Scan barcode
lindasoderlundd's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Incest, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Homophobia and Medical content
Minor: Abandonment, Child abuse, Classism, Gun violence, Antisemitism, Misogyny, Racism, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Sexual content
alexandrabelze'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Classism, Drug use, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Suicide, Violence, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Confinement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Stalking
Minor: Ableism, Fatphobia, Rape, Cancer, Death of parent, and Eating disorder
miaaa_lenaaa'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
3.75
SPOILERS (probably)
Well isnt richard just the most dumb fuck around, boy is literally just sticking his noise in everything and giving his opinion when he clearly doesnt not know half of what is happening and even when he does his conclusion is still fucking stupid, like ‘god camilla idk care if ur brothers abusive get out >:(‘ also his whole love for camilla was weird and i hated it, she was clearly literally never interested in you and u were like #marryme? , i agree with francis, idk how u graduated.
Im not even gonna try and question whatever julian and henry had going on, also fun fact about me is i actually didnt need a wrap up at the end of every single character we met lol
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Violence, Car accident, Alcoholism, Gore, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Incest, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Death, and Grief
kayabennett'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Addiction, Alcoholism, Incest, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Suicide, Animal death, Classism, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Blood, Drug abuse, Racism, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, War, and Emotional abuse
rose492's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual assault
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Suicide
Minor: Child abuse
lissybeth91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Secret History is a story about murder, but the who and what are revealed right from the start. What remains is a fascinating, twisted exploration of the why and how. The writing is brilliant, at times making me feel as if I myself had committed the crime.
Graphic: Classism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Incest, Alcoholism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Classism, and Bullying
Minor: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Car accident, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization
rory_john14's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Gore, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Gun violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Violence, Blood, Death, Drug use, and Homophobia
Moderate: Grief, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, Classism, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, and Child abuse
Minor: Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Biphobia, Antisemitism, Cancer, Car accident, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Stalking, Vomit, Child death, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
mrs_elliott19'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Blurb:
Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of morality, their lives are changed profoundly and for ever.
The Secret History is a story of two parts; the chain of events that led to the death of a classmate—and what happened next.
Thoughts:
Let me start off my review my saying I simple picked up this book due to seeing people gush about it over and over on instagram, and the fact that it was first published the year I was born.
I’m not gonna lie, it took me a longggg time to read it, simply because the first half was almost so boring I almost didn’t finish it.
But, in the end, I am glad I did. It is incredible slow at the beginning I will admit, but in the end, I am glad I stuck threw and finished its.
Content Warnings: Murder, Alcoholism, Suicide, Incest, Racist Slurs, Toxic Relationships, Drugs, Addiction, Animal Death, Bullying, A Little Sexual Contact, Hate Crime, Toxic Friendships – to list a few, you can find more on StoryGraph.
Graphic: Self harm, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Grief, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Racial slurs, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Incest, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Death
starryybella's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Imagine if "Lord of the Flies" met dark academia, a classical tragedy, and Greek antiquity at a New England college.
I ate this book UP. I don't necessarily get intimidated by larger novels but I never have the time to read them, so I put them off. When I was in treatment, I finally had time to read this book after it sat on my shelf for a month at home.
One, the cover was aesthetically pleasing to me, because I strived for a dark academia aesthetic more around sophomore/beginning of junior year and I still admire the aesthetic. Studying antiquity at a small liberal arts college in Vermont? Say less.
Two, I'm a SUCKER for psychological novels. I'm not really into mysteries. I never really have been, I hate to say it. "Nancy Drew" wasn't my thing as a kid, I read a few "A to Z Mysteries", but nothing too special, and didn't really ever latch on to what my peers liked about it. I just didn't have the sustained interest in it, and it was probably because of my ADHD.
But something about this book is so captivating and special. Words can't begin to describe it.
This was my first Donna Tartt novel, and I'm definitely going to read "The Goldfinch" or "The Little Friend" now after so many years of people recommending me to her. I fell in love with her writing style - it reinvented English for me and the diction this book has is impeccable. I never had this much admiration for the lexicon in any book until this novel.
The reviews about it were outstanding, and I like reading the reviews, as a reviewer. How many times did I say a word that began with an R?
Back to talking about reviews though. The reviews give me some idea on what to expect from the novel, especially if I know the author or publication that's writing the review.
If I were to ever write a book, I'd want the reviews that "The Secret History" got. Like, helloooo? Are you there, God? It's me, Izzy.
If my comment about "Lord of the Flies" intimidates you, don't let it. I hated that book too. I thought it was so absolute in its judgment of a person's innate capability for evil and savagery, as if that's our ultimate nature, which I disagree with. I had a lot of moral objections to that book and I consider myself the president of the "Lord of the Flies" Hate Club. My least favorite book I've had to read, to say the least.
No offense to those who liked it or took meaning out of it - go enjoy your 12-year-olds killing each other on an island.
But I'll explain my reasoning for my comparison later, without giving away too much about the book.
The book follows the perspective of Richard Papen, a transfer student from California to the elite Hampden College in Vermont. He describes the very exclusive class of classics Professor Julian Morrow, and the eventual fall from grace of the students. He's writing this from years in retrospect, looking back at events leading up to the murder of Bunny, one of the classmates in Morrow's class, and the blurry, unbearable days following the murder.
The common theme in my recommendations: Did it catch me from the first page? Answer: YES. This book absolutely caught my attention from the first page.
It was slightly haunting to read the prologue, and I immediately fell in love with the book with the prologue's last poetic parts: "...Though I only remember too well the long terrible night that lay ahead and the long terrible days and nights that followed, I have only to glance over my shoulder for all those years to drop away and I see it behind me again, the ravine, rising all green and black through the saplings, a picture that will never leave me. I suppose at one time in my life I might have had any number of stories, but now there is no other. This is the only story I will be ever able to tell" (4).
The reason I absolutely devoured this book is because of the inverted murder mystery model and the ominous tone the book sets right in the prologue. It's sustained throughout the book through the characterization of the six students and their professor.
The epilogue after the main story sent me for a loop after the ups and downs of the main story, and after I finished the book, I felt empty. To say I was in awe is a grievous understatement. I would read it again and again and never get bored of it. I went to the length of looking up if there was a movie adaptation of it so I could devour it again.
I've known people who read parts of books in the middle or the end. I'm guilty as charged sometimes. I try not to do it all the time, but that's what always ruins mysteries for me on top of reasons I stated earlier.
However, I didn't with this book because I was so invested in the story. It takes a LOT of self-restraint but when you dive into a story and absorb yourself in it, you forget that it's ever going to end. That's how this book made me feel. It was at a good pace and was both lyrical and suspenseful. Erudite is often the word reviewers used and I have to agree - there was a level of sophistication to this book that doesn't make it unreadable. It adds this flare that no book I've ever read has.
At times, I couldn't put this book down. I just loved reading it, sipping on a warm cup of coffee with a little bit of sweet cream. Dimmer lighting might be a better match to the vibe of this book - this is definitely a book to read by candlelight. The vibes, needless to say, are immaculate.
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Gaslighting, Incest, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, and Antisemitism
gretag'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
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Outing, Homophobia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Medical content and Vomit