Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt

73 reviews

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

4.0

I can tell that this book was written with a lot of purpose and thought. I think it really captures chronically online millennial ways of talking. However, it is not for the faint of heart. There’s a ton of body horror.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Incest, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship

kirsty0416's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, and Vomit

This book was disgustingly brilliant, graphic and vile but could not put it down!

elysianbud's review against another edition

dark fast-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? It's complicated

3.25

If I had a nickel for every time I read a queer kinky parasite horror by a trans author, I'd have TWO nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice right?

This is one of the most bizarre books I have ever read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Infertility, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

arlenren's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

Visceral, provocative, revolting. Don't make the mistake I did and start reading this on the train; you do NOT want anyone looking over your shoulder. Once I'd found a more suitable place to read it, I couldn't put it down. This book pulls no punches as it lays out the threat that trans people face in the UK today, unflinching in a portrayal that remains truthful even through a lens of conspiratorial fantasy. Like all the best horror novels, it has moments of comedy that provide respite from the crushing tension. I went into this book thinking it was going to make me feel sick yet surprisingly it didn't, in spite of how personal some of its triggers are for me. I guess there's something wrong with me?? Luckily, there's nothing wrong with this book. If you have a strong stomach and an open mind, this is a faultless read. Easiest five stars I've given in a long time. (Please do check the trigger warnings though).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

wayward's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Violence

django018's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense

4.5

Rumfitt’s incandescent intensity scorches the reader through to the bone once again. This one’s gonna be on brain… (haha) rotation for a while. 
It was immensely upsetting, and terrifying. Clear themes as usual from the author, which I appreciate. More subtly done than the last novel, as is explored in introduction. 
Much to think about, can’t wait to discuss. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Rape, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Violence

iceperg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

sarahfa's review against another edition

dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

Frankie and Vanya‘s relationship was hot and felt realistic and genuine. By the end, the body horror went too gross for me, but that is me. I love when authors describe very detailed things (like parasite life cycles, pregnancy kink). It gives the writing so much life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse and Incest

calcified_boner's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Deliciously gross, practically parasitic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Hate crime, Incest, Sexual content, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Minor: Ableism, Abandonment, and Classism

carl_still_reading's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

I’m calling it now … 
🪱Brainwyrms🪱
is one of, if not my favourite book of the year 🏆 

Talking about this book is so difficult as it’s defiantly not for everyone. It’s gross, vile and at times pornographic. It’s vulgar and shocking and downright uncomfortable. It’s a genuine extreme horror that many people will not enjoy. 

However as I read the book, it turned out to be more than I thought. Yes it’s an extreme horror, but it also tackles heavy topics of transgender hate which is probably the most horrific part of the book. 

We follow Frankie, who has got her life back together after a transphobic woman bombed her workplace and her meeting with a mystery woman named Vanya. As the relationship develops we start to peel back the curtain to find out who Vanya really is. 

I’m honestly so blown away by this book. To me it’s a genre defying book that is part extreme horror, part political horror, part biography almost. Rumfitt discusses the very relevant topic of trans hate in Britain and how truly ugly and horrific it really is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Excrement, and Vomit