Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Tajemna historia by Donna Tartt

193 reviews

thelilgriffin's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

This book is haunting and well-written. It has a slow build up which is well satisfied. There is so much unexpected yet also known but there is never a dull or boring moment. This book is very well written but may leave you slightly disturbed and puzzled. I think its an excellent read, but not for the feint of heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Death, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Addiction

Minor: Sexual content

Not for the feint of heart. Great, haunting read.

stierwood's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• 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

Lots of highlights and low points, including but not limited to the 2 dimensionality of the only female character, the page-turning aspect, the dialogue & prose being both incredibly descriptive/beautiful/smart & pretentious/awkward at the same time, the sharp and interesting (except for camilla) and highly dislikeable characters, and the incest 😟 much to unpack. Deeply disturbed

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Medical content, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Suicide, Addiction, Drug use, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief

finleigh's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Incest, Sexual content, Homophobia, and Racism

melliedm's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Incest, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Drug abuse, Self harm, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Animal death, Classism, Islamophobia, Sexual content, Racism, Animal cruelty, and Homophobia

Minor: Rape

ritugp01's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• 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

4.75

This novel was lauded as a modern classic from Pulitzer-winning author Donna Tart. I wholeheartedly agree. The disdain that filled me for all the characters in various classics like The Great Gatsby, Giovanni's Room, etc, also permeated throughout the experience of reading The Secret History. I consider this further evidence that it is an exquisite piece of literature.

The novel has been described as "a murder mystery in reverse." While this is a perfect description, the book is also a deep look in how easily murder occurs, even in seemingly normal people, as long as one opens themselves to the possibility. 

In a tl;dr character analysis: Henry was utterly unhinged and I think I loved him regardless. Richard, the narrator was mediocre but served his purpose as a voyeur to multiple murders.  Charles and Camilla? WTF. But also, they both sucked and I cannot decide who was worse. Francis is the only valid character but he's on this ice too. Julian is just Henry but older and willing to fake social skills. Lowkey, Bunny sucked but damn I feel bad he was killed. Like, he was just freaking out that his friends committed MURDER, it's totally understandable he was on the edge of a psychotic break. This book was a lot, and Judy Poovey is the only good person in the whole story.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, Addiction, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Classism, Gaslighting, Excrement, Murder, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Antisemitism, Self harm, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

dabaucherry's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? No

4.5

Altered my brain chemistry. I was hooked. The amount of things I felt in the last chapter are unexplainable. I absolutely love how the secret history does not romanticize the concept of dark academia but actually shows the truth. the characters, oh the characters, absolutely marvellous. at times, the book got me questioning the narrator himself. "was everything he narrating the truth? for all we know he could be telling us bits and pieces" but despite all of that, I would honestly recomment this book to anyone who's looking into venturing in the dark academia genre.

all the greek mythology references were like a cherry on top for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Addiction, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Murder, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death, Suicide attempt, Gore, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Medical content

Minor: Animal death and Blood

laurataylor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Animal death, Blood, Gore, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Car accident, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, Incest, and Sexual assault

thanhnguyen99's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Murder, Suicide, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Death, Homophobia, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Sexual content

hefftbundle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

2.75

It wasn't at all what I expected, and probably not something I'd revisit. Well-written, to be sure.


It is an excruciatingly slow book, but hard to put down. You want to know how it will end, even when you can guess at some parts. If you can hang on until the second half, it picks up in interest, but it still moves just as slow. Until about the last 50 pages, when it picks you up, spins you around, slaps you for good measure, and then gently sits you down and bids you a pleasant evening. 

It has all the academic atmosphere and intrigue of Dead Poet's Society, and all the self-absorption and drudgery of Catcher in the Rye. If you like Salinger, you'll probably like this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Islamophobia, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Grief, Classism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Blood, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Addiction, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Suicide

Minor: Rape

threadbear's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Suicide, Sexual assault, Violence, Alcoholism, Addiction, Murder, Drug abuse, Incest, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm

Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, and Cursing