Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

دوشیزگان by Alex Michaelides

316 reviews

lewanna's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse

kb_sherman's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting

acacia_happy_hour's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pedophilia

jtkjackie's review against another edition

3.5

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse

Minor: Drug abuse, Sexual assault

claireltravers's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Gore, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Classism

leahb88's review against another edition

3.25

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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I don’t tend towards this genre and I didn’t love the writing style in general, but the plot really kept me going with this one. Once the world building was done I was really drawn into it and couldn’t put it down… I had to know what happens next. The setting at Cambridge and all the Greek tragedy references gave it a kind of dark academia vibe which I really like. Biggest reason for stars off was just the style of writing which wasn’t bad, just not for me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide attempt

readingegg's review against another edition

1.5

dark mysterious fast-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

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I really enjoyed Alex Michaelides' first book The Silent Patient, and while this book was... interesting I just didn't resonate with it. Big cast of characters all with troubles that felt unnecessary to act as a bunch of red herrings, all for a strange plot twist to just slap you in the face quickly and unequivocally right at the end. 

I honestly disliked our leading lady and couldn't quite suspend my disbelief enough about how much she got away with in terms of her "investigation". Also very bothered by how every man in this book lacks even the most basic of boundaries 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship

Minor: Car accident

naomiauld's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Blood, Murder

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Sexual content

kibbles15's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content

okaychanly's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I think that the very short chapter lengths were used to hide the fact that there is basically no plot development for a good two-thirds of this book, but I was compelled to finish because of the interesting premise. As I’m reading other reviews, it seems this is a trend with Alex Michaelides: great idea, mild execution — especially in regards to psychology. He certainly writes well, and he painted Cambridge University in such a way that it became a character itself. Yet, the protagonist is frustrating, various characters could’ve been used differently, and the reveal/truth came out of nowhere. Although I suspected the villain from the beginning, it was reveal of their motivations for their actions that made me go “?!?!?” Furthermore, no one at this prestigious university questions that a male professor has a cult-like following of female students? So while it was an intriguing mystery based in Greek mythology, perhaps I should've read The Silent Patient before reading The Maidens. For my first Alex Michaelides book, I was a little disappointed, given all the hype. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt