A review by sydfay03
The Secret History by Donna Tartt

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

impressed me with its expert writing and kept me guessing up until the end but can’t say that this book was to my taste. i usually like a dark academia, but i felt very disconnected from these characters and the general story. read it quickly only because of my impending book club deadline and my morbid fascination with the story. but overall have to give it points for just how incredible the writing is (so twisty yet somehow it typically lined up with the plot/character development) and the fact that this book has stayed so relevant despite it being three decades old

*edit the next day*
okay coming back to this im knocking it down a bit because thinking back, there were some really unnecessary misogynist and homophobic undertones that grated on me while reading this. like camilla was the most well-rounded and thought out female character and she still was only a sex object for the other main characters. and at times this book was incredibly boring and if i didn’t have my deadline it would have taken me much longer to get through it.
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