Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

96 reviews

rebrosecca's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 Disturbing in all the right and wrong ways. I was surprised to learn the author was male considering the main character and 99% of the plot is pre-menopausal women issues. In the end, though, it makes a lot of sense. The misogyny is heavy. The horror is gruesome and uncomfortable. The humor is morbid. The way he paired legit issues about society's portrayal of aging women with gritty, in-your-face violence was unexpectedly confronting. The making of the monsters in this book is chilling and leaves you unsure if the ending is a victory or justice has gotten out of hand. If you want to read something that feels like Stephen King but includes violence against women, this is a solid pick. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Death, Murder, Misogyny, Animal death, Torture, Violence, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

pagesofpemberley's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Violence

kaitlouise94's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Gore, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Bullying, Body shaming, Body horror, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Blood

megbroache's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Mental illness, Body horror, Blood, Gore, Murder, and Torture

staci_stasis's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was innovative and fun as hell. Bit lengthy around the middle part though. The narration by Susan Bennett fucking slaps, I can really recommend getting the audiobook 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Gore, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Body horror

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Bullying

odd_wan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I strongly advise to read the after thought of the author after you read the story. It makes the story so much more completed in my opinion. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Death, Body horror, Misogyny, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Gore, Murder, Blood, Animal death, Toxic friendship, and Body shaming

natspat98's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Animal death, Body horror, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Gore, Murder, Dysphoria, Blood, Body shaming, Death, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Violence and Torture

lex_box's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I picked this book up. Usually I do not enjoy psychological books about women that are written by men but Nat Cassidy did a great job. It dives deep into what the world does to women over time through the eyes of someone you aren’t sure if you can trust. I would recommend listening to this on audio book. Susan Bennett gives an incredible performance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, and Death

Moderate: Body shaming and Confinement

princess_marie's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

It was a good and interesting story that did keep me engaged but it got a little too weird for my taste (almost to the point of being "silly").

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Death, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Misogyny, Murder, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Religious bigotry, Violence, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content

cryptidenthusiast's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Initially, this book was a 3 for me. It had slow points, and I found myself struggling to connect to the inner voice of Mary, a woman written by a man. There were points where I was like ‘okay, this is obviously how a man thinks a woman must think’ (the repeated reference and notice of the victims’ breasts, being one point. I can’t speak for everybody, but the first thing I would notice about a spectral murder victim probably wouldn’t be whether or not her breasts were sagging). There was a disconnect there that I struggled with, outside of other issues I had with the overall pacing. 

And then I listened to the acknowledgment. 

Nat Cassidy made a point to do his research, and came from a point of genuinely wanting to bring light to a part of women’s lives that is usually ignored: menopause. And he brought up the point that a lot of Mary’s inner voice wasn’t *her*, but a man, something Nat Cassidy did know and could write, which is why the disconnect was there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Body horror, Misogyny, and Murder