Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

ההיסטוריה הסודית by Donna Tartt

483 reviews

carlay's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-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 feel like I’ll be thinking about this one for a while and that is a big reason I gave this 4 stars. I can see why The Secret History is labeled a “modern classic,” because the setting for the story is timeless and there is so much to unpack and analyze. Does that mean I liked it? I don’t know, haha. Going in, I was asking for a cozy November read and it delivered in that way. But there was also a tedious, unsettling element too that makes me hesitant to like this book. I cannot quite describe it. And although the prose in this text has a dreamlike, unique quality, I feel like this book could have been, like, 200 pages shorter.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Incest, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Antisemitism, Grief, Car accident

phoebedowling's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

annarosss's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship

annelaure's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Racism, Sexism

Minor: Xenophobia

eggyleggy's review against another edition

5.0

dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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literally one of the best books I've ever read in my LIFE I am so upset that I finished it I don't wanna let go 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder

hannahalbregts's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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The Secret History was amazing, a book deserving five stars but at the same time not deserving any. The characters were all horrible to themselves and each other, and their situation is tense, but it will be worth every second of reading. I think I'll never read a story like this again, with such an accurate satire and critique to pretentiousness.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

Moderate: Homophobia, Antisemitism

lou_o_donnell's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

selinalilley's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic friendship

izzettl's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt

julied's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry