Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - Bride of the Tornado

Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Bride of the Tornado by James Kennedy

6 reviews

youngloveleroy's review

tense fast-paced

3.5

"I'm nobody. Who are you?"

This book was something. It was weird, and I wanted to know where it was going. And I don't think I understood everything it was about.

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bravokidroxy's review

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challenging dark mysterious 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

3.75

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a_novel_craving's review against another edition

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dark tense 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? No

1.5

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cilantropigeon's review

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I could not put down this book and finished it in two days. I enjoyed how the absurdity and pageantry of tradition, aspects of religion, and small-town/community/cult mob mentality were broken down and regurgitated through the densely terrifying and kaleidoscopic horror of this world.

It looks like there are a ton of interpretations on what this novel may be about, and I may come back to this review later when I inevitably think about this story more, but this is my current take on Bride of the Tornado after finishing it just 20 minutes ago:
The girl

was a sort of tragic chosen-one figure who

desperately wanted to get away from her little world, but simultaneously was drawn to it and goaded on by forces beyond her from both within and just beyond the outskirts of her town.

She became the town’s sacrificial lamb in the face of a eldritch and sinister evil.

To me, this was maybe supposed to be symbolic of how easy it is to become trapped in the familiar systems you resent the most, and how destructive cycles can reign in isolation and fear. I also think the

sentient tornadoes (and their destructive, reactive, and soul-sucking nature)

seemed symbolic of the ways violent and misogynistic traditions are venerated and replicated in the name of tradition alone.

I found some aspects of the plot a little predictable at times, which is why I’m rating it a 4/5, but ultimately I really enjoyed this book and will continue to think about it and its ending.

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coleslawcowgirl's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

I picked this book up having no idea what to expect and ended up very surprised and in no way disappointed.

It's definitely grotesque, especially as the novel picks up so be warned – it only gets weirder and more violent. If you are looking for a cut-and-dry tale of a teen girl experiencing the mystery and terror of her hometown, this isn't for you. Fueled by existential dread, a sense of wrongness, the little voice in your brain that tells you not to trust your gut even though you really probably should, and writing that lends itself delightfully to the horror genre, this novel was a weird-ass winner for me.

I don't generally seek out horror and am pretty unfamiliar with Stephen King and David Lynch but the best comparison I can make is AHS Murder House meets AHS Asylum. If the horrors those shows explore, and the way that they do it, aren't for you, skip this one.

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oldandnewbooksmell's review

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated

3.0

In a small, midwestern town, the adults whisper about “Tornado Day”, something a high school sophomore has never heard of. At the Tornado Day’s assembly, she sees the tornado killer for the first time. Drawn to boy, she begins to feel a connection between them. But the adults are hiding a secret about the tornados and she must escape before the secrets dig in and claim her.

So one of my goals this year (as with every year, really) is to try and branch out of my standard historical adult fiction and YA. I was born and raised in the Midwest and tornadoes were almost like a block party for us because we were the only ones of our friends and family in the immediate area that had a basement. I think that’s why I was kind of drawn to this book.

This story was a ride and it will definitely keep you guessing as to what in the world is going on

though some questions you probably won’t get the answer to

The storytelling in this was vivid, and I could “see” what was happening, or what the narrator was talking about - though sometimes it jumped around from showing to just telling and that would throw me off. There was also a lot more gore than I was expecting in it, but it is horror, so I feel like I probably should have expected what there was.

The first ¾ of the book really held my interest, but the last quarter had me lost and I ended up having to reread a lot. I would get confused on the POVs as well as what was overall happening. It would also really switch up the way it is written (again, that telling vs showing).

Overall, it was a fun read. It was something different and I still enjoyed it (even the uncomfortable gorey parts). It’s a bit of a hard book to explain but, I can still see myself recommending it to those who like fast-paced creepy horror/thrillers.

*Thank you Quick Books and NetGalley for a digital advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

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