frankiecully's review against another edition
3.0
This was far too big a book for this story. Just loads of unnecessary description and background about certain things. It was very slow but i still enjoyed the story. I would read another book by Donna Tartt as I've heard the others are far superior to this.
eyrie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
amy_janssen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
emilybh's review against another edition
4.0
As in The Goldfinch, Tartt creates such vivid characters and settings that by the time you finish the book you've invested so much energy in them you don't want to stop reading. As in The Goldfinch, Tartt's central character is a child caught up in adult intrigue, always naively close to danger and out of her depth as she searches for her brother's killer. It's the support cast - Harriet's aunts, her ineffective mother, her distant father, the underpaid, mistreated maids of the town - that fill this novel in and make it so readable and endearing. The ending of this book is incredibly frustrating for a number of reasons, but that in itself is probably Tartt's best commentary on Harriet's doomed mission and the open-endedness of grief. Like Tartt's other novels, this is a demanding, exhausting read, but well-worth the effort.
vintagebathroomlover's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
madisonbell_'s review against another edition
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
buzheart's review against another edition
4.0
it’s like a whodunnit but without closure, true answers, or an obvious bad guy. It takes a second to really understand the bigger story Tartt is telling. Fantastic novels with compelling characters to love and hate (all at different times).
mansireanna's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
Didn’t love this as much as I wanted to, after both The Secrey History and The Goldfinch being 2 of my favourite books of all time. I love Tartt’s writing style, and there were sections of this book that were an absolute delight to read (I was especially taken with the beginning) but then I would get to a section that bored me to tears. It was too uneven and all over the place for a book with an already convoluted plot. Probably would have been better just from Harriet’s POV, and though I quite liked the ending it did feel pretty abrupt, as though we were missing the actual conclusion of the story.
luckyliza13's review against another edition
4.0
Dark, but beautifully well written. A true vocabulary test!
mariposa_ca's review against another edition
5.0
I can't say enough how much of a pleasant surprise this book was to me--loved it!
I was so moved by the surreal aspects of the story, the sense of place, and the strong heroine. I nearly mailed a copy to DL himself in hopes that he would eventually make it in to a film. Perhaps a'la the Barry Gifford collab for [b:Wild At Heart|7745|Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream|Hunter S. Thompson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165639648s/7745.jpg|1309111].
The story essentially follows the life of a troubled family living in the South in the early 80s. The lead character, Harriet, is a 12-year old girl who believes she must find the person who killed her brother. Unlike her debutante sisters, Harriet is a unique, strong-willed, heroine--with a penchant for the supernatural (she spends most of a summer trying to hold her breath longer than Houdini, experiencing some interesting dream-like states in the process). Her journey takes us through lazy summer days at the local pool, snake-hunting with her best friend and admirer, and close encounters with some pretty shady types. At the end of the story it's hard not to want to be her.
I was so moved by the surreal aspects of the story, the sense of place, and the strong heroine. I nearly mailed a copy to DL himself in hopes that he would eventually make it in to a film. Perhaps a'la the Barry Gifford collab for [b:Wild At Heart|7745|Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream|Hunter S. Thompson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165639648s/7745.jpg|1309111].
The story essentially follows the life of a troubled family living in the South in the early 80s. The lead character, Harriet, is a 12-year old girl who believes she must find the person who killed her brother. Unlike her debutante sisters, Harriet is a unique, strong-willed, heroine--with a penchant for the supernatural (she spends most of a summer trying to hold her breath longer than Houdini, experiencing some interesting dream-like states in the process). Her journey takes us through lazy summer days at the local pool, snake-hunting with her best friend and admirer, and close encounters with some pretty shady types. At the end of the story it's hard not to want to be her.