Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

To Be Devoured by Sara Tantlinger

18 reviews

stephanieluxton's review

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

If Fight Club and Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke had a baby, it would be this book.

I think the synopsis of this book is both misleading and too direct. Here's a better summary of the basic plot:

This book is about a troubled young woman who develops and deep fascination with vultures that turns into an obsession. This story follows her as she becomes more and more unhinged.

This book is very different and I loved it way more than I expected to. The reason I enjoyed it so much is that the writing itself is very good. The subject matter is macabre and even quite gross at times but it's written in a way that's so poetic (in a similar way to how the writing in fight club is interesting).

Would I recommend this book? Not to everyone. It's definitely a weird book and I know many people would find it offputting. But if you're looking for something unique, poetic, and enjoy a semi-unreliable narrarator that becomes more unhinged as the story goes on, this is a good one for you.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Car accident, Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Death

Moderate: Cannibalism and Vomit

Minor: Infidelity

Our MC breaks into the neighbours barn and kills and eats a baby piglet raw. Then throws it up later. This scene is both sad because it's a poor animal, but also it's gross.

There's one fairly explicit sex scene between two women.

Our MC shoots her neighbour, killing him, then cuts him up to feed him to the vultures.

The MC eats raw and rotten meat.

theliteraryhooker's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

This remains one of my top 5 favourite books. The writing is so, so, SO GOOD! Equal parts beautiful and disgusting, with scenes that were still burned into my memory from my first read back in 2019. This book is just a horrifying and gorgeously written descent into madness, and I devoured (get it?) every word.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gore, Child death, Death of parent, Suicide, Vomit, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Animal death, and Mental illness

Minor: Homophobia and Racism

booksnbones13's review

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

5.0

stunning novella. great horror 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Mental illness, Cannibalism, Gore, Grief, Animal death, Body horror, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, and Vomit

hen800's review

dark medium-paced

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

3.5

A really effective, depraved horror. Poetically written - but I didn’t find the main character’s obsession with vultures that believable, as we’re thrust into extreme thoughts from the start. Would’ve been more believable if the descent into obsession was slower, so it felt less like a gross-out horror that just intended to shock.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Vomit, Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, Death, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Grief and Death of parent

hayleyw's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Cannibalism, Body horror, Torture, Grief, Mental illness, Vomit, Murder, Car accident, Sexual content, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Violence, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Death, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual harassment

keddy4306's review against another edition

dark 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

HAHAHA only read this to induce vomiting

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Child death, Violence, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, Gaslighting, Body horror, Suicide, Cannibalism, Vomit, Mental illness, Murder, Blood, and Toxic relationship

ennzito24's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. Some parts made me very uncomfortable and others had be completely encapsulated. I just couldn't put the book down! Expect lots of gross scenes and very dark undertones as you dwelve into the mind of a woman obsessed with vultures.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Blood, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Violence, Death, Gore, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Cannibalism, Torture, and Animal death

dosxhime's review

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Death, Cannibalism, Animal death, and Suicide

wyabook234's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Racial slurs

offtheraels's review

dark fast-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Vomit, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cannibalism, Child death, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Racism