Take a photo of a barcode or cover
shelfkewpie 's review for:
The Secret History
by Donna Tartt
dark
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
The characters are unlikable and unrelatable, but it's interesting to see how everything plays out.
You witness how out of touch these spoiled kids are when faced with serious situations and how quickly the new kid becomes infatuated with them, wanting to be like them, despite their lack of integrity. I felt that their behavior was honestly realistic (thanks to growing up with true crime always on the living room TV) for their background and personality traits.
The idea of beauty is mentioned several times throughout the book; How it needs to have an edge that's almost scary and how it has to be paired with something deeper in order to really matter. This theme highlighted how shallow our protagonist is, along with his classmates and the man he admired so much. But it also shows how terrifying a charmed life can be when you have so much to lose, fragile social standing, and no one to fully trust.
You witness how out of touch these spoiled kids are when faced with serious situations and how quickly the new kid becomes infatuated with them, wanting to be like them, despite their lack of integrity. I felt that their behavior was honestly realistic (thanks to growing up with true crime always on the living room TV) for their background and personality traits.
The idea of beauty is mentioned several times throughout the book; How it needs to have an edge that's almost scary and how it has to be paired with something deeper in order to really matter. This theme highlighted how shallow our protagonist is, along with his classmates and the man he admired so much. But it also shows how terrifying a charmed life can be when you have so much to lose, fragile social standing, and no one to fully trust.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry
Minor: Rape, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis