Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller

9 reviews

poisoned_icecream's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Suicide attempt

fuzzball's review

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Car accident, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Fatphobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Lesbophobia

thepermageek's review

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

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

5.0

A wild romp of a book! While there is indeed one main protagonist, it is mostly structured like an ensemble cast. Like a literary version of Shaun of the Dead only much, much gayer! I really liked the overall theme of capitalist/corporate-infused Gay Pride vs. actual, I've-got-your-back queer/trans community! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Vomit

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Suicide attempt

lostgwennel's review

adventurous dark funny sad fast-paced

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

3.75

This was really fun! Lots of books “read like movies” and it’s not always a good thing, but this one does such a great job with the campy horror movie imagery, the foreshadowing, following different characters for a scene or two to show their perspective etc. However Wendy was a really unpleasant narrator and frustrated me. It was obviously intentional, but she didn’t change a whole lot by the end, so the story as a whole (and her character arc) doesn’t feel resolved.

The narration over-explains things sometimes, like what transphobia is or why the police are bad, which can be a little annoying because it feels like it doesn’t trust the reader to know these things or be able to infer them from the text.

I saw the Seabrook twist coming a mile off, but I didn’t expect Leah’s involvement, so that was a fun surprise!

My favourite parts of the book were butch Beau, token nonbinary Sunshine, and the setting of San Lazaro (reading this in November in SW England, every time I read a description of the sun I felt like vitamin D was radiating off the pages)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide attempt

paidays's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Well-executed zombie story that still feels fresh and says ACAB and no corporatization of pride with its full chest. Amen. Gory, but takes the violence seriously on an emotional level, which I always appreciate. Found the “twist” predictable and thought some of the Reveals were overstated, but overall enjoyed the themes of queer solidarity and found family. Sunshine… call me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry

llams's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

jjyork's review against another edition

dark funny sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Suicide attempt

shrikebait's review

funny sad tense fast-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

The Z Word was a lot of fun! This is definitely a character-driven story, with no shortage of queer drama. I appreciate that the antics add levity while revealing each character's quirks and hidden insecurities. I also love the serious critiques of rainbow capitalism compounded by zombie horror. 

With that focus in mind, I see this as more "queer horror" than "zombie horror." Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of zombies complete with guts and gore. I was just more invested in the characters' messy relationships and ethical dilemmas than in the undead. 

Thank you to Quirk Books for the chance to check this book out through a giveaway! I'm leaving this review of my own accord

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Car accident

kendallllouise's review

adventurous lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Gore, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail