Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Secret History (Abridged Version) by Donna Tartt

141 reviews

andreadelo's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Murder, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Antisemitism, Vomit, Addiction, Death, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Violence, Alcoholism, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Outing, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Grief, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, and Cultural appropriation

rebecca_mdx'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book is NOT the way I saw it promoted on BookTok at all (IDK maybe I'm just on the wrong side of it). It definitely puts the "dark" in dark academia, and anyone who says Henry Winters is hot needs serious help.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Classism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Grief, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Cursing

Moderate: Mental illness, Drug use, Drug abuse, Incest, and Sexual assault

Minor: Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Homophobia

avciera7's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Xenophobia, Incest, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia

_sarahramadan's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Racism, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Murder, and Drug use

Moderate: Murder and Incest

rae_diant's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Suicide, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Xenophobia, Addiction, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Homophobia, Misogyny, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Gaslighting

livermorium's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism and Drug abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Classism, Incest, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Suicide

cgm42's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

I get why people reference this book and it is funny in its bananas and arrogance but its not life changing. This is one of those books that inspired a lot so you've seen its influence in others writing, as well as tv & movies. Because of that, it might have lost its shine on me and didn't grip me as it has many others, since I personally feel that people have built on the dark academia in dare I say, better ways. I think if I read this in high school or college it would have been mind blowing but I was knee deep in Anne Rice & whatever political thriller my dad sent my way during the 90s so my attention was elsewhere. 

Also that funeral scene dragged for what felt was soooo long that even the absurdity of it all wasn't compelling, could have done without it but alas small gripe.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Murder

freyaboobac's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.5

It is wonderfully ironic that this book has become a staple of dark academia when it is itself a critique of the culture and aesthetic of dark academia. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Drug use, Death, Classism, Incest, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Racism, Homophobia, and Grief

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense 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: Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Alcoholism, Addiction, Animal death, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Incest, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Misogyny, Racism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Bullying, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Confinement

Moderate: Medical content and Eating disorder

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, Ableism, Vomit, Antisemitism, Infidelity, Car accident, and Cancer

peach_pie's review against another edition

I really wanted to like this book, but man it was so depressing and anxious. And I know it’s probably the point, but the characters really aren’t likeable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Violence, Murder, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Animal death, Addiction, Blood, and Incest