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signeskov's review
dark
mysterious
medium-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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Blood, Sexual content, Body horror, Death, Fatphobia, Excrement, and Gore
Moderate: Body shaming and Sexual harassment
readingsofaslinky's review
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Holy bodily hell!! This book is not in fact like squid games unless you are imaging a giant gender less squid playing games with humanity. Yeah, that’s not what you thought, huh? I’d say this gave me more Jamaica Kincaid’s Girl meets Dostoyevsky’s Notes from the Underground meets Kang and Kodos from the Simpsons. Weird, queer, explicit, and thought provoking; I’m glad I was recommended to read this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Dysphoria, Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Body shaming, Excrement, and Sexual content
Minor: Fatphobia
wasabiapple's review
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Violence, Homophobia, Body horror, Body shaming, and Sexual content
octopus_smith's review
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Sexual content
foolishyetdangerousbooks's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Cannibalism, Body horror, Hate crime, Murder, Blood, Death, and Excrement
mimosaeyes's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
tense
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
4.5
A book about an alien hungry for human flesh and sex, who despises humans yet yearns to belong, is something that can be so personal, actually.
I had high hopes when I read the blurb, and they have been met and surpassed. This is body horror-ific speculative fiction that obliquely yet so effectively probes themes like queerness and disability. It's written in first person from the alien's point of view, and when they talk about being stared at in public or struggling with stairs or being afraid of discovery, it reads strikingly like a closeted or disabled person trying to get around and live their life.
Until the alien goes and graphically kills one of their casual hookups. Those scenes are actually a lot of fun to read. The unique voice of the alien puts you on their side right from the outset (and the confiding tone culminates wonderfully in the ending). There is a sense of strong physicality and unique images in the narration, which is complemented well by the black-and-white illustrations and the weirdly spaced words when the alien is in its natural form. Kudos to the translator, whose note at the end about adapting orthographic differences from the Korean is enlightening and really shows her love for the project.
I'm so glad I picked up this book! It's right up my alley and will stay with me for a while.
I had high hopes when I read the blurb, and they have been met and surpassed. This is body horror-ific speculative fiction that obliquely yet so effectively probes themes like queerness and disability. It's written in first person from the alien's point of view, and when they talk about being stared at in public or struggling with stairs or being afraid of discovery, it reads strikingly like a closeted or disabled person trying to get around and live their life.
Until the alien goes and graphically kills one of their casual hookups. Those scenes are actually a lot of fun to read. The unique voice of the alien puts you on their side right from the outset (and the confiding tone culminates wonderfully in the ending). There is a sense of strong physicality and unique images in the narration, which is complemented well by the black-and-white illustrations and the weirdly spaced words when the alien is in its natural form. Kudos to the translator, whose note at the end about adapting orthographic differences from the Korean is enlightening and really shows her love for the project.
I'm so glad I picked up this book! It's right up my alley and will stay with me for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, and Violence
scifi_rat's review
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, and Cursing
Minor: Blood and Cannibalism
applesodaperson's review
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book came highly recommended, and yeah it lived up to the hype. It was such an interesting commentary of society within such a weird framework. I loved the part talking about gender assumptions. And I also loved the part about how people judge those that don't walk the same as them, which was such a good commentary about ableism, accessibility, and the way society treats those with disabilities. I also highly highly recommend listening to this book in an audiobook form. The narrator did such a good job and really makes it feel like an alien is saying all the things in the book.
Listened to on Libby.
Listened to on Libby.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Hate crime
quirkykayleetam's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is not a book for most people.
It is violent and sexual and strange, inviting you to listen to a people-eating alien tell you their most intimate thoughts and actions while hiding and surviving on planet earth.
The experience should be alienating--and sometimes it is. Sometimes you have to reckon with the fact that you're talking to someone with 3 legs and almost 30 genitals who is unapologetic about who they are. But I also found myself connecting so closely with the narrator. They embodied so much of my fear and anger as an invisibly disabled person trying to live in a world where my physical body will always hold me down.
The end of this novella is sudden. It made me think and think and rethink.
This book shows you the monstrous in yourself and how you have been a monster to others. If you can handle the content, this is one I highly recommend.
It is violent and sexual and strange, inviting you to listen to a people-eating alien tell you their most intimate thoughts and actions while hiding and surviving on planet earth.
The experience should be alienating--and sometimes it is. Sometimes you have to reckon with the fact that you're talking to someone with 3 legs and almost 30 genitals who is unapologetic about who they are. But I also found myself connecting so closely with the narrator. They embodied so much of my fear and anger as an invisibly disabled person trying to live in a world where my physical body will always hold me down.
The end of this novella is sudden. It made me think and think and rethink.
This book shows you the monstrous in yourself and how you have been a monster to others. If you can handle the content, this is one I highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Murder, Dysphoria, Violence, Body horror, and Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Stalking, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War
ra22ouille's review
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wowow what a visceral exploration of queerness, ability, sex, gender, and monstrosity. Dolki Min crafted a horrific, disgusting alien that is also tender, beautiful, sexy, emotional, and made me feel such empathy and kindness towards the character. I really loved the limited first person POV and the depth of emotion that the text was able to probe with that perspective. The character was so complex and being in it's head was profound. It not only showed me how they were alienated in our world, but it also alienated me from the society I am home to. The kinship I felt with the alien forced me further outside of humanity and I pondered questions of homogeneity, queer and disabled assimilation, and solopsism in a world where you not only feel alone but are truly alone. Or, at least when you believe that you can only possibly be alone, until perhaps you aren't. How does that challenge your solitude, the solipsistic beliefs that propel your choices and your interior lofe? Truly, truly spectacular.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Blood, Sexual content, Body horror, and Violence