Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede

9 reviews

hauntedantiqueshop's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Hey, quick question— what the fuck was this?

Oddly enough, I did kind of like it though. Not the gross shit but the overall story I suppose. The ending made me a little sad for Maeve but I didn’t really expect a happy ending for her. Definitely not a book for everyone, I don’t think there’s anyone I would ever recommend it to. But I am interested in reading something from this author again!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Death, Body horror, Sexual assault, Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Drug use, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Excrement

Really weird sex stuff. Like uncomfortably weird sex stuff.

shadowykittenwizard's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Body horror, Alcohol, Torture, Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Blood, and Cursing

Minor: Sexism, Drug abuse, Excrement, Grief, Drug use, Gaslighting, Bullying, Stalking, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, and Vomit

recklessric's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Just going to wrap all this in a spoiler tag since I'm not 100% sure how that works. This book starts out feverish in the best way before a bit of a mid book lull and then and end that does a pretty good job of misdirection before the twist. This issue for me, though was that the twist comes so late that it makes the last 1/3 of the book a bit of a chore because it feels like it's heading for something cliched and obvious so I like the ending but didn't enjoy getting there. Also I think this book contradicts itself a lot in terms of its philosophy and the philosophy of the characters which was ultimately a bit of a let down. I think it strives to be something more than shock value slasher fare and that's admirable but ultimately that's all this is to me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gore, Sexual assault, and Torture

howlinglibraries's review

medium-paced

1.5

 I am baffled by some of the praise going around for this book. "Extreme horror!" Okay, maybe for like, one chapter and half of another one? "Feminist horror icon!" You mean the woman who rapes nearly every victim she takes, finding especially creative ways to do so with the women?

I don't need to agree with a character's actions to like them, but aside from the previously mentioned issues, Maeve is so oblivious that it's impossible for me to get behind her as a narrator. There's a twist in this book that is painfully obvious from a million miles away, yet Maeve is taken entirely off-guard by it in the worst way. Oblivious.

Most of all, Maeve Fly is simply boring for the bulk of its duration. There's very little horror for most of the book, instead primarily focusing on Maeve's internal critique of everyone around her and a whole lotta sex.

The only major hype piece I've heard for this book that actually makes sense to me is comparing this to Palahniuk's writing style, which I'll agree with — Leede's style reminded me a lot of Chuck Palahniuk's style and I can definitely see the inspiration there (though it would be hard to miss it, given how much name-dropping happens throughout Maeve Fly, including many references to Chuck himself).

This was perhaps my single most disappointing read of 2023 so far. I would try this author's work again in the future, but don't recommend this one.

Buddy read with Reg! ♥ 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Rape, Murder, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Gore, Body horror, Sexual assault, and Torture

fangirljeanne's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I don’t know what it says about me that I was sad that this didn’t have a happy ending, but it is what it is.

This is a great horror novel, beautifully grotesque and emotionally raw to an uncomfortable degree. It’s very much more lit fic than in tone and execution than horror or splatter punk, though it absolutely holds its own in both genres. The experience of being a woman, especially one who doesn’t fit the unattainable hypocrisy of socially acceptable feminine ideals, is a horrific mind-bending experience.

Maeve is not unique in her weird or messiness, take out the overt violence and this would be like many other women’s lit narrative about the trauma of living under patriarchy. But here, in the framing of a horror novel this narrative feels more authentic, more autonomous compared to the passive victimhood of a lot of white women’s navel gazing fiction, at least until the end. Maeve felt like she was going to give the cliche narrative of the weird girl, the creepy girl, the femme fatale a newer better ending. One where she embraces that aspects of herself that fear of society tells her to suppress and hate. While she escapes the typical fate of “fallen women” of literature, she is still punished for refusing to conform to society. That’s the only aspect of the story I disliked. It felt like a step back after so many subversive strides forward.

I get it, this is a horror novel. Heartbreak is an important aspect of that genre. But I would also argue that few things are quite as frightening to patriarchy as a villainous woman getting everything she wants including love and acceptance. 

Highly recommended to fans of graphic horror and dark humor. If you love the movie May (2002) this book might be for you too. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcohol, Body shaming, Grief, Torture, Animal death, Bullying, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Cancer, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Medical content, Sexual assault, Classism, Ableism, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Drug use, Excrement, Rape, Animal cruelty, Body horror, and Chronic illness

devynreadsnovels's review

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

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, Gore, Blood, Torture, Misogyny, Alcohol, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Drug use, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Animal death, Sexism, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Medical content, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, and Rape

gloomypanda's review

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Torture, Mental illness, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Murder, Violence, Cursing, Rape, Blood, and Alcohol

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Kidnapping

Minor: Animal cruelty, Vomit, and Drug use

gia1303's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Dysphoria, Gore, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Drug use, Mental illness, Body horror, and Death

Moderate: Stalking, Sexism, Cursing, Rape, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

ekmook's review

dark emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Wow! This book was a wild ride and I absolutely loved it! Creative, twisty, laugh out loud funny, gory!   I enjoyed the feminist twist on a classic serial killer concept.  I also about lost my mind when we got a “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” reference! This book will NOT be for everyone and content warnings should be taken into consideration.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Body horror, Death, Grief, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Torture, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Violence, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Abortion, and Chronic illness