Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

46 reviews

kalira's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

What a very well-written horror (story? experience? yes?); it was also a well-done slope that had me cringily anticipating Bad Things, easing up and even laughing, thinking it wouldn't be so horrific after all, and then . . . hooboy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and Body horror

Moderate: Blood, Gore, and Death

Minor: Alcoholism

eye trauma, finger/hand trauma (self-inflicted and not)

aechpea's review

dark hopeful fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide, Torture, Body horror, and Self harm

samanders13's review

dark funny tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Self harm, Violence, Medical trauma, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization

cosmicpanda's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Self harm, Suicide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Slavery, Police brutality, and Torture

Moderate: Murder and Medical content

theyellowbrickreader's review

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

whatthegayle's review

adventurous dark mysterious 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

“Everything always comes down to those two choices: stay down or stand up.”

I listened to this book on audible and honestly I think I enjoyed it more listening to it than if I read it. 

I loved the journey the main character went through and how it changed her. The horror elements were very well done and I loved the idea behind this book.

There’s always something creepy about seeing places that are usually so full be empty and dark.

I love how in the end, Amy is offered the one thing she wanted and turned it down. It shows how she changed. Also love how Basil and her both came back at the end to try and free their lost coworkers

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Torture, Body horror, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Suicide

mj452's review

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Blood, Death, Gore, Suicide, Vomit, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, and Medical content

Minor: Misogyny, Alcohol, and Sexual content

astrangewind's review

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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

As an avid IKEA fan, I found the premise of Horrorstor to be captivating. Orsk is a perfect reflection of the home-goods-paradise-slash-capitalistic-hellscape that does resemble a panopticon, in some ways. 

There's a lot of subtle horror in this kind of labyrinthine store that Hendrix explores. For example,

Matt and Amy getting turned around in the showrooms, the fake doors opening impossibly into long concrete hallways, and the general eerieness of being in an empty store at night

. However, I wish the book remained this subtle. I wish I came out of it with a quiet, haunted feeling that follows me when I go to an IKEA-like store. Instead...

I got ghosts

. To his credit, Hendrix tried to humanize the more boring parts

such as the bit with the ectoplasm pouring out of Trinity's mouth

, but the whole trope of "structure is on top of a place where a bunch of people died" is a little bit lame. 

I did like the ending, though. Good character development, good creep factor. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement

Moderate: Torture and Suicide

Minor: Death, Drug use, Slavery, Excrement, and Blood

meaghanelizabook's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Vomit, Murder, and Excrement

ethen_rey's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail