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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
wow this book is WEIRD but I really enjoyed it. flew through it
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I thought the writing was mediocre at very beginning before the inciting event, but the meat of the plot started really quickly, like within the first chapter. Then it read like a thriller with the ultra quick pacing, increasing number of questions, and the POVs’ narrative styles.
I really liked how it was explicitly set in the US but never mentioned the state.
I really liked how it was explicitly set in the US but never mentioned the state.
However, it lost me a bit towards the very end when all the questions were answered (the aspect of the book I had been most excited about). And then the very end felt like a bit of a cop-out to me, with the author not really finding a satisfactory stopping point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Sexism, Slavery, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
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
This was the grossest book I’ve read in a while and I mean that as a compliment! The social and political commentary made throughout was interesting!
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
It wasn’t what I expected.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This anthology made my skin crawl. In my opinion, the first of the three entries is the strongest, but they all stand well on their own. While each story intersects, the shift in perspectives does a good job of distinguishing each.
That said, there are some moments in these stories that made me genuinely queasy as I was reading. I'm normally fine with most gore but the descriptions in SMM are visceral in a way that stuck in my craw like most others don't. There was one moment in particular toward the end of the first section that I had to physically put the book down and walk away from to settle my stomach (though I was on two coffees and no lunch so take that with a grain of salt).
Overall this was a gruesome look into a world that I found genuinely fascinating. I would have loved more information aboutthe alien species that originated PVG , but the lack of knowledge let my mind run wild after closing the back cover so I won't complain too much. In some parts the writing and inclusion of specific themes felt a little ham-fisted, but I think the story was better for what it included. There were lines scattered throughout each part that made me page back through and recheck the earlier sections to confirm correlations, which was delightful.
If you have a strong stomach and a need for horror of the body and mind, this is an excellent read.
That said, there are some moments in these stories that made me genuinely queasy as I was reading. I'm normally fine with most gore but the descriptions in SMM are visceral in a way that stuck in my craw like most others don't. There was one moment in particular toward the end of the first section that I had to physically put the book down and walk away from to settle my stomach (though I was on two coffees and no lunch so take that with a grain of salt).
Overall this was a gruesome look into a world that I found genuinely fascinating. I would have loved more information about
If you have a strong stomach and a need for horror of the body and mind, this is an excellent read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Infertility, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic