Reviews tagging Child abuse

Animal, by Lisa Taddeo

85 reviews

moonrisxng's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

1.5

this book was giving seedy hotel in the middle of nowhere vibes and that made me feel gross inside.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, and Child abuse

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Self harm

It was just gross

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Cancer, Murder, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Grief, Alcohol, Stalking, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Sexism, Vomit, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, and Drug use

horourke's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

4.0

A stunning, raw portrait of female rage. I found myself identifying deeply with Joan and feeling her anger for all the violence she experienced. Had less murder in it than I expected it to based on the book’s description. Surprisingly hopeful message about unconditional love and finding yourself despite your pain. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicide, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Self harm, and Sexual content

daphnemarie's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

Lana del Rey Book Club picks. This is the kind of book that has to be set in California. Incoherent and dizzying, but consuming.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gun violence, Death of parent, Violence, Murder, Drug use, Rape, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Stalking

courtneynicolem's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

absolutely incredible from the story to the writing itself.  i’ve only just finished so it’s hard to describe how much reflecting i will be doing in months to come after this book. female rage comes full circle. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

Moderate: Sexual assault and Child abuse

bookishpip's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-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

After reading Three Women, Taddeo became an auto-buy author for me. It was a book so powerfully written that I was convinced that I would adore everything she writes. Sadly, I didn’t love this book, and am struggling to articulate exactly why that is.

Animal was an interesting and visceral novel; a gritty exploration of female trauma and rage. On paper, it’s the sort of thing that I would be hooked by. Unfortunately, I found this to be so fragmented that I kept losing the narrative thread. I suspect that this may be the aim, but half of the time I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. Perhaps this wasn’t helped by the fact that I read this as an audiobook; jumps between past and present with no warning, that may have been better signposted in a physical book, made for a disorienting and disjointed read that was quite confusing. 

I do adore Taddeo’s unflinching attitude towards taboo and intimate subject matter, and the fallout of trauma, but overall I found this novel to be a bit heavy-handed and confusing. 

I think, if the premise appeals to you, this is one that you need to read and judge for yourself as it’s very much divided opinions!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, and Vomit

fourdaix's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Murder, Infidelity, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Misogyny and Dementia

Minor: Animal death

buecherballern's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Miscarriage, Rape, and Child abuse

ml475's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-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

3.75

Fairly vulgar descriptions and touches on heavy themes. I loved Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women but this felt unsatisfying. Start was slow and doesn’t really get interesting until about 60% through and even after finishing I’m not entirely sure what the plot was as story seemed to get lost throughout 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent

lilacwhisker's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.75

Eh. I liked the ending the most but other than that it was mostly boring and hard to keep track of. All the characters were pretty much the same person and I didn’t really feel like I was there (I get that’s it’s like a letter but still). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Drug use

Moderate: Abandonment and Ableism