Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Anna K: A Love Story by Jenny Lee

32 reviews

hkburke2's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.0

I was going to DNF this but saw someone say they liked the audio version so after about 20% I switched to audio and managed to finish. There were elements of this that were interesting enough to keep me hanging in (subtle commentary on microaggressions, representation of a very priveledge world...) but everything else was just not right for me. The way the characters spoke didn't ring true to my conversations with/around teenagers... They were shallow even in the plot lines that were meant to show depth of character. I think the problem for me was not necessarily shallow characters but shallow writing. I can see why this worked for a lot of people, and I love the idea of a more diverse retelling of a classic, but this wasn't it for me. I did like the author's note though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, and Sexism

Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use

sierranorgan's review against another edition

dark emotional funny relaxing sad medium-paced

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

3.75

This book was wild in many different ways. It had such a gossip girl vibe to it that I enjoyed, and the audiobook narrator was really playing that up! But sometimes the characters and situations were so absolutely ridiculous that I wasn’t to smash my head into something 😂 maybe it’s things that I’m missing from it’s source material? I’m not sure. But overall I enjoyed being brought back to that gossip girl feeling that I’ve missed! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

carlyhearts's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, and Sexual content

Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Death, and Racism

ciermae's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

decklededgess's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

trigger warnings: sexual content (characters are under 18), drug and alcohol abuse, addiction, overdosing, rehabilitation, depression, suicide ideation, suicide attempt, self harm mention, vehicle accident, death by train, animal harm/death, emotionally abusive parents, infidelity, sexual harassment and cyber bullying, vomit, fatphobia, racism, classism, slut shaming, emotional incest


Idk who or what have me the idea but this book is not sapphic? There is one sapphic character who is like basically background. No wlw here in the main cast. 

Other than that disappointment this book was phenomenal. A very xoxo Gossip Girl touch to Anna Karenina which seems apt from what I know about the original text. 

The wealth disparity and lack of relatability of thee wealthy ass kids made the trauma a but more distant so I could read the book without internalising too much. 

It’s beautifully written and I loved the chaos that third person omniscient pov provided to the narrative. 

Excited for the next one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, and Vomit

Minor: Abortion

crystalmethany's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction and Animal death

Minor: Mental illness and Medical content

swestlake's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Self harm, and Sexual content

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, and Alcohol

Moderate: Racism and Blood

hannahb1533's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

2.75

Listened to the audio book because Jenna Ushkowitz narrated (and you did great doing so girl!)

Overall this story was... a struggle for me.

Had I been reading a physical copy and not listening to it, I may have DNF'd it. And not because Jenny Lee's writing style is bad or because she isn't a compelling story teller, because she is. No, my real struggle was trying to sympathize with rich, spoiled high schoolers.

This book got 3 stars instead of 2 from me because of Lee's ability to tell a story along with Jenna's narrations. I only liked maybe one character really (Dustin. Kimmie also had some redeeming qualities) which isn't surprising since that one character was the only one not rolling in their parents money and living a life of privilege's so may of us will never know.

The story works as a retelling of Anna Karenina, it does what it is supposed to do to be that. This is like if Anna Karenina and Gossip Girl had a baby. But I had to constantly remind myself that these were high schoolers. Between the sex (this book has more graphic detail than anything else I have read that is considered YA), the casual drug use with no repercussions (in most cases), the cheating, and the overarching feeling that high school love is the end-all-be-all I found myself unable to relate on so many levels.

The characters are built well though, you understand all of their individual personalities and what makes them tic, which is hard with so many characters in one story. And the pacing of the book does keep you on your toes about what may happen next. Lee is clearly a very skilled writer. But for me I just can't score it higher because I just cannot get over the overflowing privilege's. Even though I know that is the point at time I was so frustrated listening to these characters and their lives.

Should I give the sequel a try? Will it solve some of the problems I had (can Steven please be forced to come to terms with his drug use?)? Or will I just get frustrated all over again?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

sarahamelias's review

emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death and Sexual content