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writingcaia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I’m still processing but this was a brilliant, beautifully writen and crafted, intriguing, and gory story.
The characters are strong and alive, although not always likeable.
Though grief is a big theme of the book, I found that parenthood- protecting your child no matter how monstrous they are, loving them, understanding them, and setting them free no matter how hard- is the biggest of all. The idea of “monster” is very aligned with odd, strange, not necessarily evil which is something to debate as well, the same with dealing with the consequences of the actions taken due to trauma and denial.
There’re many touching moments, with M particularly, tears threatened to fall.
Overall, it was really a great one to read, and a story I won’t forget and will likely get back to on and off for the foreseeable future.
The characters are strong and alive, although not always likeable.
Though grief is a big theme of the book, I found that parenthood- protecting your child no matter how monstrous they are, loving them, understanding them, and setting them free no matter how hard- is the biggest of all. The idea of “monster” is very aligned with odd, strange, not necessarily evil which is something to debate as well, the same with dealing with the consequences of the actions taken due to trauma and denial.
There’re many touching moments, with M particularly, tears threatened to fall.
Overall, it was really a great one to read, and a story I won’t forget and will likely get back to on and off for the foreseeable future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Cannibalism
Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, and Alcohol
za_hra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A book which teaches us that you cannot bring back the dead or replaced the ones that you’ve lost. Not matter how much you love someone you also cannot change who they are. The first two sections written from the POV of Magos and Lena I didn’t enjoy as much as the final two from Joe and M’s POV. I found Magos unlikeable and almost child like in her narration. Lena, I wasn’t sure what the point was about her not being able to sleep but Joe I understood and despite his willing ignorance of who M really was, I didn't find it as frustrating as Magos' delusion of who M really was. M’s section was the best. Despite demonstrably being a monster he doesn’t feel like one and you want him to be free. At some points the story felt rushed like the plot was being progressed quite significantly in a matter of sentences but for a debut novel it's good. Would've given 4 stars had the first two sections been more enjoyable for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Sexual content, Grief, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Terminal illness, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault
kanj1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Blood, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Child death
katebitters's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I ended up feeling very meh about this book. Joseph's POV was entirely unnecessary, and many of the characters felt underdeveloped. The setting change mid-book also seemed unnecessary.
Also, I have a strong stomach, but apparently I can't deal with rampantpet death . I also couldn't stand tiny M, when he was a freaking lung with a tail! Lung tissue is spongy and gross, so this alone made me want to gag. And then he balloons like a wood tick when he eats his victims. Nope.
I did like getting M's POV at the end, but the conclusion did not ultimately leave me satisfied.
Also, I have a strong stomach, but apparently I can't deal with rampant
I did like getting M's POV at the end, but the conclusion did not ultimately leave me satisfied.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood and Murder
fernqueen's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was very readable but quite underwhelming. I didn't mind the writing style but the characters were relatively flat, and while I appreciate the themes being explored, I didn't get anything new from this particular presentation. The author or publisher refers to it as a "genre-bending" tale but I get the sense moreso that the author was reluctant to really commit to any of their ideas wholeheartedly. It felt a bit tepid. I did appreciate the casual emphasis on queer connections and found the author's descriptions of different places, especially Mexico City, very evocative. I just wasn't able to connect with the story as much as I would have liked to. The relationship between M and Uncle was the most compelling to me, but unfortunately it wasn't given much narrative space in lieu of other characters (who mostly became wallpaper in the sections not from their own perspectives).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
rmperezpadilla's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Grief
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Death of parent
bhuyanr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
4.0
Such an original tale. More drama than true horror, but this plot was absolutely impossible to predict, which meant it was fresh and kept me guessing! A bit surrealist but that what makes it such a juicy tale.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Death and Blood
fairygodfish's review against another edition
4.5
moral: there was a monstrilio
no but i devoured this. it took me less than a day and i can be a sloooow reader. I love how frank the writing style is and how natural it makes the strangest things seem.
no but i devoured this. it took me less than a day and i can be a sloooow reader. I love how frank the writing style is and how natural it makes the strangest things seem.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Murder
fermentedsorcerer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
zacktreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? Yes
3.75
Enjoyed the writing style and the horror elements throughout. The changes in time/location/narration perspective tripped me up at a couple points and some threads were left that I would’ve liked to hear more about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual violence and Medical content