Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Sluts by Dennis Cooper

23 reviews

kibernick's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense fast-paced

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

3.5

A very interesting medium for storytelling - the story is told through reviews on a gay escort site in the early 2000s. It gets very dark, very quickly. The book is extremely transgressive, please check a long list of content warnings. 

Certain passages reminded me of stumbling across disturbing blogs and websites back in the day, that left me scarred for days. I had trouble remembering who was who or who was real, but I think that was what the author was going for (maybe profile photos would’ve helped :) ). 

Overall the book is an interesting read, if only to see how transgressive and innovative writers can be (which can be refreshing). Would be curious to check out the author's other works.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Violence, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Blood, Murder, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Drug use, and Excrement

shalalalala's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

Impossible to rate

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Cancer, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Drug abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Body horror

wormariwood's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Gore, Medical trauma, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Addiction, Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Drug use, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, and Excrement

priceliketag's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Excrement, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Gaslighting, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Confinement, Cursing, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization

tbrnichols's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-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

3.5

A truly sick book, some of the most depraved things I've ever read. I think my main problem with it is that the violence depicted didn't seem like a caring and sexy sort of violence? Or even like a personal, domineering sort of violence, instead it felt impersonal and rote, meaningless and horrible. I think this book may have temporarily ruined violence in sex for me by inserting the doubt that those doing violence to me are doing it without the attachment and value it deserves. I think there actually is a way to write about this sort of thing in a hopeful way, and there are definitely glimpses of that here, but being surrounded by such depravity and hatred can make it hard to sift those out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Rape, Torture, Body horror, Self harm, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Blood, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Addiction, Vomit, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and Pregnancy

chronicreads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Haha what the fuck. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Cursing, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Blood, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Violence, Rape, Alcohol, Body horror, Murder, Self harm, and Physical abuse

fran_njoroge's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexism, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Excrement, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Gore, Grief, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Self harm, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Medical trauma, Medical content, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Violence, Torture, Terminal illness, Stalking, Sexual harassment, and Mental illness

kokeb's review against another edition

dark tense

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Body horror, Excrement, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Hate crime, Medical content, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Cannibalism, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Torture

kalem's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual assault, Body horror, Excrement, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Blood, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence

nadletab's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

holy shit

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Addiction, Terminal illness, Vomit, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Sexual content