Reviews tagging 'Death'

Animal by Lisa Taddeo

109 reviews

britneyb's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

hannasifaka's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Death of parent, and Murder

laura_sotillos's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

It took me a while to get into the book because I wasn’t reading it at the right time for me. I’d read The Guest by Emma Cline and Bunny by Mona Awad right before this one and all 3 have the same type of character: a young(ish) woman who is or was abused and becomes a rag doll for men as a consequence. They don’t seem to have desires other than survival until the book is relatively advanced, which is when I started enjoying all 3. I thought it was written very well, with a lot of gut punching observations. Would recommend if you’re in the right state of mind - in a positive place in life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Dementia

kaylac4's review against another edition

dark fast-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: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

rebeccadiv's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

This rating doesn't necessarily stem from the quality of the writing, but of my experience reading it. It was often hard to be slipping in and out of memories so often which connected but then also felt confusing. I understand what the author was trying to do but the book often felt so fragmented that I would question the intent of parts. I am not one to shy away from graphic scenes or writing, but at times certain scenes felt graphic just to be so. It's unfortunate because I was really excited for this book but it just didn't work for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Animal cruelty and Pedophilia

hannaheperry's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Rape

citybound13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

2.5

This was the hardest to read book I’ve ever encountered and I’ve read some very gruesome and scary books. Be kind to yourself while reading this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

ktwoolen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.0

I loved this story but as a mother I was so triggered and disturbed by so much of the dialog and imagery. Truly a heartbreaking read for me. A lot of reviews said it’s about how being in your 30s can make you want to kill- but to me it was about how parent trauma and send you on a spiral of self degradation, and how being treated like you’re disposable by everyone that’s ever come into your life can make you want to kill. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Really hard mother/daughter trauma to get through, along with detailed description of a miscarriage.

judyhagan's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Evocative, poignant, gut-punchingly heart-rending, harrowing: I was rapt until the end. I don't have words for how this gripped me and tore me apart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

laedyred's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

This is one of the best novels on the effects of generational and sexual trauma I have ever read. This is not a story of redemption or hopeful new beginnings. Joan is an utterly real person, and we see the contradiction and pain living inside her without the fluff of a character built to be a turned-hero. The first half of the book is a stream of consciousness and can drag at times. However, a piece like this is not to entertain. Its goal is not to inform or enlighten. This is an expression of pain taken at face value. Those who have not experienced what Joan describes cannot fully grasp what this text does. Although feminism is a huge motif, the modern interpretation of the "girl boss" is nowhere seen. Joan's rage mimics the violence that builds through oppression and abuse, steering her to act out. She is not a hero, but she is also not an anti-hero. She is a person, she is a woman, she is an expression of those who know.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment