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50shadesofrae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I think there are some slower or clunkier moments that drag the pace a bit, but the characters are delightful and it’s a fun ride through the Victorian era. The imagined characters in a clearly well researched cast of real historical figures just does it for me.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol
yliana's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
the reason i liked the show more is because i feel like i got to know the characters better and felt much more deeply for them. i don't think that i would've enjoyed this book half as much if i didn't already like and care about these characters because of the show.
i still really enjoyed this and found it so interesting to see the thought process of all of the detectives (i also started watching criminal minds, FINALLY, last week so it was even better seeing the parallels between the way the detectives approach the cases). obviously this is just fiction but it's made me even more interested than i've already been in murder investigations from before more modern techniques were fully developed and accepted.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
jhbandcats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I finished the memoir a few days ago and immediately started The Alienist. When I first read it, Google didn’t exist and I knew nothing of Carr’s history. Reading it now was a very different experience than in 1994. I understood Carr’s references and had images of old New York at my fingertips, able to see High Bridge Tower, Croton Reservoir, and other landmarks.
I could see Carr’s childhood everywhere in the book. His knowledge about alcoholic and abusive parents clearly comes from experience. That and his study of New York City give a vivid feel to the whole book, despite its taking place a century earlier than when written.
The Alienist is a page-turner but it’s not for the faint of heart looking for a beach read. It addresses class and wealth and education, power and corruption, mental illness and the care of the mentally ill, the desperation that drives children into prostitution, and the violence that results from continued abuse and bullying. It’s a beautifully written story about a terrible time when terrible things happened all too frequently.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
sappypatheticm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Cannibalism
itsjadenbaby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Torture, and Blood
Minor: Animal death, Police brutality, and Cannibalism
elenikin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty
kaitlyn15's review against another edition
3.5
Association Words: gotta stop with the slurs, dark, heavy, kinda sciencey(ish), that baby can fit a lot of trauma in it
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Animal cruelty and Sexual assault
bxnnny's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Stalking
Minor: Sexism, Sexual violence, and Antisemitism
caidyn's review against another edition
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
jmross10's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
The strongest part for me was the use of history to inform the story, particularly the criminology aspect. It was interesting to see how the characters drew certain conclusions based on early studies and new practices. I especially liked that they tried (at least one) scientific principle that had no real basis. It shows the trial and error aspect of research which suits the subject matter.
It’s not a fast read by any means but it was an interesting one.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Police brutality, and Grief