Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Animal by Lisa Taddeo

88 reviews

jkb123's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity and Grief

Minor: Dementia

yanaorwhatever's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Grief

averysteel's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Grief, and Death of parent

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

liltinylatke's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

This is one of the most phenomenal pieces of writing I’ve read in a while. I search endlessly for the perfect book, the perfect style of writing, and I found both in this novel. The story is deeply concerning and strange. Experiencing Joan’s life of pain and trauma alongside her felt arduous. I can see similarities between Lisa Taddeo and Ottessa Moshfegh — the way they write their flawed characters with such specific characteristics and thoughts that are absolutely bizarre to the reader but perfectly normal to the character. Their descriptions of people and the things around them are so specific and entirely unrelatable. This is a hard story to get through, and I can’t wait to read all of Taddeo’s work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

jadiedaffodil's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

nialystic's review against another edition

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Rape

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.

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

daniellelikesbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol