Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

6 reviews

lindsayerin's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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emmas_bookshelf's review against another edition

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

4.0

I found this novel super interesting and thought provoking. The author experimented a lot with form and for me, in some places it worked and in some places it didn’t… I think I would have liked more consistency but I can appreciate what she tried to do. I wouldn’t recommend this if you don’t like lit fic (literary fiction), but it does get at a lot of important topics in our society.

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spacescape's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This writing on this book is an example of what current creative fiction writers love: intensely-detailed character development (or, as I call it: over-the-top inner mind description). Fleshing out characters is important; writing page after page of a character's likes and dislikes is maddening and a waste of good trees. 

This book is an example of why I have a difficult time reading novels. After finishing & reflecting, there is one main character whom didn't need to exist at all, which would have cut out many unnecessary and shock-value pages. A letter to this individual--several pages on its own--could have been struck with it. Additionally, a particular argument between two other main characters is completely nonsensical.

I'll pause here to add some positive things: the setting of a dying Midwest town is perfect (even though a street-level description for part of the town only comes at the end, confusingly). The ideas of gentrification, the Midwest, mental disorders of several varieties, living far too deep in one's own head, drug abuse, and economic challenges are very well-woven into the whole story. 

The ultimate frustration is that this novel could be a good 25% shorter, which would have made it better. Longer does not equal better, writers! 

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tangerinetea's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-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

3.75


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mrslsmith's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

3.75


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katiewhocanread's review against another edition

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dark reflective 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

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