Reviews with content warning for Murder - This Delicious Death

I don’t typically read books based on who wrote them, but after reading My Dearest Darkest and discovering Kayla Cottingham had another sapphic horror book (with an interesting premise) I immediately put it on my next up to read. And I don’t regret it!!!

I think this is a pretty unique concept that K. Cottingham pulls off well. I’m not typically a horror fan but the way she combines multiple elements into her horror really draws me in. As well as having great sapphic characters, of course. A great story + added representation that I always seek out is just awesome. I feel like the synopsis doesn’t necessarily do this justice, as I went in thinking it would be interesting, but was blown away by what actually happened. The slowness at the start of the book before the main conflict is supplemented with world-building information that keeps you hooked. I also loved the start of chapter excerpts that were included from a variety of “sources” such as the parenting book or the transcript from the Hollow Life employees. Overall I think the world building is just really well done in this book. I also have always been intrigued by pandemic/virus stories, even pre-covid, so the attention to details about the hollowing was really intriguing!

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raisinreads's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No

3.5

Fun & gay!

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nerdysread's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Really liked it. More to come (probably)

Content Warnings

rachel_tb's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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? Yes

4.0

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midgereads's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book was a lot better than I expected. It’s VERY gory so it’s perfect for halloween, but it also has some funny moments, so it’s a nice balance. It’s also pretty short and very readable, I had a hard time putting it down sometimes.

Content Warnings

bookishmillennial's review

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adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews because I don’t like leaving them. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

Okay, I loved the general premise of this - zombies becoming feral at a massive music festival. WILD. I love it. However, I felt the execution was a bit sloppy. I loved the diversity of this friends group (Zoey, Celeste, Valeria, and Jasmine). However, some of the flashback portions were too long and dragged (for me). I appreciate the context, but I also didn't need that much. Does that make sense?!

This book was entertaining enough, but it mostly felt like a desert music festival fever dream that would probably work better as a movie. I'd watch it if it was optioned and adapted for a movie on Netflix or in theaters!

cw: cannibalism, murder, drug use, gore, pandemic, body horror, injury detail

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