Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

520 reviews

in_the_pines_'s review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Blood, and Car accident

lylajolie's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

This story took me along the journey of the struggle of living with such a terrible family. I felt for Tara every step of the way and loved that she escaped and grew. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, and Gaslighting

Minor: Car accident

jsanders05's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

I still don’t understand the whole ‘point’ of this novel. Was it to inform people that they can change their lives for the better? Was it to make us feel bad for the author? Was it to enlighten people about the crazy Idahoan Mormans? I’m left a tad confused.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

catcherinthepi's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

What a memoir. This is an incredibly detailed and often grotesque account of a life under the thumb of religious extremism in an extraordinarily abusive household. I was shocked at how casually violence happened in this house...and how so much was brushed under the rug of "God's plan" or "God will strengthen us through this". Chilling stuff. 

Westover being a historian makes a lot of sense, with the way she tells her story and how her life taught her the importance of how we tell stories to ourselves to make sense of the world. People will be studying this one for a long time, I hope. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

katlinstirling_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

Educated by Tara Westover is a well-written,thought-provoking, fascinating and a powerful memoir. Overcoming and breaking free from her survivalist Mormon family  in order to go to college. This is Tara’s reminder to everything that education extends beyond the walls of the community and encompasses our everyday experiences and to question our ingrained beliefs. Emotional, heartbreaking yet utterly moving and deeply inspiring. I applaud Tara for her honesty and resilience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

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

rachelwilly's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death

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