Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

3 reviews

kt2e56's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I am genuinely blown away by this book and it’s ability to get me so invested in what sounds like the most absurd premise ever. It’s unbelievably gory, super tense and suspenseful, and filled with some memorable characters (Mostar, my beloved MVP <3). Hell, it even made me start to love the main character and author of the “journal” we’re reading, Kate.

She goes from being a sniveling, whiny, judgmental asshole to a fucking unstoppable force and terrifying predator. That entire last speech from Kate’s brother gave me chills.

That’s another bit I liked about this book! How journal entries are broken up by interviews with folks who discovered the aftermath, along with some quotes, and other fascinating pieces of world-building. Anyway, this was fucking awesome. Definitely read it if you’re looking for something creepy without being too scary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Mental illness, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death of parent, Blood, and Cursing

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Alcoholism, Excrement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, War, Vomit, and Gaslighting

shieldbearer's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I listened to the audio book on Libby. A thrilling, well-constructed read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Stalking, Animal death, and Blood

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism

Minor: Ableism

I won't remember everything because it's been a little since I read it. On a re read I'll be more thorough with my warnings.

saisha's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Omg. - so good? I'm not the biggest fan of horror, especially in books, but this was perfect for me. 

I usually find that horror in books makes me kinda 😐 but I was genuinely scared, it actually gave me a nightmare oop- The slow build from everything being okay to utter chaos, a compelling cast of characters and the fact that they were completely isolated was *chef's kiss*
Not only were the gorier, violent moments really scary, but the whole atmosphere was unsettling because I felt like anything could happen at any time.

I really related to Katie as a character (or at least her character at the beginning-middle of the book) so seeing her development was really nice. I also deeply cared about the fates of the characters (especially Dan, Katie, Mostar, and Pal), which is hard because we're told from the TITLE that they were the victims of a massacre.... the odds are not in their favor.

I really enjoyed all of the chapter openings and most of the added articles & interviews, because they helped me feel more immersed in the story, and helped sell the concept that it's a "true story." '

I went into this hoping I would like it, but I really didn't expect it to be so good let alone a favourite!!!

I usually dislike ambiguous endings but I LOVEDDDD this one, made it (once again) feel more realistic and like I was just reading a conspiracy theory as opposed to a complete work of fiction. 

Also Dan :((((

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Excrement

Minor: Body shaming