Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo

21 reviews

thegayestghost's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I really enjoyed this. My one gripe is I really wish Stevie were older than 18. It makes the sex scenes a little awkward. Besides that it was great!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abortion

emilyceratops's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

5.0

Excellent!! Perfect amount of spookiness. Some of the hottest sex scenes I've read recently. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Bullying, Abortion, and Pregnancy

suchacommotion's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

Trans. Gory. Horny. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Religious bigotry

Minor: Rape and Sexual violence

bookenbee's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Transphobia, Blood, and Religious bigotry

ryanandrew23's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

corabookworm's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I honestly thought this book was 5-star worthy for the most part. The writing was fantastic, the historical elements interesting but not boring, the story fast paced, and the plot intriguing. The explicit sex scenes threw me off and, due to personal preference, lowered the rating of the book to 3 stars. But otherwise I really liked it! If you're looking for short, queer horror with elements of religion, romance, monsters, and history, this one's pretty damn good!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Confinement, Rape, and Sexual assault

Sexual assault is referenced/implied multiple times but never shown on page. There are pretty explicit sex scenes, so if that kind of stuff makes you uncomfortable, skip these parts:

pg. 100/65% ish and pg. 132/86%

. There's also pretty gory stuff, which is worst at:

85%/pg. 130ish

nostoat's review

5.0

I feel like a wild horse, a feral beast, a completely untamable creature streaking through a forest. This book starts with the feeling of oppressive humidity and looming mountains, everything crowding close around; too close too close. There's a copper and iron taste, from the biting of the tongue. 

This book ends with the tang of fresh red blood and earthy soil, the smell of woodsmoke. The queer laughter of two "degenerates" bouncing through the trees. I can taste this book, smell this book, feel this book on my skin. This book is a bloody middle finger to the insular, backwards-thinking Christian communities all around us. Cheers to Lee Mandelo for this one! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault

fairytalefootnotes's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes, etc: Small Town, Place Personified, Religious Persecution, Revenge, Transgender MC, Transgender Love Interest

3rd Act Breakup?: No

The Praise: This book gave an interesting glimpse into the experience of a transgender man in the 1920s and paired that with eerie horror and sweet romance. It was well-written and I really loved the ending!

The Critique: I would’ve liked to know more about Spar Creek and its whole deal.

Final Thoughts: This wasn’t my typical kind of read but I really enjoyed it! Especially the ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Rape, Abortion, and Pregnancy

isaiahh's review

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The queerly willful creatures of the world had only one another to rely on.

I stayed ten minutes with my pen poised over the paper trying to find a more... professional way to start this review; but it's my review after all, and I'll write it however I please. With that: The Woods All Black is HOT! In both senses of the word.

Set in 1920's Appalachia, this novella follows Leslie Bruin, a FNS nurse assigned to the small town of Spar Creek to inoculate the population and help deliver babies. Unfortunately for Les, this close-knit community led by an infuriating preacher shows only contempt towards him and his queer ways. And as something strange brews in the woods, tensions peak around the explosive behaviour of one Stevie Mattingly, a boy Les has been trying his damned best to help.

This T4T historical horror is everything I could have ever asked for. It's got a rural american setting surrounded by woods and sticky heat (I told you it was hot! I'll let you discover the second meaning of it by yourself, though); queer characters trying to survive while dealing with Frontier PTSD and bigoted religious communities; and, more importantly, MONSTROUS TRANS RAGE (I finished it feeling like I could tear a transphobe's throat with my teeth).
The prose is lush and plunges you right into the skin of Les as he navigates his way around this hostile town for 140 pages; and you will not want to put this book down.

The monster fucking was very unexpected, but entirely welcomed, HOLY FUCKING SHIT.

It's evident Lee Mandelo did a lot of research for The Woods All Black, but it's blended so well in the story, it only serves to make it feel realer. You get a glimpse into the lives of queer folks in 1920's America, and it makes you want to read more of it. 

This is a new favourite for me, and a full five stars! Leslie and Stevie will stay with me for a long, long time. I'm also very excited to discover Mandelo's other works. 

Thank you so much to Tordotcom and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for a review! 

*Just a note to say there IS an age and experience gap between the two main characters, in case anyone is uncomfortable with that! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Body horror, Hate crime, Rape, Transphobia, and Violence

Minor: Death, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

cuppasunshine's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and War

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Abortion