Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

20 reviews

jelliestars's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Racism, Ableism, Child death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Classism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Car accident, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Medical content, Vomit, Alcohol, Murder, Abandonment, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Xenophobia

Minor: Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, War, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Body shaming, Excrement, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Confinement, Cancer, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, and Trafficking

kari_t's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I can't say loudly enough how much I love Donna Tartt's superior writing ability. Truly next level and unlike literally any author I have ever read. But, unfortunately, the problems I had with this book outweighted the enjoyment.

First: The constant flow of disturbing events and misery. Just a parade of depression: animal abuse, animal death, animal neglect, child abuse, child death, child neglect, racism, drug abuse, meth dealers, white supremacy...and on and on. It just didn't matter to me anymore how well Tartt could write. I just got SO sick and tired of all the awful everything of EVERYONE's life in this small town. 

Second: Not a thriller. After reading (and loving) The Goldfinch and The Secret History by Tartt, I was particularly excited to pick up The Little Friend, seeing it slotted as "Mystery/Thriller" and "Psychological Thriller". It is neither. The blurb proclaims things like "...Harriet...sets out to unmask (her brother's) killer" and "Filled with hairpin turns of plot...". Meh. While true Harriet tries for a time to determine the killer, as a pre-teem might do, she decides quickly who to blame. Then it's all about how she'll try to get revenge or justice. Most of the book is just atmospheric description (albeit brilliantly written) but there is not much going on from page to page. There are scenes of action and suspense at some times, but overall, no...this is not a mystery/thriller. 

And so, I'm being generous with 3-stars because of Tartt's writing. But the deeply dreary and subject matter and violence on every...single...page, and the ambling, pointless arc of the plot was a 1-star.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Grief, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Racial slurs, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Incest

johnclough's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Racism, Violence, Addiction, Animal death, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, and Drug abuse

kydnmthws's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty

another_dahlia's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child death, Racism, Death, Classism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Murder, Addiction, Cancer, Sexism, Drug abuse, and Drug use

mhairicorinne's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Ableism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racism, Addiction, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Classism, Death, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Confinement

carlytenille's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad tense 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

4.75

This murder mystery has everything, and as intense as it can get, it was such a fun read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Child death, Murder, Blood, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, and Violence

nvadams's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

A wonderful book on the way that grief and trauma effects a town, a family, and in particular the main character Harriet whose search for answers is the driving force of the story.

General content warnings, a lot of racial tension and slurs used very liberally throughout, and a description of an animal death that has stuck with me sense I read it.

Spoiler

If you're looking for a whodunit or a crime novel I'd suggest you look elsewhere. I lagged on finishing the last ≈120 pages because it seemed pretty clear that the solution I had been expecting was most likely not in the cards. 

The story is more so a look on what happens when a tragedy like the death of the nine year old boy Robin can not be explained or reasoned with. You do get closure on some aspects, but if you're looking for The Big Reveal you will be disappointed. I was, but Tartt's writing was more than worth it and I think the wrap up of the book was beautifully tense in its own way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Animal death

Moderate: Drug use and Drug abuse

petrichorandcoffee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A compelling, painful, dark, beautifully written, unpredictable book. I am very glad I read it. There were some points in the book where I felt upset by racist language used, but I realized as the book progressed that we (readers) are meant to be upset by it and to see it as commentary on the time and place. It is not quite as resolved at the end as I personally would have liked - but that serves the story well so I don't mind. This is a story about loss, pain, growth, inherited trauma, structural classicism, structural racism, childhood, grief, dreams, and family. I would say it is southern gothic despite the fact that is lacks the supernatural/magical realism I feel is required for that genre because the text feels haunted and in the service of ghosts despite their lack of presence in the story itself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Murder, Car accident, Animal death, Gun violence, Vomit, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Gore, Classism, and Addiction

gdgm00's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Absolutely gorgeous writing with nothing but clear images along the way. This book takes you on a journey whether or not you are ready and it is worth every page. Heartbreaking, stunning, shocking and too good to put down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Child death, Animal death, Racism, Racial slurs, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Child abuse, and Blood