Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Bound in Flesh: An Anthology of Trans Body Horror by Lor Gislason

3 reviews

mfrisk's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.0

As are most short story collections there were some hits, some misses, and a few that didn’t resonate as much to me. This collection is body horror to the extreme with some great social commentary on homophobia, transphobia, gender dysphoria, and sexism. While I didn’t enjoy every story I did feel most did a great job in connecting to important themes that are valuable to dissect within the lens of horror. 

I want to take the time to highlight my top 2 stories here which I think will stick with me the most which though less reliant on body horror still packed a significant punch: 

1. Show Me - themes around sexism, gender roles, and toxic relationships

2. Man of the House - themes around homophobia and transphobia 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Homophobia, Transphobia, Gore, Blood, Violence, Death, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Suicide, and Body horror

ramreadsagain's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

An excellent collection of short stories, with a great mix of disturbing, creepy, odd and horrifying. I can definitely see how trans people in particular can have an intimate relationship with body horror, and these stories are a powerful representation of this. 

Some favourites include The Haunting of Aiden Finch (which is great for creepypasta fans), Lady Davelina’s Last Pet, Long Fingers, and the final three especially! 

Some were a bit of a miss for me, but I still absolutely recommend this anthology! 

I was offered a free copy of this book by Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Body horror, and Gore

Moderate: Vomit, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence

Minor: Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Religious bigotry

mythian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

I had never considered how the trans experience could be related to body horror before, but having read this book, I think it was a brilliant idea to put this collection together. The horror elements put the reader at unease with the main character's situation and their body, encouraging empathetic connections with someone of a different gender or lived experience than yours. Many of these characters have a strong sense of identity-- they know what is right for them, and when something is wrong, you can feel how disturbing the situation is. The characters also often very driven; they go for what they want, even if it may seem horrific to others.

I found several stories empowering, but there are just as many that I found really gross and disturbing. That all comes down to personal preference, but this is a reminder to be in the right headspace when reading this book, as there is frequently quite vitriolic imagery.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dysphoria, Body horror, and Sexual content

Moderate: Medical trauma, Self harm, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Excrement

Suicidal ideation