Scan barcode
gemmascott's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
On paper, I’m the perfect audience: former classics student; working class background, elite university, but for some reason, it failed to completely hit the mark.
The prose was beautiful and the student archetypes were well constructed, as was the satire of this kind of university life. However, the first half of the book was a bit of a slog to read - very slow paced and could easily have been half as long!
Interestingly though, when I first read the book 8-9 years ago, this is the section I remembered - much more clearly than “Book 2”. What interested me most about this section was the way the characters talked about Bunny’s impending death in a sort of abstract sense, almost as though they were playing a game, as there was no real consideration of the impact of their actions, nor any sense of empathy. This may, of course, be due to the fact that the characters are horrible people, but
“Book 2” was certainly the part of the book that gripped me most, as it dealt with the aftermath of the murder and it’s impact on the perpetrators, which is as far as I know, a concept rarely explored in literature.
The various reactions of the students to the murder also speaks volumes as to their characters - while Henry is largely coded as a sociopath, the twins and Francis seem much more like highly damaged people, who have perhaps a weak moral centre, but some sense of empathy, as they each largely go “off the rails” following the murder. On the other hand, Richard, who paints himself as the most sympathetic character during the novel (even calling himself a “bystander” at one point), is largely able to move on with his life, at least outwardly. For me, this makes him one of the least empathetic characters and suggests he shares at least some characteristics with Henry - despite his purported horror at some of the events, we see very little genuine empathy or even feeling from him. Julian is also a key villain of the novel, and likely of the same mould as Henry and Richard - was Richard a social experiment in terms of allowing a working class boy to join the group, or just another vulnerable person Julian could control/isolate in order to satisfy his god complex?
In terms of my main criticisms of the book, these include the references spread throughout the novel. These gave an impression of almost an old journal article in Classical Studies, where the academics sought to prove their credentials at every possible moment (I once read an article with an entire paragraph in untranslated French, for no apparent reason), and made the book feel at once as though it was gatekeeping, and trying to flatter its readers as to their own academic prowess.
There were also some inconsistencies - Richard is suddenly proficient in Latin (despite Julian saying he won’t learn the language until next year - which I took to mean academic year), and while most of the references were “real”, from brands, to pop-stars to authors, there was an inexplicable inclusion of the “Isrami” government - if the author didn’t want to specify, just say a “Middle Eastern” government - for me a very strange and distracting choice.
I would also have liked to see the theme of class explored a little more deeply - none of the characters seem to mind Richard’s background (which they must have understood), despite their obvious distain for others of a similar socio-economic status.
Overall, an interesting book, but I wouldn’t say it completely lives up to the hype.
Graphic: Rape, Murder, Incest, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content
faeblxde's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Sexual content, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Incest
emimcmanis's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Classism, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Mental illness, Murder, Xenophobia, Violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual content
romy_elizabeth13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Suicide, Alcohol, Gore, Suicide attempt, Blood, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Vomit, Incest, Classism, Racial slurs, and Sexual content
grace_b_3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Suicide, Gun violence, Drug use, Violence, Murder, Death, and Alcohol
Moderate: Incest, Animal death, Sexual content, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Homophobia and Panic attacks/disorders
mskingbean69's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Gun violence, Islamophobia, Body horror, Gaslighting, Bullying, Car accident, Cursing, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Biphobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Classism, Fatphobia, Rape, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Racial slurs, Violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
meic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Graphic: Drug abuse, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, Bullying, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Classism, Gore, Sexual content, Sexism, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Mental illness, Racism, Incest, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Murder, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, and Addiction
piikasmalls's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Drug use, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Self harm
Moderate: Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Alcoholism, Incest, Violence, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Cursing, Racism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Blood
seforana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Violence, Murder, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Addiction, Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Self harm, Body horror, Gore, Incest, and Suicidal thoughts
bookish_bry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Incest and Classism
Minor: Sexual content