Reviews

The Fifth Sally by Daniel Keyes

froppytsugirl's review

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I absolutely love this book!! Love all daniel keyes works and the theme of the book

kboglola's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

lilinas's review

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

2.75

adamhuntaa's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

karinakarine's review

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

tthb's review

emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

inluvgi's review

dark fast-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? Yes

2.0

Badly written, amatourish book with so many illogical elements that it's not even worth trying to list them. Not to mention that it's psychologically incorrect - though I am aware it was written 40 years ago, I felt like banging my head into the wall whenever they used hypnosis as a method in therapy to bring back repressed memories. I also hated the way Daniel Keyes wrote about women because it's so clear he was a man with no understanding of how their minds work. How anyone's mind works, really. Despite having studied psychology, he created bland characters that did and said whatever he wanted them to, always what was the easiest to move the story into a better direction. And every male character being horny over a character struggling with severe mental illness was just entirely inappropriate and not even a useful part of the story. A terrible, terrible book. Don't read it, and I'm saying this as someone who loved Flowers for Algernon a few years ago.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Rape, Child abuse, Self harm, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

bottledbookscent's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

2.0