Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

311 reviews

itsgnat's review against another edition

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slow-paced

2.0

UGH.  This book was way too long and boring.  I actually believe her story, but this book is very tedious and repetitive.  And before I decided to listen to this audiobook, I wish I would've noticed that the author doesn't narrate it.  I am used to listening to memoirs with the author's voice, which makes the story more emotional.  This audiobook felt so stiff and void of emotion.

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sierra_n's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0


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kkpines's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75


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sec892's review against another edition

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dark sad tense slow-paced

4.5


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bashsbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

I see why Educated is such a popular memoir - an avid reader of the genre myself, many people have told me that this is the only one that they've read in the past half-decade or so.

Westover has a vivid and transporting sense of description, and Whelan reads her words with a measured and flowing cadance (although I could do without her attempts at Idaho accents and masculine tones when reading dialogue). Westover is also extremely cognizant of the core of memoir - that it is one person's truth, and that one person's truth has power. Add that to how it demonstrates the highly political nature of education, and of course Westover has a captivating book.

That said, I feel part of the appeal for a lot of people is the shock of Westover's upbringing and a certain desire to gawk. This gawking desire draws lots of people to memoirs, but Educated is especially primed for it. I have to wonder how others are engaging with it - hopefully more than on a 'damn, that was crazy' level.

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pandemonicbaby's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

I think this book might have changed my life.
This book is such a marvelous, deeply interesting exploration of the power of education, of the meaning of family, of struggling with abuse and still being able to forge an identity for yourself afterward. Her path towards education is also a path towards being able to think for herself, instead of being told what to think by others. This might be the strongest, most powerful message woven in between the threads of this memoir, an ode to finding yourself through education.
So much nuance, so many tiny little intricacies present in the text show that Tara Westover truly is a historian -- that she's able to see the many different versions of a story and present them to the reader, making them reflect upon the significance and meaning of each unique account. "[...] nothing final can be known", as she quotes John Stuart Mill.
I feel like I'm going to reread this soon, just so I can underline the passages in this book that are so powerful they would make anyone stop reading just to reflect upon them. I shouldn't have been scared of underlining this book, gosh!! I gotta start being more willing to do that, whenever I think it might be important to me.
All in all, wonderful book. Marvelously crafted, beautiful writing, moving and powerful message. I cried reading this. I think it will stay with me forever.

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sierrabowers's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

I loved this memoir. It reminded me of A Little Life, but the story was from a real person. It made me sad but also greatly aware of how religious trauma can affect a person or brainwash the masses. Education is not only a right but it is essential to those who only have access to information that is censored and warped. I would highly recommend to everyone!!!

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insideunder's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.5


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pranjuli's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

I wanna know more and lesser at the same time. Tara has a gift - this is undeniable, and her story is one of inspiration and abandon at the same time. I am horrified as well as gratified. 

Weirdly, despite being a story so away from our lives, Tara doesn't come across as an alien when discussing about her feelings and fears and how she felt when thrown into new situations after living a completely different life for 17 years. She doesn't feel unnatural, she doesn't come across as miraculous either. 
She is a woman, just like any of us, who had to grapple with so much. 


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alexmoody's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0


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