Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

18 reviews

cstein's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Some racist humor/undertones that the 2022 reader should question. Tartt's description of the attack and its aftermath are moving and memorable, in contrast to later passages and conversations which feel rushed and underexplained. Interesting use of an unreliable narrator and a combination of several narrative styles. Generally entertaining.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Violence, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Vomit, Death, Gore, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Racism, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, and Mental illness

Minor: Antisemitism, Classism, Medical content, and Trafficking

ladybergart's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Racism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Classism, Abandonment, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, and Drug use

Moderate: Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Addiction, and Death

Minor: Murder and Eating disorder

morbidanatomy's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Homophobia and Infidelity

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Fatphobia, and Xenophobia

faerieevee's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Antisemitism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Car accident, and Child abuse

laura9955's review against another edition

adventurous reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal cruelty

macca23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

4.75

Donna Tartt could write an incomprehensible Yelp review filled with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes and I still would think about it every day for the next three years

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Toxic friendship

tobeeornottobee's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

i've seen a lot of negative reviews about this book. about how it's boring, hard to get through, uniteresting. i think if your only critique of a book is that it's boring, it's not really a critique. it's a heavy book, it was written in the early 2000's and deals with a lot of trauma and unhealthy coping mechanisms. going in i thought this was a book i would have to drag myself through. i didn't find that to be true in the least. its dysfunctional and unreliable, a direct reflection of the narrator. the book takes us through a lifetime spent severely depressed and filled high with anxiety. i think if it was shorter, less wordy, it would have been so much more impersonal. it wouldn't have settled in my chest the same way. (also the characters. obviously, we're seeing it through theo's eyes so everything is tinted with his thoughts and feelings. i think boris and theo's dynamic is really important. i think andy deserved better. i think theo is a repressed gay man. i think these people were real and tangible.) take care with the topics and triggers in this book. but if it is something you think you'll enjoy, don't be deterred by negative reviews. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Gore, Homophobia, and Sexual content

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A (lengthy!) reading journey that I thoroughly enjoyed every second of; it's well-deserving of its continued praise. A bit like a fairy tale, a lot like Dickens -- what a treat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Bullying and Mental illness

Minor: Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, and Racial slurs