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readingwithgoose's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Murder, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Blood, Gore, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Vomit
Moderate: Incest, Self harm, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Animal death, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Dysphoria
kyullua's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
as with tell me i’m worthless, i loved this book, had to cut some points for the ending as it felt a bit rushed, but honestly still surprised that the last few pages still had me just wanting to say “what the actual fuck”
Graphic: Sexual content, Hate crime, Transphobia, Self harm, Vomit, and Body horror
Moderate: Blood, Murder, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Alcohol and Dysphoria
hamletslover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Murder, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Drug use, Deadnaming, Alcohol, Violence, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Body horror, Blood, Abandonment, Vomit, Torture, Suicide, Physical abuse, Grief, Excrement, Child abuse, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Outing, Infertility, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Classism, and Child death
anxiousnachos's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Incest, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, Abortion, Blood, Pedophilia, Dysphoria, Excrement, and Gore
andyjnmcrae's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
A gut wrenching, stomach turning, allegory for the hate against trans people that is being allowed to grow in society. Brainwyrms looks at hate as a parasite, conformity as self punishment (through extreme -and I mean extreme- kinks and domination) and what it means to be a “good” or “bad” trans person. As always both end in suffering, neither end in respect, and it’s all about how well you play their game. Rumfit demonstrates how hate will either
Graphic: Transphobia, Pedophilia, Murder, and Rape
yassassin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Now onto the review. If you've read Rumfitt's book Tell Me I'm Worthless, you'll probably soon realize that Brainwyrms uses a different metaphor for the same issues: rising transphobia in the UK and the far-right radicalization pipeline. This isn't either praise or critique, in my opinon both metaphors work well to take you on a rollecoaster of feeling disgusted and terrified by the supernatural horrors, only to realize the segments accurately depicting reality are just as horrific. After all, what is a dangerous idea you find online other than a vicious worm trying to slither its way into your brain and multiply?
Then there is the other component of the novel: a very deep, detailed dive into extreme kink, mixed with a good portion of body horror and absolute psychological f*ckery. Even if I didn't let it get to me too much, I won't pretend like I didn't struggle to make it through certain chapters. I'm not completely convinced all of it was necessary, even in a horror novel.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Incest, Kidnapping, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Child abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Violence, Physical abuse, and Rape
Moderate: Body shaming, Alcohol, Medical content, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Addiction, Blood, and Pregnancy
mandi_lea's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Incest, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Mental illness, Body horror, Child death, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Gore, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Deadnaming, Drug use, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual content
djbobthegirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Incest, Misogyny, Deadnaming, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Confinement, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Child death, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Blood, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Mental illness, Violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Self harm, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Trafficking, Alcohol, Abortion, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Stalking
fuathling's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
If you're looking for something to cringe over, to grimace at while reading due to the sheer abundance of grotesque, stomach-churning filth mounted on the pages: it's a book worthy of conversation.
After reading this I found myself wishing I knew someone else who had just so that we could both stare at each other and collectively chant "what the fuck".
Alison seems to depict transphobia as a disease-- which isn't altogether a poor depiction; but fails to tie her story together in a way that really feels concrete.
I finished this story envisioning a loosely knotted ball of dripping gore with no real core plot tying it all together. It seems to unravel at the end in a sort of "yes, its just more gross stuff" way that doesn't feel at all satisfying and instead left me going "huh???"
I wasn't disappointed but I wasn't impressed, either.
The book is chalk full of fucked up scenes, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone triggered by transphobic, dysphoric, or sexual scenarios. There's a lot to be flagged about this book, but if you can handle it-- I suggest reading it with a friend: that way you at least have someone as equally confused as you are by the end of it all.
I get the overlying message, but I failed to find the real satisfaction of a book well written.
Graphic: Sexual content, Body horror, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Violence, Murder, and Sexual violence
hydecircus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Kidnapping, Transphobia, Murder, Body shaming, Violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Incest, Body horror, Pregnancy, Rape, Classism, Physical abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Cursing, Deadnaming, and Hate crime
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Animal death