Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb

7 reviews

vanesst's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Confinement, Genocide, Homophobia, Incest, Antisemitism, Car accident, and Alcohol

rabidmilfs's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, and Suicide

Moderate: Animal cruelty

raincloud'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

While reading this book I'd describe my anger at it, how mad and upset it made me, but I was still captivated by this story and the people within. I'm glad I read it, the ending was so satisfying, one of the best I've seen, it's fantastic. I will say it's not for people who can't handle tough and awful topics. I wouldn't recommend it, read at your own risk.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

smellatree's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Rape

renjamin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

This might be one of my favourite books of all time. I’ve never found myself so emotionally invested in characters. I flew through it and didn’t really even blink at the 897 page count. I think that Wally Lamb truly has a gift for representing the human condition with all of its faults and all of its beauty. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Incest, Infidelity, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

Minor: Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Fire/Fire injury

noitsbecky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

If you've followed me for awhile, you've probably noticed how few five star ratings I give out. There are two objectives that have to be met: Did it make me feel ALL the feels? (Usually meaning did it make me scream cry and/or sob uncontrollably to the point where I think about the book the next day and cry?) And will I reread this infinitely? So yeah, it's pretty rarely that a book fits both these conditions. This one fit neither. This novel didn't make me sob and I will probably never reread it. But I'm giving it five stars. Let's dive in.

What I enjoyed:
This is my first Wally Lamb book, but it won't be my last. He's an incredibly gifted writer. To write a 900 page book that kept my attention all the way through is really a talent. To write a book about a character that is SO unforgivingly everything I despise about baby boomers that I didn't hate, frankly, is astounding. (Don't @ me, I'm not sorry.) The protagonist, Dominick, is so real to me. I rooted for him while simultaneously thinking he was the worst. He was a complex and very flawed character, a real person. All the characters were so well written.

This was a HARD read. Reading this wrecked me. I won't be able to read it again. But not in the way that books usually wreck me. It was DIFFICULT to read about the onset and progression and ultimate extremes of Thomas' schizophrenia. And coming from a home where a close family member deals with very untreated mental illness, it hurt. It was so so hard to read the anger and resentment and burden that Dominick felt about caring for Thomas because I've felt it myself. Dude, it was a tough read. But it was tough because it was so real. The writing was just so spot on. The ricocheting between love and hate, ach.

What I didn't enjoy:
Strangely, I thought I would feel more -something- when the *big event* happened. I'm not sure why. And I can't tell if I am content with that or not. Otherwise, I have no complaints, honestly.

Would I recommend?
Okay, trigger warnings abound. Just to name a few: Domestic abuse, emotional abuse, death, infant death, suicide, violence, rape, paranoia, mental illness. There's so many, I'm sure I've forgotten some. Please do your due diligence and research it if you have triggers. If you like heavy subject matter and realistic fiction, yes. Just yes. If you prefer your fiction to be very fictionalized, no. Definitely no. Happy reading. :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

hazelgirl21's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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: Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pedophilia, and Rape