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vixenreader'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Pregnancy, Blood, Gore, Ableism, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Classism, Abortion, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Excrement, Sexism, Violence, Death, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Medical content, Cannibalism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Gaslighting, Bullying, Physical abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Miscarriage, Vomit, Stalking, and Suicide
Be aware that there is characters slowly dying, hunger, starvation, c-sections, blood clots, mob violence, financial struggles, mentions of Nazism, and destruction of cities and families.juniper_reads_things's review against another edition
5.0
This book is like a fresh mix of horror short stories and modern fairy tales. I liked this. It’s grotesquely traumatizing.
I’m going to list the table of contents and list my individual ratings there.
1). The Head.
Nicname: Toilet Baby.
1 star rating, 9/10 for traumatizing.
It was gross, I hated it. I really love the author’s writing style though. This was one of the tales that felt like a modern fairy tale, because something weird was happening, the woman told her family about it and they didn’t think she was insane.
2). The Embodiment.
Nicname: blood clot birth control.
3 star rating, 1000/10 for traumatizing.
Woman takes 6 months of birth control, finds herself pregnant because she took birth control…wrong? This is a perfect story to describe what it’s like to be a woman. You’re trying your best, but it’s not working and somehow you’re single handedly ruining everything around you.
3). Cursed Bunny.
Nicname: none
3 stars, 3/10 trauma.
I didn’t have a made up title for this one, it was pretty memorable, if not super remarkable/traumatic. This one was a little predictable and wasn’t what I would expect from the title story in a book of traumatizing stories.
4). The Frozen Finger.
Nicname: swamp crash.
10/10 stars, 0/10 for traumatizing.
This is my perfect horror story. Didn’t see where it was going, dramatic reveal, scary times for me. This one was probably my favorite.
5). Snare
Nicname: animal/child abuse for gold
4 stars, 10/10 traumatized.
This was another one that felt like a modern fairy tale for me, in terms of animal abuse and child abuse. It’s there, it’s awful, but the author doesn’t dwell on it. Feels like a brothers grim tale.
6). Goodbye, my Love
Nicname: i love robots
2 stars, 5/10 traumatic.
Traumatic ending, but I was bored during this story the most.
7). Scars
Nicname: i escaped a dragon for this??
5 stars, 7/10 trauma. This story is great, felt like another fairy tale. I loved it.
8). Home Sweet Home
Nicname: ghost building
4 stars, 3/10 traumatic.
Another great horror story, no notes, super creepy.
9). Ruler of the Winds and Sands
Nicname: the princess and the heavy lifting or all that for fucking nothing.
5 stars, 2/10 traumatic.
Another classic fairy tale vibe, i loved it, no notes.
10). Reunion.
Nicname: oh shit
3 stars, 4/10 traumatic
This story is traumatic in that it beautifully describes generational trauma, childhood trauma ans how adults cope with their own childhood trauma. This one felt personal for me, having survived some shit myself, and it felt comforting and heartbreaking all at the same time.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Incest, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Medical trauma
sauvageloup'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? Yes
3.75
pros:
- they're definitely gripping, and the writing style is sparse but clear and evocative, with the descriptions being vivid.
- the stories felt self contained and satisfying overall, even as many ended in tragedy.
- the last book of short stories I read, i struggled to jump from one story to another, maybe because they were so different and by different people. this one wasnt like that at all, and i had no problem reading straight through, pretty much.
- i liked the variety in length and themes of the stories, from birth horror, to supernatural, to fantasy fairy tale and modern criticisms on feminism and capitalism. i think i mainly read very on the surface and didnt look hard at metaphors and such, a reread might help me see this more.
- I liked the sheer imagination though and how Chung makes you care for characters who often arent even given a name.
cons:
- the first two stories especially, but a lot of them overall, were pretty horrible and graphic. they did their job in making you feel things! but it reminded me too much of just horrible nightmares and intrusive thoughts and I wouldnt read those two again.
- I also felt there was generally a lack of hope in the stories, but that's personal taste I guess.
overall, well written and gripping but too horror for me and dont think I'll seek out more of her work, but I might reread this in time.
Graphic: Child abuse, Infertility, Car accident, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Child death, Grief, Gore, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Bullying, Medical trauma, Sexism, Violence, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Torture, Pregnancy, Body horror, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
quintopus's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Medical trauma and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror
eegrasse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Animal death, Gore, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Body horror, Cursing, Kidnapping, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Torture, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Car accident, and Confinement
brilokuloj's review
Graphic: Miscarriage, Abortion, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, and Toxic relationship
zeegy'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Excrement, Blood, Incest, Sexism, Medical trauma, Body horror, Vomit, War, Rape, Murder, Violence, Suicide, Medical content, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
mermaidsherbet'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
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Excrement, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Body horror, Confinement, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Vomit, Torture, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Child death, Physical abuse, Murder, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Alcohol
Minor: Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Infidelity, War, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Infertility, Incest, and Rape
mxmacalla's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Abortion, Medical trauma, Body horror, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Incest, Sexual assault, and Infidelity
linalina's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Medical trauma, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Suicide, Torture, Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Violence, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Antisemitism, Dementia, Incest, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Excrement, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Abortion, Grief, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, War, Kidnapping, and Vomit