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reading_rogue13's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Cannibalism, Body horror, Gun violence, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Medical content
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Body horror, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Cannibalism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Car accident, Medical content, Violence, Mental illness, Child death, Deportation, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Vomit, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Homophobia
lordslag's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Cannibalism, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia
midgereads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Cannibalism, Blood, Violence, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Body horror, Death, Grief, Confinement, Murder, Alcohol, Cursing, Gun violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Sexism
Minor: Deadnaming and Transphobia
bubblepricks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
a lil cheeky, a lil horny, & a lil gory- I really enjoyed flying through this book & I would read more about the word of Hollow people.
ALSO the paperback print comes with a list of content warnings at the very beginning- thank you Kayla!
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Confinement, Blood, Cannibalism, Sexism, Alcohol, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Drug use, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic
cuteasamuntin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I found myself wishing this book was a little longer and a little more slowly paced so I could explore the world more (and maybe get a better feel for any characters so they would feel more three-dimensional and real). The queer rep was pretty cool, and I appreciated the author’s use of gender-inclusive language throughout.
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Blood, Body horror, and Sexism
Moderate: Death, Gore, Grief, Abandonment, Cannibalism, and Murder
Minor: Deadnaming
taelights's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The book was predictable and cheesy, but not even in a fun way. Plus I HATED all the scenes with Cole. The only thing worse than a love triangle is when one love interest is a woman and the other is a man. It makes the love triangle trope 10× more unbearable. Like I am all for characters being bi and having bi rep. But there is a difference between mentions of them being bi or finding a man attractive vs full het makeout and flirting scenes which I don't want to read in a book that was marketed as having a sapphic romance thanks. Like the amount of content between Zoey with Cole was about equal to that with Celeste when I only cared about the Celeste x Zoey content.
Graphic: Cannibalism, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Death, Murder, Gore, Body horror, Confinement, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness, Deadnaming, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Transphobia
Death of Family Member, Death of Sibling, Death of grandparent, Drugging, Needlesitsalina's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, Blood, Body horror, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Murder, Transphobia, and Death
Minor: Sexual content, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Sexism
chymerra's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- Alcohol Consumption by Minors: Zoey, Celeste, Valeria, and Jasmine drink constantly throughout the book. They are served at bars set up at the festival also.
- Anxiety Disorders: It is mentioned throughout the book that Celeste and Zoey have anxiety. Also, Jessica and Valeria have anxiety because of what they went through during the Hollowing.
- Blood: There is a lot of blood in this book. Seeing that it is a zombie book, I would have been surprised if there wasn’t blood.
- Gore: There is a lot of gore throughout This Delicious Death. The explicit scenes happen during each girl’s flashback to the Hollowing, Cole’s flashback, Valeria’s feral scenes, and the scenes in Facility B.
- Body Horror: There are quite a few scenes where the author graphically describes the girls eating synthetic organs and meat. There are also scenes where the author details the girls (in their flashbacks) killing and eating people. There are scenes towards the end of the book where the girls watch a ghoul (called the anthropophagi) kill and eat a boy in front of them.
- Cannibalism: The girls need to eat human flesh so they don’t become ghouls. It is graphically detailed throughout the book.
- Captivity: Celeste and Zoey are captured and held at two different facilities while they are ghouls. The anthropophagi are held captive in Facility B. While at the festival, Celeste, Jasmine, and Zoey are in their cabin.
- Confinement: Zoey was confined to a facility for months longer than Celeste. Valeria was confined to her house and then her room during the onset of the pandemic. The four girls are confined to their cabin before going to Facility B and after the events at Facility B.
- Dead Bodies: There are dead bodies throughout the book. Some, the girls caused (in their flashbacks and present day), and others, they stumbled upon.
- Body Parts: The girls must eat organs and body parts to satisfy their ghouls. Different body parts appear once ghouls start getting drugged and the anthropophagi are removed from Facility B.
- Deadnaming: Celeste (who is trans) is almost deadnamed at a party after the Hollowing. The author stopped short of having that person say what her male name was.
- Death of a grandparent: Jasmine’s grandmother was killed after she turned. Jasmine and her younger brother left when her grandmother started tearing up her bedroom.
- Death of a sibling: Cole killed and ate his older sister while she was on Facebook Live with her boyfriend (who was also Cole’s bandmate). Cole never recovered from doing that.
- Drugging: Celeste and Zoey were drugged during their capture. Zoey was drugged constantly during her captivity. Valeria was drugged at a bar, turned feral, and killed the boy she was with. His bandmates drugged Cole towards the end of the book, and he went feral.
- Drug Use: I think that drugs were used recreationally by other festival-goers. I don’t believe that the girls (or Cole) used drugs.
- Fire: A fire was deliberately set in Facility B at the end of the book.
- Grief: Both Celeste and Zoey grieve the deaths of the hunter and camp counselor they killed and ate. Jasmine grieves that she has scarred her brother for life. Valeria grieves what she did to survive. Cole grieves what he did to his sister.
- Loss: Each of the main characters experienced loss. There is too much to go into, but the author covers each person individually in their flashbacks and the present day.
- Gun Violence: In flashbacks, a hunter holds Celeste and Zoey at rifle point, and Zoey is shot. Present day, Celeste is shot by a National Guardsman while distracting them from seeing Zoey and Jasmine going after Valeria.
- Intrusive Thoughts: Zoey is tortured by what she did while a ghoul and thinks about suicide. Cole is also tormented by what he did.
- Murder: Zoey and Celeste murder their camp counselor and the hunter. Jasmine murders the white supremacist couple that was threatening her brother. Valeria murders the star football player in a scuffle over a corpse. Valeria murders the boy she was with at the bar. Cole murders his sister.
- Needles: Zoey is given medication through her neck with a needle while confined. Celeste takes her hormones with needles. Jasmine gives Valeria the antidote with a needle to the neck.
- Syringes: See above.
- Nightmares: All four girls suffer from nightmares from what they did while they were ghouls. The same goes for Cole.
- Parental Neglect: Zoey’s parents refuse to have anything to do with her after she returns home. Her parents are terrified of her. She is painfully aware of that.
- Pandemic: The Hollowing is caused by a pathogen released by melting polar ice caps. That sets off a worldwide pandemic of ghouls.
- Scars: The girls and Cole have mental scars from their Hollowing.
- Sexism: The lead singer of the band that Cole is in is sexist. He makes several remarks during the book that set me on edge.
- Suicidal Ideation: Zoey and Cole have thoughts about suicide during the book. This is directly related to what they went through during the Hollowing.
- Transphobia: Celeste is trans (male to female). She is afraid to tell her followers (she is an influencer) because of the transphobic backlash. There is a small moment of transphobia at a party she is at with Valeria and Zoey, but Jasmine stops it.
Graphic: Cannibalism, Death, Grief, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Gore, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Mental illness, Confinement, Gun violence, and Sexism
Minor: Transphobia and Deadnaming
moonwitch's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Cannibalism, and Grief
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Self harm, Confinement, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Deadnaming, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Transphobia