Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

NW by Zadie Smith

6 reviews

withlivjones's review against another edition

challenging mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.5

A really interesting study of the complex relationship between two childhood friends who grow up together in a housing estate in North-West London. The setting is so vivid and well-described through the many characters involved in the story. The story only really picks up from the third section, and the show-don’t-tell nature of the writing means a lot of brain power is required to really understand the plot, but there are some very interesting discussions about the intersection between race and class and about pressures put on women in the workplace and at home. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Abortion, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Homophobia, and Racism

georgiasummer98's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Drug use, Hate crime, Addiction, Abortion, Animal cruelty, and Alcohol

deenmachine's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

At times the character sketches felt indulgent. Like they were just there to show how well Zadie Smith can write extremely location-specifix dialogue, especially Felix's section.

I thought the storyline in Leah's part

where she secretly has an abortion and taking birth control

was so compelling and wish there was more time devoted to her motives.

My favorite Zadie Smith is still On Beauty. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Drug use, Abortion, and Animal death

jojo_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Classism, Drug use, Racism, Infidelity, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Misogyny, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Abortion, Animal death, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Blood, Pregnancy, Islamophobia, Rape, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, and Murder

slantrhymes's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

A reflective meditation on the intersection of class and race, as played out in one London neighborhood. There are few moments of satisfying narrative resolution here, but a lot of lifelike, open-ended existential questions and despair. In a good way! I enjoyed this book, but know that it doesn't try to comfort its reader. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Abortion, Trafficking, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Rape

erniedresser's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death