Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt

30 reviews

anxiousnachos's review against another edition

challenging dark

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Incest, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, Abortion, Blood, Pedophilia, Dysphoria, Excrement, and Gore

djbobthegirl's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Incest, Misogyny, Deadnaming, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Confinement, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Child death, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Blood, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Mental illness, Violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Self harm, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Trafficking, Alcohol, Abortion, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Stalking

fuathling's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

2.75

Perhaps I'm still processing this book but in all honestly I can't give it more than a lukewarm review.

If you're looking for something to cringe over, to grimace at while reading due to the sheer abundance of grotesque, stomach-churning filth mounted on the pages: it's a book worthy of conversation. 

After reading this I found myself wishing I knew someone else who had just so that we could both stare at each other and collectively chant "what the fuck". 

Alison seems to depict transphobia as a disease-- which isn't altogether a poor depiction; but fails to tie her story together in a way that really feels concrete.

I finished this story envisioning a loosely knotted ball of dripping gore with no real core plot tying it all together. It seems to unravel at the end in a sort of "yes, its just more gross stuff" way that doesn't feel at all satisfying and instead left me going "huh???"

I wasn't disappointed but I wasn't impressed, either.

The book is chalk full of fucked up scenes, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone triggered by transphobic, dysphoric, or sexual scenarios. There's a lot to be flagged about this book, but if you can handle it-- I suggest reading it with a friend: that way you at least have someone as equally confused as you are by the end of it all.

I get the overlying message, but I failed to find the real satisfaction of a book well written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Body horror, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Violence, Murder, and Sexual violence

ee_comins's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexism, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Transphobia, Torture, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Addiction, Hate crime, Incest, Medical trauma, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Suicide, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts

grimdark_dad's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Eating disorder, Incest, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Body shaming, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Gore, Rape, Child abuse, Transphobia, Excrement, Fatphobia, and Vomit

jessnrusso's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Vomit, Biphobia, Blood, Drug use, Self harm, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Transphobia, Body horror, Cursing, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Addiction, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, Excrement, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

catatlanta's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Dysphoria, Body horror, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Rape, Classism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Gore, Outing, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Blood, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

joy_ong's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Dysphoria, Violence, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Vomit, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Excrement, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Incest, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

ribbenkast's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Had to sit with this book for quite while before settling on the 5⭐ rating. 

This book is loud, its metaphores anything but subtle. It's vile, and it absolutely demands your attention. often times horror writers are in a competition to write the grossest thing out there just for the sake of it. This book is gross and nauseating but uses that to make it's point and it makes it point well. I couldn't put it down. It's not for everyone, but it definitely was the book for me. 

Despite the book's subject and message, Allison Rumfitt shows off some amazing writing skills. They way she utelizes different perspectives, breaks the 4th wall, uses punctuation, all of it should be studied by any aspiring writer no matter which genre. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Infertility, Mass/school shootings, Child abuse, Confinement, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Classism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, and Dysphoria

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.5

Unapologetically disgusting and unflinching in its commentary against the spread of transphobia, this novel is a riveting example of how pain and fear can disrupt the minds and growth of those unfortunate to be infected

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Death, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Excrement, Gore, Murder, Rape, Deadnaming, Infertility, Medical content, Violence, Body shaming, Transphobia, Blood, Cursing, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Torture, and Vomit

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Ableism, Outing, Suicide, Child death, Classism, Incest, Addiction, Confinement, Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment

Minor: Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Racism, Animal death, Stalking, and Antisemitism

Be aware that this is frank depictions of parasitic infestations with human bodies, urine, water sports, scat-play, anal sex, cyberbullying, online harassment, bombing, terrorism, eating and inserting excrement, fisting, running away from home, homicide, and extreme TERF behaviour.