Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver

9 reviews

annahollamby's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.0

thought-provoking, disturbing, and ultimately, i fear, unforgettable. the detailed writing really adds to the realism of the story. eva, our narrator, is unlikeable but certainly enthralling. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Animal death, Grief, Gaslighting, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Excrement, Child abuse, Mass/school shootings, and Gun violence

pierreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Mass/school shootings, and Child death

Moderate: Bullying and Medical content

Minor: Sexual content and Animal death

townmarshboy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Grief, Death, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Racial slurs, Violence, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Racism, Blood, Body shaming, Medical content, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Mental illness

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Cursing, Dementia, Genocide, and Suicidal thoughts

phantomgecko's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

3.0

Character wise, everyone sucks in this book.

Franklin sucks in general, but in regards to a child, he sucked hardcore. A great way to ruin your marriage is to put your kids first. And like, yeah postpartum depression and even postpartum psychosis make Eva a little rough, but dang dude. He didn't need to gaslight her like that. If you legit take the word of your child over your spouse, you're proving the trust in your relationship isn't there. And if you don't trust each other, what is the point?

Is Eva an unreliable narrator? Probably? Should she have had kids? With her motivations, probably not. Did she try her damnedest? Looks like it. Should she have gotten her entire family counseling? Yeah, baby! She also should have stood up for herself more? But these things aren't what makes her suck. It's the stuck up, hypocritical attitude that Kevin rightly points out. (This side of her doesn't come out super often throughout, so she sucks the least.)

And obviously Kevin sucks because that's the point of the book.

There's a lot of philosophizing and social commentary and introspection in this book. Like it's 66% that. Interesting monologue, but it does make everything drag so

Also don't think the nasty mess with the drama teacher was necessary. It was overtly obscene. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings and Sexual content

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Animal death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Sexism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Murder, Alcoholism, and Child abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

techigeekchic's review against another edition

dark reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Animal death, Child death, and Death of parent

ehart416's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.75

Keeps you hooked from beginning to end, despite you knowing exactly what's about to happen.  There is a perfect balance of ambiguity when it comes to who is really at fault and it is shockingly well executed.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Pregnancy, Mass/school shootings, and Cursing

Minor: Eating disorder

pockymonster_'s review against another edition

challenging 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual harassment, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gun violence, Gore, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Body shaming, and Animal cruelty

nayyira's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, and Mass/school shootings

holly_mc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Minor: Excrement and Sexual content