Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

373 reviews

katharina90's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

4.0

A harrowing memoir about a woman who broke away from an incredibly abusive family to pursue an education.

Difficult to read due to the graphic abuse, neglect and layers of trauma. I'm sure I didn't even capture all of the CWs.

I mostly found it sad and not particularly hopeful which I think just reflects where the author was in her healing journey at the time of writing. 

By the end of the book, the author has managed to separate herself from most of her family and is setting boundaries (which is a huge accomplishment!), but it doesn't seem like she's at peace as she keeps trying to pursue a relationship with her mother who both enabled and participated in the abuse and neglect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Antisemitism, and Car accident

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, and Colonisation

pavonini's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

2.5

It was an easy read that pulled me along, and written well enough. I’m not sure it had much of a point beyond her personal story, which is fine. I was just a little disappointed as I expected something more given her PhD.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

miggyfool's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

jmyodafriend's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

"Educated" was not at all what I expected, although it is very well written. The memoir reads more like a novel than non-fiction, and kept me turning pages even after each shocking or horrifying recollection of the author's life. I'm amazed at how she was able to reshape herself and her life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Blood, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

gmaz's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

krhe's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

2.75

Qué dolor y qué denso de leer. Una mierda de experiencia pero la forma de escribir pues pffff. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

kathleentcarroll's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

2.0

I felt like almost every chapter was unnecessarily filled with traumatic and gory details with very little payoff; I’ve read memoirs from other authors who have experienced traumatic events without feeling like I was reading a slog of someone’s every trauma, but westover couldn’t do that. I also felt like she omitted so much detail about HOW she became educated, achieved these impossible feats, and made it out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

jenna0818's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

Every chapter my jaw dropped even further. The writing is so visceral, I felt like I was on the same emotional journey as Tara in her head. It was maddening but honest and caused me to reflect on a lot of themes. I completely believe her accounting of her life, real life is crazier than fiction. Thank you Tara for sharing your bravery and reflection.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Physical abuse, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Animal cruelty, Violence, and Car accident

nnennaya_'s review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I feel displaced after reading Tara's story. Tara’s story has made me cower with fear, disgust, anger, bewilderment, and disbelief in my own ears and mind, utterly horrified. Thank you for sharing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Dysphoria

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Racial slurs

Minor: Cancer and Antisemitism

nabooru's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racial slurs, Antisemitism, and Medical trauma