Reviews

Didn't hit quite as hard as Tell Me I'm Worthless, but still an exceptional body horror

The fox scene (iykyk) is genuinely one of the most disgusting things I've ever read.

Content Warnings

bookwormdystopian2's review against another edition

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challenging dark fast-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

smcaleerforte's review against another edition

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I —

I have no idea what to rate this… 🫣

chronikle's review against another edition

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2.0

I read the majority of this on a train (ill-advised) and looked so disconcerted and/or ill at one part that a crewmember asked if I was okay.

Extreme horror is not really my thing as a reader. That said, I saw this on a bookshelf in a store, and it immediately gave me brain worms about it until I went back and bought it the other day. Won't be rereading it or recommending it to anyone else (because my friends are also not really extreme horror readers), but I do think Rumfitt's focus on contemporary Britain and the rise of fascism (in its myriad forms, but particularly TERFism) is really interesting as a concept, both here and in her earlier work, Tell Me I'm Worthless.

I do kind of wish the brainwyrms had been more prominent earlier in the book, however. I feel like it took a long time to get to where we were going, and then it kind of just ran face-first into a wall and left me feeling a little like Oh. Was that it? That said, the ending reminds me a lot of both Brian Yuzna's Society and Frank Herbert's Dune combined into a horrible baby, so I didn't hate it.

If you are gonna check it out--Rumfitt helpfully supplies content warnings at the start of the book, and I would strongly advise you heed those warnings.

saturn_rage's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.0

Fucking hell this stressed me out. I originally started it months ago, read about the first third, and took a prolonged indefinite break due to the anxiety it brewed in me. Anyhow, on returning I finished it in two days, so take that for what you will.

The stream-of-consciousness that is much of this book works well for the characters and the subject matter, and also gives you a sense of the existential anxiety lacing the entire narrative, something that seeps into you the reader as well (at least for me). Anyhow, I did like this, though it comes with a whole load of content warnings and my stomach is pretty strong. It taps into some parts of me that I should explore more, and is very topical given the current climate I am struggling to exist in.

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