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thelovelydove's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
The book is not scary and the only real horror is body horror. The author relies on violence for the sake of violence to create any feeling. There is a violent and horrible sexual assault that felt totally unnecessary. It felt very bury your gays.
I truly wish I had DNFed this or never picked it up in the first place. I would never recommend someone read this book.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Sexual violence, and Torture
owlseyebooks's review against another edition
3.25
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Gore, Bullying, Excrement, Torture, Rape, and Sexual violence
annathechaoticreader's review against another edition
- 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
"For Ghost, his body was nothing more than a compost heap - a crude patchwork of abused anatomy that even the most impulsive surrealist wouldn't dare commemorate on canvas. Ghost knew well he was a monster, a horrible mutation handmade by grief." page 19
Graphic: Biphobia, Blood, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Hate crime, Death, Homophobia, Torture, Medical trauma, Murder, Body horror, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
Minor: Ableism, Car accident, and Child death
2busyreading's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Death, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Torture and Rape
hippietilley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Torture
autumnrevisited's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
While I disliked the writing, what bothered me the most about this book was how LaRocca treated their characters. The book claims to be a queer horror novel, but the only part of it that seems genuinely queer is the secondary main character who services only as a conduit for violence. There is not a moment where Malik is happy, only witnessing his husband's hate crime, being kidnapped, sexually and brutally assaulted, and almost murdered. All for being gay. There is no other development to his character other than to have slurs thrown at him and have violence done unto him. Also, the "bad guys" in the story both are also queer or have experienced similar violence. I find it unacceptable and disgusting that LaRocca would take a character that does extreme sexual and physical violence to one of the only POC characters in the book and make their motivation be a past assault from another gay character. Furthermore, giving the main villain AIDS (at least hinting at it) for no reason other than to mention it adds to the image that people with AIDS are violent and dirty.
LaRocca also completely ignores his female characters. They are either stupid, pathetic, or fridged. There is not a moment with a female character where they have any real agency. They are dead to move the male main character's story forward or placed as a helpless damsel in distress in order to be protected.
I purchased and read this book because I heard many good things about LaRocca's other works and the horror they have created. However, after reading this book, I refuse to read anything else LaRocca has written or may write in the future.
Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Blood, Violence, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Excrement, Grief, Ableism, Gore, Kidnapping, Body horror, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Vomit
Moderate: Excrement, Child death, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Grief, Blood, Cursing, Alcohol, Death, and Hate crime
binneybooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Child death, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Rape, and Death
starsiren's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Excrement, Torture, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
zenzi2read's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Excrement, and Torture
Minor: Child death
rebekahmccubbins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
The author clearly enjoys flowery prose, which is fine when done well. But this was painful to read. Every third sentence was a simile or over-description, making it hard to keep track of what's actually happening in the story. The plot felt half-baked, and the details were confusing. I found myself constantly asking, 'why?'. The characters' motivations didn't feel reasonable.
And the extremely graphic violence against Malik and Brett felt uncalled for. Frankly, that subplot never tied in to a degree that felt justified. So I was left feeling that the author just... WANTED to torture and decimate a gay couple (confusing, because by all accounts, he is gay).
I can't in good faith recommend this story to anyone. If you do choose to read, good luck.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Ableism, Medical content, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Grief, Hate crime, Gun violence, Cursing, Classism, Confinement, Blood, Biphobia, Stalking, Kidnapping, Rape, Homophobia, Excrement, Violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault