Reviews

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

rachelfontenot's review against another edition

The majority of the narrative is backstory with little plot development or advancement. 

lauraborkpower's review

3.0

This is the seven-years-in-the-making follow up to Tartt's The Secret History (excellent book!). This one is lush and gorgeous, the plot is intriguing, and the characters are complex and compelling. However (and a BIG however this is), the story begins with a murder and the murder is unsolved at the end of the book. Now, it's highly possible that I missed something here, but if I didn't, it's an absolute failure of a mystery. If I did miss something, then apparently it's too smart for me. If you're aware of the anticlimactic ending and are okay with not knowing who killed our heroine's little brother, then you'll be able to enjoy it more than I did (I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning because I needed to find out who the killer was, and then nearly threw the book out of the window and woke my mom up to yell at her when the book ended with no closure.). I'll most likely read it again for my own masochistic tendencies.

aimeeh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

i loved it! it was so different from The Secret History and The Goldfinch (which were also so different from eachother), yet all of them are so good ? Donna Tartt is definitely amazing. I was tensed during the entire book and amazed by the plot and all the quipriquos in the way Harriet's story was linked with the Ratcliff. And the characters were all so interesting. I would have loved to know more about Allison's point of view on everything, she seems so much like a ghost, like their mother. 

a_v_i_o_r's review against another edition

3.0

3.5

alice_r_turner's review

dark 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

3.75

treeleef's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

sasharosegordon's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

4.0

beck4books's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

elisefarmer's review

2.0

I had really high hopes for this, as I've read and loved The Secret History History and The Goldfinch, but this wasn't for me. I stuck with it to about halfway, but after flicking to the end and realising you don't actually find out who killed the little boy, I gave myself permission to give up. It should be called Overly Florid Descriptions of Children Killing Snakes.

evavanrij's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.75