Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Reprieve by James Han Mattson

27 reviews

frmeden's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Racism, Homophobia, Gore, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Death of parent

bebidocrimes's review

dark emotional reflective tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

The summary for this book, while not exactly misleading, is a lot flashier than what is presented in text. A murder happens in a full contact haunted escape room, but the real meat of the story is the characters' backgrounds, and what led each of them into this situation. It takes a look at the toxicity of sexism, racial fetishism, and entitlement. I really enjoyed the concept of the Quigley House as a whole, even if I'm too chicken to set foot in a place like that, and I'm imagining how vindicated the characters who condemned the attraction from the beginning must feel. Overall, a good read even if it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Death, and Grief

Minor: Alcohol, Car accident, Death of parent, and Body horror

megwilli's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Racism and Alcohol

emily_koopmann's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Racism, and Misogyny

alouette's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

what a strange amalgamation of plots. not my style of book anyways, just a "hey what's an audiobook available immediately for this bus ride"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Gore

sammies_shelf's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Violence

Moderate: Blood and Gore

pleasereadittome's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Gore, and Sexism

Moderate: Sexual content

mmccombs's review

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

This was a very surprising read in that it was much more character-driven than I expected. Like, it is still a horror novel, but it is also much more than that. While some of the plot/character connections were a bit too convenient or tenuous, I thought it was just incredibly clever and thematically impactful. You get the gross gory thing that is horror filled fun, but it goes much deeper, turning the genre on its head and asking bigger questions about proximity to whiteness, power, and who should even be represented in horror at all. And the ending felt a bit unresolved, but I actually really enjoyed the openness of it. I could understand why some people are let down, expecting more of a straightforward horror novel, but the depth and heart of this story makes it all the more compelling. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Murder, and Racism

kimberlyds's review

dark reflective slow-paced

• 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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Gore and Sexual content

queergoth_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

I was definitely expecting something different when I started this book. If I had realised it was more literary I don't think I would have been as disappointed as I was with this. 

Overall I think it was a good book but it wasn't really a horror and my expectations were all wrong. I didn't find sympathy for any of the characters except maybe Kendra and think she could have done this a bit more at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, Gore, Blood, and Misogyny

Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, and Homophobia

Minor: Body shaming and Fatphobia