams please?

edatta's review against another edition

dark tense 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? No

2.0

Like most Gillian Flynn novels, the story is largely carried by the gut-punch that occurs about 80% of the way through. This one isn't as effective as her others. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Violence, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, and Animal death

tangledinblue's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I love how this book is written in a way that forces you to untangle the knots and find the truth as the protagonist does the same.  Tackles the fragility of memory, the satanic panic, the 80s true crime community, and what happens when a tragedy becomes a spectacle. I loved that the narrator was unreliable, both intentionally and unintentionally, and how Flynn wove the story to drop pieces of the puzzle in at opportune moments, leaving the reader juuuust one step away from a realization at all times.  I also am a huge fan of Flynn’s female protags- they’re angry, depressed, bitter, and morally grey  in a way that doesn’t make them unlikeable, because they resonate with all women. Their rage may not be righteous but it is not unjustified. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Classism, Gore, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

Moderate: Pedophilia

nimrodgrrrl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, Child abuse, Animal death, Child death, and Animal cruelty

kitty03's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Blood, and Toxic relationship

yeoldeeclair's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

Moderate: Self harm, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy

strawbaeby's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

4.0

 A dark, raw, gruesome and disturbing story. I love how honest the characters are, even in the privacy of their own minds. How Gillian doesn't shy away from telling their deepest darkest thoughts. 
I would say the book is quite a slowburn but you wouldn't even feel it you'll be constantly entertained whilst following the cookie crumbs trail. Gillian Flynn is a genius author I almost cannot believe this was published 13 years ago. It definitely stands the test of time and was insanely readable. Not even in the slightest falling short with other recently published thriller mysteries. If you don't mind twisted, unsettling stories with morally grey characters, this is perfect for you. For me personally, I adore this book. Right up my alley; writing and story wise.

Definitely check trigger warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

robin345's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

ripxw's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death of parent, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship