A review by liz_liz
Animal Farm by George Orwell

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I read this book for English class, and my mind is blown. The ending absolutely shocked me, even though I should have seen it coming. And to my surprise, I got quite attached to the characters. I felt for the animals and wanted them to live happy lives. That, in my opinion, makes a good book. I enjoy crying. Especially compared to the other books I have had to read for school, I had fun reading it and I didn't hate it. 
The book is a 3.75 because it makes me angry. And, I didn't enjoy it as much as other books I have read. 
Definitely wouldn't recommend reading if you want to feel happy or to have a happy ending, I would describe it as a psychological horror. The animals are anthropomorphized, which makes it creepy and disgusting when the events happen at the end. I was definitely pretty scared.

(These are heavy spoilers, btw, especially for the ending.) I find it absolutely insane how the pigs transformed to humans at the end. The 360 the farm went through from Mr. Jones' leadership, to Snowball's, then to Napoleon's is so disturbing and smart. I probably should have seen it coming, but I didn't. The entire time, I was rooting for the animals and for them to get out of the slavery the pigs were putting them in. However, that didn't happen, the pigs basically won with their endeavours. Basically, the complete opposite of a children's bedtime story, do not read this to your children.
The most frustrating part was the pigs, specifically Napoleon and Squealer, blatantly lying to the animals and the humans about Animal Farm's past. It makes me so frustrated! The animals are being GAS LIGHTED into thinking they are misremembering the past events and the seven commandments! This book makes me very angry, but at least I know what I'm going to be writing my essay about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Gun violence

Minor: Blood

One of the pigs mass murders any animal that is on the side of one of the traitors, and that same pig puts them through slavery. The animals are thinking that life is better than it has been when the humans were in charge;however, their conditions are worse. They are being starved and being lied to. Another pig is telling them their rations are skyrocketing as well as that their memories are false.