Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

98 reviews

dehernandez3169's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is easily one of the best books I've ever read. 

Written by a man, Nat Cassidy was able to write exactly what it is like being a woman, especially a middle aged woman. There were time where I had to put the book down just to process how he was able to capture everything so perfectly. 

The horror is JUST as good as feminist points. It is a rollercoaster and I had no idea how things where going to go. 

Read it. Just... Read it. (Or listen to the audio book. It just as fantastic.) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Mental illness, and Body horror

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Emotional abuse

_meeg's review against another edition

NGL dude this one was just too brutal for me. Felt too unwell to justify continuing reading after the cactus scene.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Sexism, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Confinement, Grief, Suicide, Death, Murder, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Drug use, Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Cursing, Excrement, Gore, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

sarianotsorry's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death and Sexual assault

picking_back_up's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Confinement, Body horror, and Blood

fleurhoplof's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

3.5

A fascinating first part, which plunges us into the loss of bearings of a woman about to go through menopause, between hallucinations, obsessions and self-loathing. Cassidy's writing is very precise and credible, and hats off to the author for his plunge into a woman's psyche. The second part, with the discovery of what's going on in the desert town, is rather dull, with the exception of a few scenes of body horror (which are sincerely not as graphic as some readers would have us believe). The novel's ending, which is a typical

revenge porn

ending, is frankly disappointing. Mary deserved better than that cliché wrap-up!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Body shaming

Moderate: Gore and Body horror

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

novel_grace's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I went in expecting to love this book, and was still surprised by just HOW much I enjoyed it (as much as you can enjoy something this bloody). Despite this being a story hugely about a struggle for identity and reality and personhood, Mary had such a  distinct voice, that only got sharper and more defined as the book went along.

I was truly shocked when I realized a third of the way in that the author is a man, because it truly handled topics of womanhood with the subtly and honesty I would expect from someone who has experienced it first hand. The authors note preceding the book and the afterword truly put this book over the top for me. 

Beyond the incredibly valid and important discussions of patriarchy and womanhood, this book truly succeeds as a horror story. It was so CREEPY in so many way. I had to stop reading it at night because it unnerved me so much. 

Thrilling and genuine and terrifying and surprisingly heartfelt - this might be my new favorite horror novel. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

kermit_the_wrong's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Cursing, Body shaming, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Murder, Religious bigotry, Torture, Misogyny, and Violence

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

4.75

Akin to the works of Ottessa Moshfesh, this is an intimate, scary study of a disturbed character going through ordeals that are both relatable and horrifying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Confinement, Fatphobia, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Blood, Grief, Toxic friendship, Torture, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Body horror, Body shaming, Death of parent, Bullying, Violence, Cursing, and Death

Moderate: Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Abandonment, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Cancer, Animal cruelty, Ableism, and Child death

Minor: Alcohol, Excrement, Vomit, and Lesbophobia

Please be aware that there is ageism against middle-aged women, cult activity, family dysfunction, murder of a family member, and purposeful glorification of a serial killer.

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

hmm… major content warnings here. i do appreciate women’s issues, especially later in life, being amplified and normalized. however, it might just be me but i feel like people enjoying watching or conducting sexual violence shouldn’t be in horror. it feels like the author is just grasping at straws trying to find anything that will scare readers. it  made me sick to my stomach, but not in the way horror should. this was also 150 pages too long. the plot itself was really unique and had a lot of promise, but i think the author copped-out on a lot of the “scares”.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Gore, and Grief

elsebeok's review

dark mysterious 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Body horror, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Murder, Blood, and Torture