Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

103 reviews

aidareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

perhaps it was my brain but i got kinda confused with the narrator thingy. i do think it was super interesting to have multiple "narrators", one of them being 2nd person, but towards the end i got a bit lost with the characters (if you know, you know). still, i hope i like the rest of the trilogy a bit better because the plot is certainly super interesting and relevant!! and i loved the diversity and the queer rep!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Body horror, and Child death

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Cannibalism

keefonanley's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Sexual content

cg07's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad slow-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

5.0

Incredible and intense. Jemisin writes in a sprawling (yet tightly connected) way, such that every piece feels so purposeful. I've never read a book quite like it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Gore, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence

Minor: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

sophiarichter's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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? Yes

4.5

Wow. I mean the world building alone makes this book a minimum 4-star - the author puts so much thought and care into a world of turmoil, strife, and oppression. She writes about pain and violence so intimately it almost hurts to read, but turns it into something of grit and determination, painting a world that is so intensely fucked up and imaginative you can’t stop reading and hoping. The use of multiple viewpoints usually annoys me, but it was done in such a way that actually really worked for me. The ending was a bit too abrupt for my taste and left me wanting more (which is a bit disappointing because i have heard the rest of the series is not as good) but overall an amazing story. Definitely should come with major trigger warnings

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Child abuse, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Child death

lowpollie's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Grief

Moderate: Pregnancy and Body horror

Minor: Pedophilia and Transphobia

stepfarmer's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-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

5.0

i literally have no words. this is easily one of the best books i've ever read and ch 22 especially is one of the best things in literature period. i wish i had read this when it came out in 2015 when i was a teenager so that this would've shaped my development.

as it stands, though, i'm still being shaped by it. holy fuck!!!! what a story!!!! the casual queerness of characters is sooooo beautiful, too, the way there just happens to be a transwoman and a transman and a little queer polycule going on UGH. the prose is masterful and the characters feel so good and so real and the MAGIC SYSTEM. ohh the magic system is so unique. it takes a little to get a hang of it and i do think there are times where the descriptions get a bit too muddled, but in the end it doesn't matter because the rest of the book is so wonderful. 5/5 stars 100/100 forever for the rest of time.

where is the moon btw

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, and Death

Moderate: Child death, Grief, Cannibalism, Cursing, War, and Body horror

tangledweb65's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

This was a challenging book to read, and I found it slightly slow to start, but GOD it was worth it. One of those books you finish and immediately reach for the next in the trilogy. I absolutely admire the style of storytelling she manages to achieve, and how she makes the characters such normal people while being so completely not. Absolutely amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, War, Child death, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Classism, Child abuse, Violence, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Torture, Xenophobia, and Trafficking

Moderate: Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Deportation, Medical content, Animal death, Colonisation, Slavery, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Hate crime, Mental illness, and Excrement

tayindago's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Child death, Cannibalism, Rape, War, and Body horror

Moderate: Classism, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Genocide, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

anniehayez's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

I really can’t put my thoughts into words other than to say this is a perfect book. I think this is the most unique, intricate, heartbreaking and awe inspiring story I’ve ever read. A true masterpiece.  (Please see content warnings)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Child abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Pregnancy, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Grief, Slavery, and Murder

Moderate: Cannibalism, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Child abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Body horror, and Blood

Minor: Vomit, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Sexual assault, Rape, Transphobia, Trafficking, and Torture

sakiido's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Police brutality, Violence, Bullying, Grief, Torture, Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, and Pregnancy