Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Animal by Lisa Taddeo

149 reviews

sleaterkenneth's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-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

4.25

MUCH TO THINK ABOUT!!!! looking at the content warnings list alone is such a trip, I read so many yucky books and yet this has really got to me.
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erinbarton's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

a definite slow burn but worth sticking with


(please be aware this book contains a graphic scene involving rape of a child, strorygraph does not have a content warning tag for this)
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rebeccajben's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-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

1.75

I had high expectations for this book, especially because I so enjoyed Three Women. Unfortunately, this is not comparable. Lisa Taddeo is a sharp writer, but as the reviewer from the Guardian noted, her strange descriptions are merely distracting and Joan becomes almost a farce due to her extreme pretension and over dramatization of everything. 

Content wise, the dual obsession with female rage and sex makes this come across as though Murakami and Ottessa Moshfegh collaborated. 

Overall I am left disturbed and disappointed by this melodrama. 
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lycheejelly's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective 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

3.0

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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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theresasbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? No

3.0

Zu Dunkel und krass für mich. Not my kind of book
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franceselsie's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad 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

3.75

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laneyhoward's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

3.0

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ashlynregan's review against another edition

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

3.5

A good for her novel in the sense that this woman is crazy, but we love to see it.
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eve_reads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

2.0

Overall Thoughts:
⁕ When reading the description of this book, I imaged a Kill-Bill-type revenge plot with a badass female MC. Instead, it focuses WAAAY more on the traumas of Joan’s past than any action she takes to seek retribution. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the resulting story, but it is NOT what was advertised.

⁕ There was a lot of potential to explore relationship dynamics, abuse, power, and control. BUT - these themes were often overshadowed by excessive use of violence for shock value, with little room for reflection or deeper exploration in the text.

⁕ I do think the audiobook narration was a massive success for Emma Roberts. The character of Joan is outside of her usual type cast and she succeeded in creating a gritty, dark experience for the reader.

To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online
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