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hunnybeemarie's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
It also discusses death and fate, isolation and knowledge, control and obsession, class and wealth. The way that Donna Tartt is able to weave so many themes into one book is phenomenal to see. There is never a point in which this book feels scattered or like it's doing too much. It keeps you enthralled from beginning to end.
This book is a masterclass in writing and intrigue. The fact that the "main event" doesn't happen until halfway through the book, but you are interested for all of the pages beforehand and all of the pages afterward, is quite a unique feat.
I finally feel complete in my dark academic dreams having finally read this book all the way through. I started it once before when I was 13. I got about halfway through and I actually annotated it back then! They are the ugliest annotations I've ever seen and it was pretty funny to be able to see them. I think I thought I was pretty clever lol 😂 I don't know where I got half of the things that I wrote down back then from! The most random, kind of pretentious annotations 💀
All in all, I loved reading and annotating this book, and it absolutely lives up to the hype. There are a few things that felt a little odd or unnecessary to me that are keeping me from giving it a full five stars, therefore I'm giving the secret history a still VERY good 4.75 ⭐
(Please look up the trigger warnings before reading this book)
Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Suicide, Racism, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Classism, Death, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Antisemitism, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Incest, Animal death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
bronzeageholly's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Incest, Addiction, Blood, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Mental illness, Medical content, Sexual content, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, and Gun violence
v_neptune's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Incest, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Mental illness, Death, Cursing, Addiction, Animal death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, and Fatphobia
_rowan_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Drug abuse, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Murder, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Alcohol, Classism, and Incest
nialiversuch's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Classism, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Incest, Vomit, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Blood, Bullying, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
Minor: Domestic abuse
becreadsbooks_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Infidelity, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Medical trauma, Murder, Self harm, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Car accident, Classism, and Death
readinghavoc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Murder, Death, Violence, Addiction, Body horror, Incest, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, Cursing, Suicide, Gore, Mental illness, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Classism, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Sexism, and Infidelity
Minor: Animal death, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Outing, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
navayiota's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Death, Animal death, Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, Vomit, Cursing, Blood, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Classism, Abandonment, and Incest
Minor: Animal cruelty
eve_o's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Infidelity, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Incest, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
livbarry's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, Mental illness, Incest, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Infidelity, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail