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teavani's review against another edition
3.0
this was a book that felt like a book. as someone who loves dark academia/dead poets society type of material, i was quite disappointed by the secret history. donna tartt is definitely a talented writer. there were many passages i liked and underlined. however, the actual plot and characters really fell short for me. there were just a lot of ups and downs.
things i didn't like
- book 1 was overall much stronger than book 2. the entirety of bunny's funeral and a lot of the investigation just felt unnecessary, wordy, and introduced multiple characters/plotlines that didn't seem to go anywhere. it was just background noise. the peak of the book, in my opinion were towards the latter of the first half. and then the end where Richard comes to multiple realizations.
- basically all of the characters, which i know was intentional but there are books i do like with unlikable protagonists so i don't think that's it. anything involving with julian especially.
- a lot of the highbrow conversations about Greek, classics, sweeping concepts like beauty/love/etc. yeah some of the references went over my head, but the rest i understood and still didn't like lol.
- the last minute twincest and richard's intrusive thought of wanting to rape Camilla...what...
things i liked
- character wise, the romanticization of academia and classics, the shame in failure and not wanting to ask for help - being unnecessarily independent to keep up one's image, etc.
- the setting. i felt quite immersed in the 80s northeastern boarding school with all its seasons. the overall overcast/dreamlike hazy state of mind and setting were quite well done
things i didn't like
- book 1 was overall much stronger than book 2. the entirety of bunny's funeral and a lot of the investigation just felt unnecessary, wordy, and introduced multiple characters/plotlines that didn't seem to go anywhere. it was just background noise. the peak of the book, in my opinion were towards the latter of the first half. and then the end where Richard comes to multiple realizations.
- basically all of the characters, which i know was intentional but there are books i do like with unlikable protagonists so i don't think that's it. anything involving with julian especially.
- a lot of the highbrow conversations about Greek, classics, sweeping concepts like beauty/love/etc. yeah some of the references went over my head, but the rest i understood and still didn't like lol.
- the last minute twincest and richard's intrusive thought of wanting to rape Camilla...what...
things i liked
- character wise, the romanticization of academia and classics, the shame in failure and not wanting to ask for help - being unnecessarily independent to keep up one's image, etc.
- the setting. i felt quite immersed in the 80s northeastern boarding school with all its seasons. the overall overcast/dreamlike hazy state of mind and setting were quite well done
abbykwiverton's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
livhall97's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
miadesjardins's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
breama2022's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
3.5
yokai_garden's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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? No
2.0
heyninamae's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
purple_pages's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
4.0
alexryan3's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
4.75
Good book. The start of the book was enthralling and hooks you in. I really liked the mystery at the start and the climax was brilliant. The ending was long which wasn’t an issue as the amount of tension and build up was anxiety inducing. However, the last 50 or so pages (after Julian finds out) are kinda disappointing. Overall though, it is an excellent read and worth picking up.
ktlynlogan's review against another edition
4.0
it might be 500 pages, but i would read 500 more if there was more camilla