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breacommelafromage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
Graphic: Incest, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
kentanapages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Hate crime, Incest, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Vomit, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Excrement, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Chronic illness, and Pedophilia
Minor: Body shaming, Ableism, Deadnaming, Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Animal death, and Dysphoria
Weird, There’s not a content warning specific to “graphically depicted parasite fetish” :)gilroi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Weird, lyrical, unhinged, whip-smart, extremely painful. This book is difficult to describe, but that's a compliment; it's complex and refuses to compromise, while still having highly engaging and readable prose. Most experimental / poetic novels are a little too obtuse for me, but Rumfitt's eye for prose and person always sits well.
In the end, I think I liked it less than Tell Me I'm Worthless, though I don't really think that's the book's fault. While it begins with (helpful!) content warnings, it doesn't really go into enough detail for me (I'm fine with books not having content warnings, for the record, but this book's CWs were a bit vague). In the end, it dwelled on subjects I personally find incredibly gross. Not morally suspect, not bad, not wrong, just, for me, subjectively, gross. And that will inevitably make me like a book less, no matter how well it's written.
And Brainwyrms is incredibly, startlingly well written. It's at least as good as Tell Me I'm Worthless, perhaps better in how it expands its scope and aims. The book has a lot more to say on a wide range of issues, but still hits the topic home. If you disliked the unsubtlety and long rambly prose style of TMIW, though, this book is similar. Personally, I find that a success; I love Rumfitt's work and her style.
Graphic: Gore, Fatphobia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Drug use, Death, and Excrement
Content warning for graphic scat, water sports, bugs / parasites, parasitic infection.