Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Dead Inside

Not for the fainthearted, to put it lightly. The prose and approach to character is phenomenal. It goes without saying that the major themes of this book are cannibalism and necrophilia, and the author does not shy away from visceral descriptions of both acts.

This is my first splatterpunk book, and even though the majority of themes are met with revulsion the vast majority of character dynamics/situations negotitate with the severity in an appropriate matter, that is to say--appropriate for their subject manner. The protagonist is quite unlikable, and while there are dips in moments whereas you wonder whether the dislikability is intentional or just potentially reflective of an acidic actual personality of the author it mostly fits the story.

That is to be said, the most grotesque scene in this book (if you've read it, it's very obvious, the one about 2/3 to 3/4 through the book) is very clearly written to offend and due to its nature comes across more as shock jock tomfoolery than necessary revulsion. The last action taken in the scene by the characters is far too meta but for a book that is so meta-aware the text does nothing to indicate it understands that angle at this point in the story. As it stands, the concept of exploring humanity's dark psychological recesses is certainly possible but it will always reek of tryhardism if we simply rely on weak, ineffectual shock without any existential consequence.

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anxiouslyreading33's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

2.0

No just no up until page 100 I thought this book isnt that bad then page 100 happens and I just cant unless you are okay with necrophilia including that of a dead fetus stay far far away I'm physically ill

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jwvaughn's review against another edition

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dark sad 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? Yes

4.0

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voxvenati's review against another edition

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fast-paced

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

1.0

Hmm…where to start? I’ll say, I think the cover was gorgeous and tricked me into thinking this was going to have some real meat (ba dum tch) to it. Foolish of me. I did give it a single star instead of zero bc it was so fast to read, and I kept hoping it would get better.

Yes, there’s gore. Yes, there’s sex. Yes, there are shocking things! Was any of it done well? No.

There was no attempt at atmosphere and there were no vibes, so this didn’t even tip the scales of making me squeamish, or horrified. The main character sounds like he’s a little boy half the time. Even as satire, this just doesn’t have a lot to it. Where is the commentary? This is not a horror so much as an edgy comedy.

The prose was childish and some stylistic choices were annoying. Another reviewer summed it up perfectly:

This book is basically a teen edgelord trying to be edgy and shocking while broaching philosophical topics…The problem is the philosophy addressed is about as deep as a can of tuna…

If you want to read something for shock value’s sake with baby’s first examination of being a social outcast, fine. You do you. Check those trigger warnings and then check it out. But there’s not a whole lot going on here beyond a teenager’s edgy splatterpunk attempt at being deep. Go girl, give us nothing.

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jully_bean's review against another edition

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challenging 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? Yes

3.0

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peachieko's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

This book was so full of itself

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scaredy_bear's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Somehow I’m more upset by the MC’s “I’m not like other girls” vibe, throwing fits when called normal or told he still unfortunately is a part of society than by his nefarious deeds.

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jla's review against another edition

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dark funny fast-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? It's complicated

4.25

CW necrophilia, murder, cannibalism, pregnancy loss, abortion

Why does my libby app have this book?

This is what happens when you join your coworkers in a weird A** book club, leaving everyone to question their life choices.

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be laughing at this book this much. This book was like being in high school in the 90s and trying to shock each other with dead baby jokes and disgusting urban dictionary sex moves. I don't know why I liked the MC so much. Maybe I related to some of his anti-social behavior and misanthropy. Helen God help her. He's just not that into you. I enjoyed everything until the last 5% when it was predictable. </ spoiler>

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