Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

55 reviews

teri_b's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-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

This is a book I never get tired of reading as it holds such a unique world and a main character that is not really likeable and yet you start to like Lyra at some point of the story anyway.

And I would fully agree that this is a book that everybody should read at least once in their life time, it is that good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Child abuse, and Death

Moderate: Animal death and Child death

librarymouse's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.5

I adored this book the first time I read it in 2021, scrambling my way through the entire series at breakneck speed. The detail and the world building of this universe is such an immersive experience, it continues to be engaging as I re-read it for school. Reading this in 2023, in association with Paradise Lost and The Chronicles of Narinia, there is so much more depth to the storytelling, beyond the calling out of church-sanctioned abuses and the cognitive dissonances around the concept of heresy. The novel's lack of a centralized paragon of evil complicates the messages of Paradise Lost in unique and interesting ways. Mrs. Coulter and Lord Azriel act as physical manifestations of Milton's Satan's pride, ambition, and cunning, but Lyra's lying, and the willingness of herself and her companions to do what is necessary in their quest creates a gray area between good and evil as paradigms.
I love the characters of the witches, especially in how they (to an extent) are similar to Milton's angels.

It's very easy to get immersed in this world.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Animal death, Gun violence, Grief, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Blood, Child death, Death, and Violence

Moderate: War, Confinement, and Vomit

Minor: Toxic relationship

gentle_garbage_baby's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-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

One of my favourites. Never read it as a child so I read it now and I'm so glad that I did. Characters and plot are fantastic. Moving onto the Subtle Knife right away.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Animal death, and Death

Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Trafficking

sorkka's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Kidnapping

Moderate: Child abuse, Abandonment, Medical trauma, and Trafficking

Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Violence

Overall this is a children's book but some children may be disturbed by the child kidnapping and

medical trauma / child experimentation that occurs. This leads to some animal and child death.

The main character is neglected by her relations and raised in a 'school'. The main character's

mother and father are revealed to be exploitative of children

bennoyb's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Classism, Racism, Child death, Child abuse, and Violence

clrouse's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Blood

Minor: War, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Murder, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Animal death

fjerda's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

I really adored this book. The imagery was vivid and palpable. The child characters thought authentically like children which is lost in a lot of books. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Murder, Gore, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Child death, and Death

plume_de_renarde's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Child death, and Animal death

Moderate: Religious bigotry and Misogyny

Minor: Abandonment, Racism, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

bexxtrafresh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Fun read. Enjoyed the magical imaginative universe. Thoroughly considered characters all around. Surprised at how much zeppelins are used. Witches, armored bears, and daemons oh my!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, and Kidnapping

Minor: War, Violence, and Kidnapping

jadziaaudrey's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Murder and Grief

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship