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madisonhh666's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Body shaming, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Genocide, Transphobia, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Bullying, Blood, Grief, Body horror, Cursing, Misogyny, Rape, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Torture, Mental illness, Violence, War, Death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Murder, and Medical content
lakecryptid's review
- 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
4.75
The level of violence in this book is a lot, and the constant peril that the trans characters are in, in addition to the persistent self hatred and interpersonal vitriol, is often overwhelming. It was heartbreaking to read about Beth and Fran's fraught relationship, and seeing the former woman express such beautiful compassion and love, and be met with such deep rejection and loneliness, even from her close friend, was crushing, if accurate. It's sad that the level of trans misogyny and transphobia feels so believable and true to the current moment. Fran's character is understandably grating a lot of the time, and at times it feels like she and Beth almost veer into stereotypes, but not quite. The complex internal narratives and contradictions of the characters save them from being one-note, or simple didactic archetypes to illustrate a political point. I appreciated that in the context of Fran,
By far the most difficult sections of the book to read were the passages from the POV of
I recently finished the book, and upon reflecting more on the story, something I noticed was how all violence, including sexual violence, is presented in the book. The characters are always making pragmatic and strategic decisions about how much violence they can endure, at what cost, and when they can afford to fight back. This kind of grim pragmatism in perspective feels jarring and gross to read, and it should. It's the honest reflection of a bunch of people living through nonstop trauma, in which there often is no "safe" choice, and the only ways the characters can exercise control is by trying as hard as they can to pick how and when they can resist, and when they have to dissociate to live and fight another day. I've read criticisms that the violence and sex in the book is often described in a uniformly graphic style, regardless of the context. I can see that as a valid criticism, since it could be seen as not making a distinction, for example, between consensual sex and sexual violence, or violence and sex at all. In my view, that distinction is still there, but the stylistic unity across scenes shows that in the minds of the characters, the horrible violence they have endured never really leaves their minds, or bodies. It haunts them as they run, as they fight, as they hold their loved ones and are re-traumatized by their enemies. It's gruesome and crushing to read, but in my mind, those are some of the most realistic and affecting parts of the story that really make an impact about the type of world the characters are living in, and what types of perspectives they have been forced to abandon through trauma.
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Outing, Pedophilia, Blood, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Cannibalism, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Body horror, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Medical content, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
machinations's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Cursing, Gore, Medical content, Transphobia, Rape, Murder, Sexual content, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Hate crime, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Outing, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
Minor: Child abuse, Racism, Antisemitism, Ableism, Xenophobia, Pedophilia, and Classism
milkybootscomix's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Rape, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Murder, Hate crime, Gore, Grief, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Deadnaming, Cursing, Body shaming, Gun violence, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Torture, Sexual content, Self harm, Cannibalism, Body horror, Blood, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Suicide, Physical abuse, Outing, Infertility, Dysphoria, and Death
atenderwitch's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, War, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Homophobia, Genocide, Excrement, Cannibalism, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Child death, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Confinement, Body shaming, Blood, Rape, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Trafficking, Death, Dysphoria, Sexual content, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Outing, Gore, Infertility, Torture, Fatphobia, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Murder, Grief, and Eating disorder
caidyn'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
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Dysphoria, Gore, Outing, Murder, Transphobia, Fatphobia, and Toxic friendship
blreed's review
5.0
This won't be for everyone, not just because it's bleak, splattery horror, but because if you're not trans or know a lot of trans people and are immersed in trans Twitter, it won't hit the same. The entire book feels like the worst TERF hate spiral come to apocalyptic life. You need to know TERF ideology and language. You need to know trans stuff beyond 101. I anticipate that a lot of people will come away from this book (or will abandon it partially-read) angry/confused because they just don't get it. And that's not Gretchen Felker-Martin's fault.
I think that Manhunt is an important contribution to horror literature, and I think it's essential reading if you're interested in gender in horror. Mind your trigger warnings, though.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Rape
Moderate: Animal death and Outing
kingweirdo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
but
This is one of the most touching, heartbreaking, brutal books I've ever read. I was so in love these characters, and even sickly attached to the villain narrator. Every chapter held a gut-punch, whether it was a horrible death, or act of violence, or a transphobic microaggression, or just the horrible things that the characters said to themselves while surviving the actual end of the civilized world.
And while this book is PACKED with blood and guts, bullets and knives, and breathtaking fights to the death, the world is so smartly built and the premise is SO wrought with symbolism. The entire conceit establishes a Binary sex problem and then immediately starts dismantling it and showing a dozen gaps in that easy essentialism. It asks us horrifying questions about identity and community, it leaves no population unscrutinized, it reminds us of how much there is to fear from our fellow humans, and it also gives us such remarkable tenderness.
I wept. I usually hate series, but I'm honestly begging the author to extend this universe and give us more.
Graphic: Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Dysphoria, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical content, Murder, Blood, Deadnaming, Death, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Classism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Genocide, Grief, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Slavery, Suicide, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness
Minor: Colonisation, Child death, Self harm, and Sexual harassment
lunmione's review
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Dysphoria, Gore, Hate crime, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Outing, Sexual violence, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Pedophilia, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Antisemitism, Pregnancy, Vomit, and Self harm
Minor: Incest