Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

L'arbre du mal by Tana French

20 reviews

mihrreader's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Man, I'll be frank, this book messed me up. It is, as they'd say, "a real headwrecker." It is decidedly not a cozy mystery, nor is it sensationalized in the way much popular true crime tends to be. This book is unflinchingly human, extremely down to Earth, and hard to read. I feel the same way about this story as I did several cases I worked when I was assigned to the Cold Cases unit of the DA's Office:  it's sad and it sucks and there's nothing you can do about it other than watch it unfold. When I say "it sucks," that is by no means a reflection on the plot or storytelling, both are excellent; Tana French is an extremely skilled writer.

Having Toby as the narrator makes this book so much of a mindfuck, because he's an extremely unreliable narrator because of his brain injury. While Toby questions himself, his character, and his memory, it kind of forces the reader to ponder the same questions. I cannot recommend this book if you grapple with memory issues, questions of identity, and/or depression. It'll absolutely exacerbate those feelings. The ending is far from happy. It left me with a very diminished sense of the world, of lingering diffuse sadness.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

onceandfuturereads's review against another edition

reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Homophobia and Rape

Minor: Medical trauma

hdunscombe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, Dementia, and Grief

Minor: Eating disorder, Vomit, and Dysphoria

gracehourigan's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

A little slower than most of French’s other books but it definitely broke the mold of what I was expecting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug abuse, Hate crime, Rape, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

marlyngitomer's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Pacing was very slow. I was intrigued by the middle but stopped caring by the end. It just dragged on and I'm past the point that character development was no longer happening. I wonder why this story has to be told. The mystery was kind of interesting and dark, but then there were other things that happened. Meh. I do like her writing style and would give another one of her books a try, but this one was so-so. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

lumilammas's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

Very well crafted story. Ultimately upsetting. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

markandcover's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

te_ss_i's review against another edition

mysterious slow-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

seadeepy's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Self harm, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

sierrainstitches's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Not my favorite TF, but I was hooked for most of it. The ending wasn’t quite what I was after, but I liked that I was suspicious of literally everyone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm, and Suicide