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quintusmarcus's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant novel, great story about which I can't say too much without spoilers. Let's just say you'll never feel the same way about social media again.
jackiepreston's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I wanted more out of this book and more about Louise specifically. All of the characters felt pretty thinly drawn, but I could excuse that because it was all from Louise's perspective and she's a sociopath. But there were so many things brought up about Louise in the privacy of her own head that sounded interesting, sometimes way more interesting than what was happening in the back half of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug abuse and Rape
dearbhlacorr's review against another edition
2.0
"we cannot be known and loved at the same time
It is very simple, Louise knows. There are two types of people in the world: the people you can fool into liking you, and the ones clever enough not to fall for it"
It is very simple, Louise knows. There are two types of people in the world: the people you can fool into liking you, and the ones clever enough not to fall for it"
kaf172's review against another edition
1.0
I got about a third of the way through and frankly, it’s so boring i don’t care how it ends. I can’t like the characters and they don’t seem to have much about them. Not finished. Too many books out there to waste on this.
fungusfather's review against another edition
3.0
sometimes you just need a good campy thriller, the girls who get it get it
leighgoodmark's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars because it’s compellingly, compulsively readable, if completely far fetched. The plot is totally implausible (and just for the record, most people who went to Yale are nothing like this, at least in my experience) and the characters are more like caricatures, but I still couldn’t put it down, which says something about the skill of the author.
jonezeemcgee's review against another edition
4.0
3.75
I know reading "The Talented Mr. Ripley" retellings can be tiresome for some. They recirculate almost as frequently as Beauty and the Beast retellings it seems (another guilty pleasure. But I happen to love them if they are done well. I think this particular one was one of those.
Social Creature is written against the backdrop of New York City, and among the hard and strange partying of its Manhattan socialites. The kind of grime you can usually pay to make not look as dirty as it is. Drugs in that scene are as much accessories as Balenciaga bags. These drugs are somehow more chic than the exact same drugs done by someone on skid row, because its who is doing them that counts. Everyone is full of shit, but their Instagram feeds are peppered with the right contacts, the trendiest destinations and the hottest clubs.
As you can probably guess, the characters aren't likable. However, they are still fairly well written (even if slightly one note). Their growth or destruction lays in the acts they commit or the details they hide well, even a little from the reader. I frankly, loved to hate them. The stories pacing was slow at first, but picked up so quickly after the first 90 pages that I had a hard time putting it down. I think Burton did a great job retelling an old story.
I know reading "The Talented Mr. Ripley" retellings can be tiresome for some. They recirculate almost as frequently as Beauty and the Beast retellings it seems (another guilty pleasure. But I happen to love them if they are done well. I think this particular one was one of those.
Social Creature is written against the backdrop of New York City, and among the hard and strange partying of its Manhattan socialites. The kind of grime you can usually pay to make not look as dirty as it is. Drugs in that scene are as much accessories as Balenciaga bags. These drugs are somehow more chic than the exact same drugs done by someone on skid row, because its who is doing them that counts. Everyone is full of shit, but their Instagram feeds are peppered with the right contacts, the trendiest destinations and the hottest clubs.
As you can probably guess, the characters aren't likable. However, they are still fairly well written (even if slightly one note). Their growth or destruction lays in the acts they commit or the details they hide well, even a little from the reader. I frankly, loved to hate them. The stories pacing was slow at first, but picked up so quickly after the first 90 pages that I had a hard time putting it down. I think Burton did a great job retelling an old story.
stevienielson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.5
jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
The lives that others lead may seem enticing when compared to your own, but the secrets you don't see might change your mind. In Social Creatures by Tara Isabella Burton two young women's lives will be forever altered by the bond that forms between their very different lives.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Louise hasn't had an easy life, working endlessly to make ends meet. Lavinia has had led a privileged life, but she's battled her own demons despite the outward appearance of an easy life. After a fortuitous meeting brings Louise and Lavinia together, the two become inseparable and entangled in a toxic relationship. While Lavinia offers Louise an opportunity to experience some of the finer aspects of life, the pair become increasingly and dangerously dependent upon one another - Louise for the financial benefits a friendship with Lavinia offers and Lavinia for the caretaking skills that Louise invariably provides to maintain her access to the life of excess. When things go too far and their relationship is threatened Louise fights to maintain the life she's now become accustomed to.
A slow build toward a quick spiral down into dark, depraved depths, the narrative is equal parts disturbing and fascinating. Providing a glimpse into the lives of the affluent others through the vehicle of an "ordinary" person, this story demonstrates the tangled webs woven throughout the social structure of the so-called elite with an intimate and entertaining tale of intrigue. Through the narration style, the reader becomes complicit in Louise's acts, unable to stop them as Louise is unable to stop herself, which is an interesting tactic to engage readers. While characters don't necessarily need to be likable and a certain amount of frustration can be good, the characters in this novel were often simply too frustrating for me to really connect with them to fully enjoy the narrative.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Louise hasn't had an easy life, working endlessly to make ends meet. Lavinia has had led a privileged life, but she's battled her own demons despite the outward appearance of an easy life. After a fortuitous meeting brings Louise and Lavinia together, the two become inseparable and entangled in a toxic relationship. While Lavinia offers Louise an opportunity to experience some of the finer aspects of life, the pair become increasingly and dangerously dependent upon one another - Louise for the financial benefits a friendship with Lavinia offers and Lavinia for the caretaking skills that Louise invariably provides to maintain her access to the life of excess. When things go too far and their relationship is threatened Louise fights to maintain the life she's now become accustomed to.
A slow build toward a quick spiral down into dark, depraved depths, the narrative is equal parts disturbing and fascinating. Providing a glimpse into the lives of the affluent others through the vehicle of an "ordinary" person, this story demonstrates the tangled webs woven throughout the social structure of the so-called elite with an intimate and entertaining tale of intrigue. Through the narration style, the reader becomes complicit in Louise's acts, unable to stop them as Louise is unable to stop herself, which is an interesting tactic to engage readers. While characters don't necessarily need to be likable and a certain amount of frustration can be good, the characters in this novel were often simply too frustrating for me to really connect with them to fully enjoy the narrative.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.