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yinflower's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Fatphobia, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Vomit, Homophobia, and Animal death
rorikae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
'Fruiting Bodies' by Kathryn Harlan is an introspective short story collection with fabulist elements that delves deeply into its characters. Each story allows Harlan to explore a unique character, often with a fabulist and queer lens. I found each of these stories deeply moving and immersive though a few definitely stood out. My favorites included "Hunting the Viper King" about a girl who is whisked away on her father's travels trying to find a great mythical snake and "Is This You?" about a woman who has different versions of herself appear on her doorstep each time her mother writes a new essay about her troubled childhood. There aren't a great number of stories in this collection because Harlan takes time with each of them so that by the end of each story, I felt as if I knew these characters. There is a precision in her writing that cuts deep. These stories are laced with deep emotions and hard experiences that cut to their characters' flaws. At times, I hoped for more speculative elements but I don't think they were necessary. These are stories deeply rooted in their characters where the fabulism is just the lightest sprinkling to put in relief the character's decisions and flaws. Like salt on a chocolate chip cookie. This is such a fantastic collection and I cannot wait to read more of Harlan's work and potentially see how much more heartache they can bring with a full novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Body horror
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Gore, Animal death, and Homophobia
jessereadsthings's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, and Death
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