Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

78 reviews

jmcampbell57's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, and Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse, Gore, Racism, and Religious bigotry

plantybooklover's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• 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

 This book is a challenge. It is beautifully written, complex. It's a total mash up- Sci Fi, Fantasy, Horror.   
Overview:  Vern escapes a cult known as Cain -Land as a pregnant teen. She births twins in the woods and chooses an extrordinarily difficult path to raise them while avoiding those from the compound who pursue her. Vern develops supernatural powers and features and must work to understand and control them. 
  This book- though under 400 pages packs a punch to the gut.  I was struck by the massive amount of references to both great black literature, and intense black American traumatic events.  While I caught a lot of them, I'm sure I missed more.  
   I would have enjoyed reading this slower, with a group, but... I finished it up for the Trans Right Readathon. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Racism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Blood, Sexual violence, and Gore

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Medical content, and Infertility

cleot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Gore, Murder, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, Body horror, Medical trauma, Stalking, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Racism, Child abuse, Child death, Pregnancy, Transphobia, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Torture, Animal death, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Suicide

human experimentation and parasitism are central themes

readsforlove's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

Check the content warnings, please. There really should be some in the book.

It's still too fresh but review is coming. For now I'll just say that this book digs into you and changes you. It's like nothing I've ever read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body horror, Homophobia, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Death, Stalking, Self harm, Murder, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Child abuse

liannaengland's review against another edition

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Violence, Animal death, Racism, and Animal cruelty

whimsylee's review against another edition

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

4.75

An incredible and nuanced look at institutional racism, white supremacy, difference/othering,  and being a queer black mother in the USA. Rivers Solomon is an amazing writer. The sci-fi elements of this story perfectly complement the themes and the author’s overall message. I fell in love with so many of these deeply human characters and my heart was ripped out over and over again. I highly recommend this book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Violence, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Gore, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Grief, Self harm, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Slavery, Stalking, Medical trauma, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Physical abuse, Racism, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Colonisation, and Terminal illness

autumnalis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Animal death, Colonisation, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Child death, and Violence

errie's review

dark

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Confinement, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Violence, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Mass/school shootings

ehmannky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

A beautiful book that meditates on the concepts of intergenerational trauma, systemic violence, the horrors of repeating abusive cycles and the pain of breaking away from them, and the healing power of queerness when it is allowed to thrive. Vern is spectacularly brutal and loving character, bringing to mind characters found in Octavia Butler's Parable duology. I loved the use of the supernatural to ponder violence, especially as it pertains to the United States and the government and how there's not really a place within the confines of this land that is free from this violence so long as you're in contact with other humans.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, Death of parent, Sexism, Racism, Murder, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, Grief, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Blood, Pedophilia, Homophobia, Gun violence, Violence, Child death, and Self harm

Moderate: Physical abuse, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Homophobia

artmuseam's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

to start, i have never read anything like this book before. a combination of cult survival, body metamorphosis, and exploring sexuality that somehow weaves together so well to construct a unique take on horror. this book reminded me somewhat of the works of octavia butler; stress was a big factor in what kept me going through the book. i was terrified for the main character, vern, but also terrified of her at certain points. i found elements of myself in her through her tentative exploration of her sexual orientation while also learned about what love is. this was such an exciting and different approach to horror and i thoroughly enjoyed this book! 5/5 stars

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Stalking, Sexual violence, Death, and Gore