Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

89 reviews

kkmk's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

p_alice11's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Classism

word_enjoyer22's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.0

I can’t define this book. Is it satirical and subversive, or overly indulgent in all the “isms” that exist? I think that somehow it is both.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Cannibalism, and Murder

elianawolfson's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense fast-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

Absolutely horrifying - so much gore and violence that I felt physically sick whilst reading, but so well written, funny, and captivating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

lizzy_hatesreading's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Hard to read. I give the author credit for his imagination. Book does get a reaction out of you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Take breaks reading this book

ejr1904's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

4.75

A grotesque critique of capitalism. 

You either love it or you hate it. It’s vile and unwavering. One of the few books that made my stomach turn. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Antisemitism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

litltlehistorian's review against another edition

It took me two goes to try and get through this. I just couldn't get into it. Some of the descriptions made me gag and feel physically ill. If you aren't aware (or even if you are) that this is satire it can be a confronting and cruel read. On the other hand it can also be a witty and interesting gaze at 80s Wall Street Guppies. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

allonsythornraxx's review against another edition

I had every intention of finishing this but it was honestly too brutal and traumatising. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, and Murder

sheryl_reads's review against another edition

American Psycho is my first DNF of the year! I gave it a chance (got to just over 200 pages of my 400 page copy) and realised I wasn’t even paying attention anymore. 

I appreciate the social commentary Bret Easton Ellis is going for, but I don’t need what felt like 200 pages of an upmarket Argos catalogue in my life. Every description was full of brand names, designers etc. And the ‘story’ seemed to consist of the protagonist having dinner/drinks with people almost as vapid and despicable as him. 

It’s clearly meant to be a critique of the ‘yuppie’ culture - where you have to say the right things, wear the right clothes, be seen in the right places with the right people. But I got that in less than 50 pages. The rest just felt like it was bashing me over the head. Halfway thru the book and all I’d got were small snippets hinting at the mental state of Bateman. 

I think this book is like marmite - a lot of people will love it, but in my opinion, the hours I spent reading it are hours I’ll never get back! 

I should also point out that some of the language, behaviour and themes in the book could be incredibly triggering. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry