Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Audition by Ryū Murakami

28 reviews

ireneac's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, and Animal cruelty

lulsycc's review

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Body horror, and Child abuse

Moderate: Gore, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Minor: Misogyny

readingsofaslinky's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Animal death, Violence, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Body horror, Cancer, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Murder, Bullying, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Stalking

stephanieluxton's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

This book starts out a little slowly and then definitely builds up a sense of dread. A friend once told me that you don't know if you're in a horror story or a romance until you've already made at least one bad decision and that idea really summarizes this book. The end is very violent and intense. I would have rated it harder if

there wasn't a very graphic and unnecessary torture and murder of an innocent dog. </Spoiler>

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Torture, Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug use, and Grief

There's a very graphic scene of a

dog being tortured and killed, and a man having his foot cut off.

There's one sex scene and it's reasonably graphic.

akira_outofthegravity's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I support women’s rights, I also support women’s wrongs.

Similar to Piercing, this book focuses more on the build up to the climax than on the actual climax itself. It’s a well written critique of misogyny in modern Japan, and while I started feeling sorry for Aoyama his attitude towards women reflected by himself and Shige made me worry less about him over time. 

I really enjoyed it! I preferred Piercing both story wise and also gore wise, but I’m glad I read this and I’m excited to watch the film too!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Murder, Sexual content, Body horror, Blood, Misogyny, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Incest, Cursing, Death, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, and Emotional abuse

flowtjo's review

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

It's... Okay! I was hoping for more to be honest. The slow burn at the start made me feel like I was in for a thriller or something more psychological. But the ending was just a gorefest, and the motive for the antagonist is kind of... Meh? The violence comes out of nowhere and it feels shovelled in. The ending was way way too short and too fast - when I realised how little I had left, I assumed the victim was going to die and that would be that. Might've been slightly better if they had 🙃

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Body horror, and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault and Child abuse

enchantressreads's review

dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

I want to start off by saying this book is not for everyone.  It's definitely a slow burn with a traumatic ending. I wouldn't say to continue it if you're not enjoying it, but it is worth it.

Aoyama is a widowed father of his teenage son, Shige.  Shige has noticed that his dad may be lonely, and suggests marrying again.  Aoyama, who owns a video production company, confides this with his friend and business partner Yashikawa, who tells him in order to find the perfect woman, he needs to hold an audition.

The audition soon ends up with thousands of applicants, and Aoyama needs to reduce it to thirty.  As he's looking at the applications carefully, one photo catches his eye.  Her name is Asami Yamasaki.  When he reads on, she looks perfect.  Young, sweet, enjoys music and the finer things, and has gone through trauma in the past that has helped her grow into who she is today.  He knows he doesn't want to see any of the girls auditions except for Asami's.  He soon asks her out on a date, but he's blinded by her beauty and her grace.

I started reading Audition because I've always been recommended the movie adaptation.  I usually like to go into an adaptation having already read the book.  I went in pretty blind, and didn't really know much of the plot beyond the audition itself.  I think that was best for me.  It's a slice-of-life type novel, where you follow Asami and Aoyama as they learn about each other.  This is where it can seem boring.  And to be fair, it kind of is.  But once you've finished the book, it makes more sense and hits a little bit harder.

I enjoyed Audition, and I also enjoyed the movie adaptation.  The book shows more about their internal thoughts, while the movie shows more of the darker side of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Self harm

corviddays's review against another edition

dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Animal death, Gore, and Violence