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Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Animal by Lisa Taddeo

85 reviews

missbrookss's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0


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whatscookinggoodlookin's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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infrunami_girl's review against another edition

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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

4.5


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joanaprneves's review against another edition

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

3.25

This is a compulsive read because the writing is skillfully unexpected and the story so outlandishly gruesome that you can’t stop. Also, the unhappy, derailed sex. 
I presume that this is supposed to be a reverse Lolita (there is one menton to her, as well as Henry Miller). That is, the perspective of the survivor of abusive desire. The planted need of beauty and money to assuage trauma.
However, what makes the book compelling at first - the incredible writing which makes connections that I never thought of and opens emotional depths - becomes mannerist and over the top. The plot unravels rather than unfolds and the end is simply ridiculous. We stop following the character not because she is unlikeable but because the writing suddenly makes her artificial.  The plot twists are just that, there is no real necessity for them. At a certain point, you feel too manipulated.
That said, I would still recommend it for the first part and for a few insights into the female psyche. It feels like a book where all the use made of women in narrative - and in life - are crammed together but written from the perspective of the used woman. It’s a pity that the writer felt compelled to overdo it and lose the reader (at least this one) midway. 

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daretoread's review against another edition

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dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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mermaidsherbet's review against another edition

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

5.0


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kathalura's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark 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

3.5


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eyes_on_books's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-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

2.5

First half of the book had a good pace. You feel intrigued and you want to know the main character better - who is she, what drives her actions and who is Alice. Then, at some point (for me it was when the daughter of her ex lover arrived), the plot started to be go downhill. I was very dissatisfied and disappointed - especially when the beginning of the book was strong and promising. 

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emmamoulton's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5


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laurenparham's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

3.75

I was kind of hating this until I got about 80% of the way through at which point I really started to like it, so, sometime that’s how it goes!

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