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poisoned_icecream's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Stalking, Homophobia, Gun violence, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Religious bigotry and Rape
readingpicnic's review
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Homophobia, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent
urlocalsleepparalysisdemon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Spoilers ahead, but I don't know if I need to tag certain parts as spoilers, so take that as you will. TLDR - I have found nothing redeemable about the experience of reading this schlock. There are elements of this novella which I find actively offensive and reductive of serious issues. I simply don't agree with some of the views presented, and I hate that these exact elements get praised in reviews. I will say my piece for, like, the 5 people who care.
I don't know how to possibly explain why I think this story sucks in a coherent way, so here are random notes I made, in no particular order. Some of these are petty, some are serious, and no one cares, so here I go:
1. This is not a "feminist" story. The main character(s) simply hate men, which is misandry, not feminism. Of course, there are specific reasons to hate the specific men in this story, but the overall view of the main character, which is not challenged in any way, is that men are just "bad" as a whole. There is no deeper thought about patriarchy and how men's and women's behaviours are shaped by it, but simply "men are the worst."
You can't girlboss your way into feminism, because you've been wronged by men,
2. The fetish film ring doesn't have a lot of significance in the story, there is no actual insight into its machinations, it's just a shallow plot device. The only reason it's used is because it allows for more "fucked up" or taboo backstories/plotlines, which is a poor reason to use such a setting in the first place.
3. I don't buy the emotional connections between the characters. I think this is because things move very quickly, but I don't get why these characters even like each other. Another reason for this is also possibly the fact that the protagonist is shallow. I had hopes in the beginning that there would be some depth to her character and we'll get to explore her complicated feelings about her abusive relationship. But she turned out to be quite delusional and just as empty as the other characters. She's honestly quite annoying, and much more privileged than she believes, which makes the pity parties she throws herself really unbelievable sometimes.
In the same line of thinking, her husband is ridiculous, I don't buy his motivations at all, and his actions are ludicrous. So are Ben's. Everybody in this story is a cardboard cutout that is driven around by the plot with little reason.
4. I hate the way the main character thinks about men,
On the other hand, she has sexual fantasies about men. Seemingly, her attraction only applies to these fantasy men, since real men can't live up to those ideals, because, remember - men are bad (apparently). This makes for a shitty representation of bisexuality and it would have been just as poor if she was just lesbian.
There is a real phenomenon of bisexual women feeling conflicted about their attraction to men and women. Regardless of whether the attraction skews towards women, or towards men (which for the record, doesn't matter, this sort of thing isn't quantifiable), there is the sense that relationships with women are more equal, more romantic, bordering on spiritually transcendental experiences, while those with men are burdened by power dynamics, toxicity and abuse. It gets summed up with "I love women and I tolerate my unfortunate attraction towards men."
I hate this line of thinking because it comes directly from patriarchal ideologies. There is so much wrong with the way men are viewed and treated in our society, and it's incredibly reductive to just wallow in self-pity, label men as the Big Bad, and call it a day. I simply do not have the expertise, the words, the time, and the resources (and also no one cares) to unravel the issues here.
All in all, I think this whole story is unnecessary. It has poor character writing and weak storytelling, and the novella has little to say about any of the issues it brings up
As I said in the beginning, it's schlock, and I do not give it any points as "horror," because horror as a genre is very much capable of being a brilliant vehicle for thoughtful exploration of serious topics, without being cheap and shocking for the sake of shocking. This is insulting as a piece of "horror" and it's insulting as a piece of fiction.
Skrew this thing, I wish I read something else instead.
Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, and Body horror
Moderate: Biphobia and Homophobia
nathiddles_106's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Body horror and Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent
killmoore_'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
3.0
The story is fascinating and escalates quickly, but feels fairly shallow and is lacking any of the real "sink your teeth in" substance that I yearn for.
I desperately want to know more about the Waifs, and where our friend Jameson truly comes from. I want to know more about Minces medical creations, and what the hell happens to Matt-creature. But more than anything, I'm left hungry for what comes next.
This was grotesque and dripping with feminist rage, with a lot of highlight points and conversation starters. A quick, enjoyable read that I knocked out in around an hour and a half.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, Body horror, Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
mackaroni's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Sexual assault and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Rape and Homophobia
another_dahlia's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Murder, Medical content, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Death, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Gore, Physical abuse, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Terminal illness, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Fatphobia, Biphobia, Cancer, Blood, Homophobia, and Body shaming
alegretto'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? It's complicated
3.5
The pacing was a problem for me. I know one can only put so much in 100 pages, but I feel some of the scenes and transitions would have been helped if the story had more room to breathe and make them more natural. As it stands, I felt as if I got some whiplash.
The writing and prose itself was lovely, but the pacing and complete change of almost everything in terms of tone and (to a lesser extent) themes ultimately left me a bit disappointed.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Biphobia, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Child abuse
whatchareadingheather's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
jarofbees's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, and Violence