Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

217 reviews

babayagareads's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.25

I don't think I'm going to make a habit of recommending this read. There are some jarring plot movements without transitional context. 

I'd also add that some of the quirks were a little too on the nose - like naming the ship the Galbraith. That would have been fine individually, but including that detail after specifically killing off Rowling in a side story was a little much. And I'm not a J.K. person either - it's more to say that one of those details would have been a more pure add to the plot and story, whereas both seems too pointed.

This book is definitely not for the weak-stomached.

I'm content with having read this piece, but it's not one that I'm going to recommend to others. If you're thinking of reading something that is going to make you uncomfortable, go ahead. 

The biggest content warning I've got is also a spoiler: very early in this book there is

one of the most graphic anal/yussy rape scenes I've ever encountered in a book or movie.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

You want to feel uncomfortable? This book has it all!

alienguy's review against another edition

the author's barely disguised fetishes just felt gross. none of the story elements were playing well together. i think all horror should be tempered with comedy, but this just felt like trauma porn with a few badly timed, disturbing jokes. 

i think all stories about trans people are important. i'll fiercely defend this book's existence, but it's absolutely not for me, lmfao 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Pandemic/Epidemic

glorifiedloveletters's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

5 stars because I'll be thinking about this one for a long time. I mean, yes, sometimes my toes were quite literally curling at some of violence/body horror, since that's not always my taste, and while I get that everyone is looking for release and escape from this difficult world they find themselves in, wow is everyone horny, but fine. If everyone and everything is trying to kill you somehow, you gotta get that good feeling where you can. I'm not judging, even if I'm an old who'd probably be more interested in stealing sleep where I could.

But all that gory detail is sort of... refreshing, in a way? I tire of apocalyptic stories that dance around the bone-deep difficulty of staying alive and instead focus on, I dunno, trite romance and neat labels. All the characters in this book are complicated and allowed to be difficult. Why should these trans women be some sort of model minority just because they are the protagonists? They have far bigger things to worry about — like feral man-creatures, militarized TERF gangs, and "I'm one of the good ones!" cis girls who would sell you to Satan for a proverbial corn chip. Damn, just give a gal a crossbow and let's get moving.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Outing, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Trafficking

Minor: Deadnaming

cloulesss's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

weirdassfanta's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I have no words. This was such a great book in so many different ways, exploring all of the struggles that trans people go through. Had a great plot while conveying real life issues. Books like this aren’t seen as often as they’re needed to.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Miscarriage and Grief

Minor: Self harm and Cannibalism

djvuuu's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Transphobia, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

chelbawamba's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

2.5

Just wasn’t for me! The writing style and pace were confusing with massive time jumps that I didn’t realise had happened and had to keep going back and trying to find what I missed. There was also a lack of character and relationship development, with lots of new characters introduced towards the end. There are also constant explicit, rough sex scenes which isn’t a “bad” thing, just not my cup of tea.

I definitely see why there are people that love this book. I love a lot of weird gross unhinged horror books. Just not this one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

mirandyli's review

adventurous dark funny sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

Trippy and macabre take on an apocalyptic dystopia where too much testosterone turns people into cannibalistic zombies. Told from the perspective of a group of trans folks, which is a very interesting take. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Infertility, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

specklecommittee's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Outing, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Medical content, and Dysphoria

erindb's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Cancer, Genocide, Gun violence, Infertility, Slavery, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Police brutality