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foucvnt's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
i feel like i'll have to reread this someday
kaetopia's review
dark
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
strong imagery which i generally love. was interesting at first but gave way to conspiratorial rambling. a book i wouldn’t recommend to even my weirdest of friends.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Body horror, and Xenophobia
oraclebykittie's review
3.0
fun read, but i get fatigued when every character is this pretentious. also leaves some things to be desired with its ending -_-
sgraw269's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
parkerluck's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
By halfway through I was devouring this and then the weird ending dive into the North Korea conspiracy ???????? just became utter nonsense. Flop ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Self harm, Racism, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Medical content, and Mental illness
wickedtreasury's review
3.0
If you enjoy David Cronenberg films primarily for their famed practical effects, you might be disappointed with this book! However, if you enjoy those films for Dave's many recurring preoccupations and themes (sex, tech, humanity, disease, reality, media consumption, conspiracy), you may be right at home with this.
aworga's review
3.5
This is the kind of book that has such an interesting story and is honestly pretty well written but just like spirals out of control at the end. I don’t really think the cliff hanger was appropriate . I will say I liked how all the dispersed stories at the beginning came together towards the end, and it really was an interesting meditation on consumerism + the human body (def a little pretentious at times though). Also liked how different perspectives/narratives were strung together. Gripping read
lmags15's review
1.0
Nope. This book was torturous. It began well enough, but quickly became bogged down by overly complicated talk about camera lenses and hearing aids. Many times it was unclear which of the central characters' eyes we were seeing through, and the book wraps up unceremoniously quickly. I am a fan of Cronenberg's inventive and disturbing films, but this book had none of their appeal.
shondawanders's review
4.0
3.75 stars. You’d know this is a novel by David Cronenburg by just reading it.
jackphoenix's review
1.0
Cronenberg's debut novel features a disappointing lack of his signature depravity and body horror, and its severe shift in focus to a peripheral character's story make this a shockingly dull read from a horror legend.