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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
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
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
ee_comins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexism, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Transphobia, Torture, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Addiction, Hate crime, Incest, Medical trauma, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Suicide, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts
trashgobby's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Transphobia, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Deadnaming, Body horror, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, Violence, Sexism, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gore
Moderate: Ableism, Drug use, Death of parent, Excrement, Alcohol, Incest, Violence, Child abuse, Infertility, Abandonment, Eating disorder, and Classism
sparklysputnik's review against another edition
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, Mental illness, Body horror, Stalking, Torture, Transphobia, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Excrement, Vomit, Blood, Incest, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
All trigger warnings are under graphic because most are regular topics and even if they aren't, the author is detailed and doesn't hold back on any of it. Not something I would recommend to many, especially those who haven't tried any transgressive horror before. Start at the shallow end with something else, then see if this is for you.grimdark_dad'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
5.0
Graphic: Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Eating disorder, Incest, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Body shaming, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Gore, Rape, Child abuse, Transphobia, Excrement, Fatphobia, and Vomit
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Body horror, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Rape, Blood, Drug use, Mental illness, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, Deadnaming, Murder, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Excrement, Incest, Transphobia, Animal death, and Gore
Moderate: Ableism, Genocide, Chronic illness, Death of parent, War, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Police brutality, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Trafficking, and Antisemitism