Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

20 reviews

optimisms's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• 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

4.0

This book is hard to review. There's a lot of competing factors in my mind when it comes to how I feel about this book. First, I watched the movie before reading the book; it was actually the reason I read the book, and I think it's such a fantastic adaptation that I would rather rewatch the movie than reread the book. Second, even if I hadn't watched the movie, I've watched enough Youtube video essays on feminism in film to know the big twist, so there was very little shock factor for me. And third, while I think this book was written extremely well, I don't really...love it. I can't put my finger on why – there was nothing that jumped out as being completely contrary to my tastes. It's an undeniable page turner, and even knowing what would happen, I read 95% of it in one day. I think the writing is phenomenal, and it feels like we're reading the inner thoughts of two distinct but intelligent writers. The characters are detestable but they are both so unique and complex to remain interesting no matter how much they disgust you. The pacing is a bit slow but everything feels deliberate, every new bit of information or small twist coming exactly when it was needed. Even though I knew the twist, I still felt the tension building and wanted to keep reading to see how it all fell apart, and I imagine that if I didn't know what was coming, I would've been completely torn about what to believe and expect. It was truly a great book! But I can't bring myself to rate it higher than 4 stars because there's just something about it that didn't completely do it for me. (I still plan to read more Gillian Flynn, though, because wow, can she write!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Body horror

Moderate: Confinement, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Cancer, Sexual violence, Gore, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, and Rape

Minor: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Incest, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Dementia, and Stalking

thereaderfriend's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

4.75

Loved the suspense, the tension, the unreliability and many plot twists. Even liked the use of unlikable and unredeemable characters in this. Just felt the ending was off so I'm knocking my score for it but it's probably the best thriller I've read. Definitely read the trigger warnings before reading the book. There were a lot. Take heed with them. Tried to get them all but may have missed a few.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Blood, and Infidelity

Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Self harm, Sexism, Alcohol, Body horror, Confinement, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Pregnancy, Stalking, Vomit, Gaslighting, Infertility, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders

maloriblake's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Stalking, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Self harm, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Domestic abuse

becca_w_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Fatphobia and Pedophilia

Minor: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

haleyscomet_'s review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Violence

idunnoknow's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

she really girlbossed

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Murder

morganegrant's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Vomit, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Self harm, Rape, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse

blossomclouds's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

I'm ten thousand years late on reading this book, but I finally did it and I finally loved it.

I knew the framework of this story before I read it and yet, I was still surprised by it, and that is a true compliment. The writing style is immersive and very easy to get into. The narrative was compact and neat. 

It was an amazingly fascinating story, is all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death of parent and Miscarriage

readsandrants's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Well I have to give it to Gillian Flynn, she created a cast of characters that I throughly despised. There were multiple times that I wrote in the margins that I wanted to burn the book because it was just making me feel too many different things that I hated.
There’s a user on goodreads who perfectly explained exactly how I feel about this book but I’ll briefly explain it here: amy is so perfect you want to puke,

the couple goes from “I love you” to “I hate you and I’m framing you for my murder” and “I hate you and I’m constantly thinking about killing you”

, the couple is just really irritating in general, and the ending makes you want to throw your book at a wall.

I thought the whole time that maybe Justice would be served but we got a baby instead.
And the fact that Amy was so methodical and well planed but suddenly she’s robbed, believes that two faked interviews are real and that her husband loves her, AND is basically held captive by desi (she couldn’t leave the house because he had the password for the gate, but I acknowledge she wasn’t held “captive” in the way she claims).

It was just really frustrating to see how this entire book played out in the end.
Nonetheless, I think this was a good read, albeit a quite frustrating one, but I think that was kind of the purpose of it. I just felt like there was some loose ends that personally I needed to be tied up before it ended.
3 ⭐️ 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cancer, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

annabel_lee's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts