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puncturing_plotlines's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Dysphoria
Minor: Abortion
bagismguru's review against another edition
3.25
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Abortion
mjadeh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Pregnancy
ajosaurus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abortion, and Pregnancy
sheriffrockyraccoon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
My main issues come from the main character. Leslie is an outsider looking in, and that meant a lot of character development surrounding love interests, “friends”, and antagonists was not present. I also have a strong distaste for stories that have a bias against rural towns, claiming cities are better. In the case of Leslie, Stevie does call this out at one point but it is hardly acknowledged and does not seem to change his opinion. Of course, yes, this town is evil and the population is truly horrible, but it felt as though I were being told through past stories and dialogue why they were so villainous. I would have liked to see more action between the protagonist and antagonist(s), as much of their scuffles really only came from passive-aggressive comments.
I was also frustrated with the pacing, as we don’t even see the monster until halfway through the story. Most of the book consists of Leslie becoming frustrated with the townspeople and, it is noted several times, being unable to read Woolf’s Orlando. It did drive me crazy how many times this was noted. The last fourth of the story is great, there are very exciting and tense scenes (and monster porn) that truly categorize it as a horror. It is disappointing that we did not get more of it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes queer horror, with an emphasis on queer living. Mandelo’s writing is decent and can be very engaging when something is happening to move the plot forward.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism and Rape
errie's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Dysphoria
rmarkham's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry
basementofbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
slimshaedy92'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Rape and Transphobia
jourdanicus's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
As far as horror goes, this one was not terrifying per se. It had the strong sense of place that I find most books set in Appalachia tend to have, and Appalachia can be a spooky place at times. This was more tense than scary, and definitely check the trigger warnings because transphobia is a central part of the plot (but
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Blood, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault