Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

11 reviews

hjb_128's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Animal death, Racial slurs, Death, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Child death, Racism, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Abandonment

_rowan_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Racism, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Grief, Car accident, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Body horror, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Child death

bookedandbusy's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was a gritty coming of age story clouded in grief and mystery. It provided an in depth look at privilege and racism in the 1960’s.  Harriet was an interesting, unique character who, despite never knowing him, was desperate to solve her brother's murder.  This is shown several times through the book in different ways.  It shows that grief doesn’t come only from death, but growing up in the shadow of someone else. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Excrement, Stalking, Animal death, Child death, Grief, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Vomit, Ableism, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

jelliestars's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Racism, Ableism, Child death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Classism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Car accident, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Medical content, Vomit, Alcohol, Murder, Abandonment, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Xenophobia

Minor: Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, War, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Body shaming, Excrement, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Confinement, Cancer, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, and Trafficking

johnclough's review

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Blood, Racism, Violence, Addiction, Animal death, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, and Drug abuse

lief_'s review

adventurous emotional funny 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Ableism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racism, Addiction, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Classism, Death, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Confinement

petrichorandcoffee's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A compelling, painful, dark, beautifully written, unpredictable book. I am very glad I read it. There were some points in the book where I felt upset by racist language used, but I realized as the book progressed that we (readers) are meant to be upset by it and to see it as commentary on the time and place. It is not quite as resolved at the end as I personally would have liked - but that serves the story well so I don't mind. This is a story about loss, pain, growth, inherited trauma, structural classicism, structural racism, childhood, grief, dreams, and family. I would say it is southern gothic despite the fact that is lacks the supernatural/magical realism I feel is required for that genre because the text feels haunted and in the service of ghosts despite their lack of presence in the story itself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Murder, Car accident, Animal death, Gun violence, Vomit, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Gore, Classism, and Addiction

ellensmith's review

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.75

This book could be taken up to somewhere in the 3 star range or as low as a straight 2 star. I tried to average it out and marked it as 2.75. This book seemed to lose the plot at some parts, only to never pick it up again. I did really enjoy the discussions about class and race in the southern town. Tartt's writing makes you feel like you are truly in the place and watching the discussion happen. I just cannot justify the beauty of the setting for the actual plot of the novel. It would be a good book to fall asleep to I think. Also! Who the heck killed Robin?

I really do not think it was Danny. Maybe Pem or Pharish. Who knows. Maybe even Alison killed him.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Vomit, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Cursing, Classism, Child death, Car accident, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Addiction

bekkiboo's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Racial slurs, Racism, Child death, Murder, Death, Religious bigotry, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Car accident, Drug use, Grief, and Mental illness

nialiversuch's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Vomit, Medical trauma, Grief, Gun violence, Animal death, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Bullying, Child death, Classism, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Medical content, Misogyny, and Sexism