Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

65 reviews

spacescape's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

This writing on this book is an example of what current creative fiction writers love: intensely-detailed character development (or, as I call it: over-the-top inner mind description). Fleshing out characters is important; writing page after page of a character's likes and dislikes is maddening and a waste of good trees. 

This book is an example of why I have a difficult time reading novels. After finishing & reflecting, there is one main character whom didn't need to exist at all, which would have cut out many unnecessary and shock-value pages. A letter to this individual--several pages on its own--could have been struck with it. Additionally, a particular argument between two other main characters is completely nonsensical.

I'll pause here to add some positive things: the setting of a dying Midwest town is perfect (even though a street-level description for part of the town only comes at the end, confusingly). The ideas of gentrification, the Midwest, mental disorders of several varieties, living far too deep in one's own head, drug abuse, and economic challenges are very well-woven into the whole story. 

The ultimate frustration is that this novel could be a good 25% shorter, which would have made it better. Longer does not equal better, writers! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Addiction, and Sexual assault

Minor: Abandonment and Drug abuse

amanduhhhpls's review against another edition

dark sad medium-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

2.0

This was an overwhelming reading experience from start to finish. A trying too hard to be quirky cast of characters, overly purple prose, and a climax of plot centered around every kind of abuse imaginable. I kept expecting all the characters to intersect and the plot to count together and it never did. The more I read, the more disappointed I became.

This lacked any sort of the depth it was obviously trying to have. 

If you’re squeamish about animal abuse at all, stay far far FAR away from this. I regret reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, Animal death, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Murder, Alcohol, and Adult/minor relationship

tangerinetea's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Abandonment, Addiction, and Drug abuse

cmnielsen89's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Adult/minor relationship

heatherjchin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Addiction, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual assault, Mental illness, Abandonment, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Drug use

kirstym25's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Rape, Violence, and Suicide

elook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death

lklitup's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

I was wholly taken in by this novel, primarily for the writing and style rather than the story itself. But I think that’s okay and worthy of a high rating in the end. I may have missed out on a theme or some messaging; there was so much going on and many different forms of writing. I agree that Blandine gave off vibes of manic pixie dream girl, and that her dialogue (especially at the end) seemed wholly unrealistic, more so a vessel for the author’s desire to convey a particular idea. Somehow I ended up enjoying learning about Moses? I wish I had more from the mother. This book seems like it would be fantastic for a book club because there’s so scenes and ideas ripe for discussion.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.0

I wanted to like this one. It won the National Book Award. And the first 100 pages I was like, this is genius. And then it was all downhill from there. It's about a group of people all living in the same housing project as they each play a part in a violent event. I thought it got lost in its own too clever by half structure, and then the characters wound up being so underdeveloped that I felt nothing as it hurtled toward the conclusion I saw coming from a mile away. Then there's also this thing I see with a lot of modern fiction writers where it feels like literary fiction by way of Wes Anderson. It's very en vogue. And sometimes it works. But here, I thought it was so wrapped up in its need to be quirky and idiosyncratic that I lost the heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Gaslighting, Murder, Sexual assault, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

notartgarfunkel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-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: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent and Child abuse

Minor: Fatphobia