Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

36 reviews

erikathered's review

dark sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

This novel may not appeal to everyone as it's written from a very particular perspective and for a very particular audience. But if you're within that audience, if you're interested in dark, tense fiction that explores trans experience through a new lens, you'll love this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Trafficking, Gore, Outing, Body horror, Transphobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Rape, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Grief, Blood, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Violence, Death, Cursing, Dysphoria, and War

Moderate: Suicide, Slavery, Fatphobia, Deadnaming, Toxic friendship, and Eating disorder

Minor: Self harm, Ableism, Colonisation, Cancer, Racism, Death of parent, and Terminal illness

meaghanelizabook's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

0.25

No.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gore, Murder, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Rape

Moderate: Alcohol, Deadnaming, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit

bites_of_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.25

An apocalypse book where a virus is triggered in people who have higher levels of testosterone, causing them to become feral beasts.

This is a book where the author has zero sympathy for the reader, they describe everything in raw and gory detail and hold back nothing. The atmosphere is rich in the toxic nature of the characters and also the general anxiety that it is to live in a world where various groups of people are trying to survive. We follow Fran and Beth, two trans women who are trying to survive in a world where they hunt men who have turned feral in order to harvest their organs for selling and also to acquire the hormones they need to avoid turning into these feral beasts. To top that, they also need to be wary of a group of TERFs who are building an army, trying to be the new law of the land. 

I highly encourage you to read and listen to trans reviewers since a lot of the book is from that perspective. Trans experiences are not represented in literature enough and even less in horror so this book is highly valuable because it does put those experiences front and center. 

The overall plot of the book jumped around a bit too much for my liking, it seemed like the first half of the book was about one thing while the second half focused on something completely different. While our main characters arcs do take precedence, there were a couple of other characters that came in and out of the story never fully solidifying their connection to the main characters.

I'd highly recommend checking all the content warnings, if you do want to venture into this book. I'd say that if you like apocalypse stories with a completely different perspective, full of gore that doesn't hold back, this might be the book for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Gore, Grief, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, War, Antisemitism, Body horror, Cannibalism, Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Deadnaming, Death, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Outing, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Slavery, Transphobia, and Violence

earnthefuture's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.0

 I'll start by saying that I am a cis, heterosexual man, so I'm not really the target audience for this book (which is okay!). Also, I am intentionally not referring or considering the author's alleged harassment of other LGBTQIA+ authors in my review. I don't really find it relevant nor do I care to involve myself in that issue.

Manhunt is a harrowing experience. I was so invested in main characters that the terrible things that happened to them affected me deeply, and kept me thinking about the realistic potential for such cruelty to occur in reality. Fran, Beth, Indi, and Ramona (the four characters we get the most insight into) are deeply complex; they each have their own needs and desires, but also realistically commit heinous acts in pursuit of their goals (moral or otherwise). 

The action and violence is appropriately brutal, but that said, I needed to take frequent breaks when reading this novel. The brutality and cruelty with which some characters treat others is grim yet realistic, so it is important to know before you read that the experience will not be enjoyable. Be that as it may, in my opinion, this novel is essential reading for forming a broader outlook on trans issues. 

The sexuality of the characters is also thoroughly examined. Some may find the graphic detail of these sex scenes distasteful, but my approach was to understand that I am but a guest in the house of this novel's perspective. Despite the scenes' intensity and graphic nature, a through-line of tenderness and vulnerability extends through all of them. 

4/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Dysphoria, Grief, Body shaming, Violence, Homophobia, Vomit, Death, Torture, War, Blood, Genocide, Gore, Body horror, Rape, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Transphobia, Murder, and Suicide

Moderate: Deadnaming

devynvictoria's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Dysphoria, Hate crime, Outing, Violence, Body horror, Blood, Death, and Transphobia

Moderate: Death of parent, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Torture, and Deadnaming

Minor: Infertility

dianadisaster's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Death, Transphobia, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Torture, Dysphoria, Rape, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Vomit, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Deadnaming and Animal death

nixieba25f's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Cannibalism, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Outing, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, War, Ableism, Blood, Confinement, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Bullying, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Cultural appropriation

laurenkimoto's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

This book is unhinged, violent, vulgar, provocative, and wild in the best way possible. 
This dystopian/horror is the first one I have really enjoyed in a long time.
I will be thinking about this book until the apocalypse comes 

Very minor spoiler: JKR gets her comeuppance.    

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Biphobia, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Classism, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Violence, Transphobia, Trafficking, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Outing, and Medical content

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Drug use, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Racism, and Self harm

emmague89's review

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Grief, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Fatphobia, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Biphobia, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Transphobia, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Self harm, Mass/school shootings, Gore, Genocide, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cannibalism, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, War, Vomit, Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Rape, Racial slurs, Racism, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, and Death of parent

crookedspines's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

5.0

perhaps the best book I’ve read in the last decade, and definitely one of the best I’ve ever read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Outing, Murder, Hate crime, Body horror, Blood, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Fatphobia, Transphobia, Death, Physical abuse, and Body shaming

Moderate: Abortion, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Animal cruelty

This is a pro-trans book that does not look away from or sanitize what transphobia looks like. This is a post-apocalyptic zombie-hunting type story and the gore is very explicit. There is a fat character who has a lot of self-hating feelings about her body and it is described by others with this same bite on occasion. As someone who is often triggered by most of this, I feel like because it was wrapped up in this intense world, I could trudge through it. But if you are actively struggling with body image, gender dysphoria, dysmorphia, or other similar concerns or are very very squeamish, this is definitely not the book for you.