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Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
47 reviews
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was initially drawn to this story by the writing. I loved the unreliable first person, and Rosemary herself frequently points out that her memories are affected by what her family tells her. Mysteries in her childhood were intriguing and I was excited to learn more about what really happened when her siblings disappeared.
To an extent, some of these revelations didn't disappoint. The twist, such as it is, actually comes pretty early in the book - to the point I spent the end almost looking for another one that didn't come. Learning more about Rosemary's past fleshed out her story and definitely helped me connect emotionally. All of her family are interesting characters, all fundamentally flawed and muddling through the best they can.
Unfortunately, for some reason I found myself drifting through the middle section when Rosemary is in college. I understood her connection to Harlow but really didn't care about Harlow as a character. There were moments that would bring me back but something definitely disconnected me from the story. I found my way back by the end (which I really liked), but it seemed slightly disjointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
riestenberger's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty
issy_jacob's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
briarivet's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
jpfortmiller's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
onlyapples's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The narrator, Rosemary, breaks the fourth wall. She is smart, sarcastic, and unreliable. She jumps back and forth in time when telling the story. There's a plot twist! Overall, superb writing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Torture
Minor: Animal death, Rape, and Sexual content
juffnstuff's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Abandonment
Moderate: Mental illness and Rape
amelieeee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Rape
alexiconic's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-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
3.0
i truly can see why it’s a good book. it just wasn’t for me.
by and large, i did not enjoy reading this book. the twists were underwhelming, and i felt no connection to our main character and narrator. for me, it felt like this was a book too light on plot to be a good action book and too light on character to be a good character study. it was too light on the science and references to be a non-fiction informed book, but too explicit in its references to be fully narrative. that said, i like the attempt to connect science to human experience. i’m very much about that and i’ve loved this exact combination in the past. it just didn’t work for me in this book.
by and large, i did not enjoy reading this book. the twists were underwhelming, and i felt no connection to our main character and narrator. for me, it felt like this was a book too light on plot to be a good action book and too light on character to be a good character study. it was too light on the science and references to be a non-fiction informed book, but too explicit in its references to be fully narrative. that said, i like the attempt to connect science to human experience. i’m very much about that and i’ve loved this exact combination in the past. it just didn’t work for me in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
aniglen's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death