Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

64 reviews

itsjustgrumpy's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

The concept of the Wendigo and the 'sematary' is great... but the slow and laboured execution and anticlimactic ending really soured this book for me. I had to listen at x1.5 to actually finish it. Meh.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Violence, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Grief, and Gore

Moderate: Colonisation

Minor: Alcohol

pholcidae's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Aside from the casual racism (using outdated terms for Native American people and unnecessarily bringing people’s skin colour to attention), a near-flawless book.

The story is paced perfectly and I have been reading it nonstop. The author’s use of language to create suspense and terror is reminiscent of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. 

This was my first King novel and I think it was the perfect one to start on! Very tense and lots of fun easter eggs in there :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Animal death, Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Gore, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Murder, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Mental illness

Moderate: Cannibalism, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Abandonment, Infidelity, and Cursing

Minor: Vomit, Cancer, War, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Excrement, Dementia, Misogyny, Sexism, Addiction, Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, Incest, and Religious bigotry

alixsbooktherapy'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? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This book had me needing therapy afterwards stephen king I'll see you at my next appointment, this book will have you questioning your decisions I now know why this known as his most frightening book I just wish it was more realistic like the cops would of showed up multiple times if this actually happened this book is not for the weak I buddy read this with Emily and holy I hope she's okay🤣

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Violence, Suicide, Sexual content, Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Death, Blood, Child death, Vomit, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Body horror, Addiction, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Grief, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Chronic illness, and Injury/Injury detail

sommarborne's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

If you are new to Stephen King then this is the best book to begin with. It is a classic for a reason. The story is incredibly gripping and is, to this day, genuinely one of the scariest books that I have read. It sticks with your soul.

If you are concerned about excessive animal violence or gore because of the title and general premise: don’t worry! The animal death in this is completely off screen and surprisingly tame compared to the rest of the book. I think King really wanted the focus to be on the death of the child. 

Im personally sensitive to animal violence in stories, but as far as King goes & horror in general, this book is far easier to get through than most horror based animal deaths. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Car accident, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Terminal illness, Animal death, Death, Gore, and Grief

mickraine's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Alcohol, Animal death, Terminal illness, Animal cruelty, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Vomit, and Murder

Minor: Incest and War

luca_looselyreads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Animal death, and Body horror

zoe_archambault's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

2.5

throughout majority of the book it dragged and i just felt like it was so long and then by the time the huge climax was happening at the end, i was too put off and literally queasy reading it. it was harrowing and depressing under the guise of ~spoooky~ ?? still a fan of the overall premise and how it leaves off though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Animal death, Medical content, Blood, Child death, Death, and Body horror

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Sexual assault and Rape

sarasreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was my first King book! I don't think it'll be my last either. I was expecting it to be far more thrilling than it was. Not that there weren’t creepy or disturbing parts, but the book is more sad than scary. Honestly the scariest parts had nothing to do with the supernatural elements at all, and everything to do with the true-to-life medical events.  

 

It deals heavily with grief and death, and the ways various characters react to and process the deaths of their loved ones. I have some trauma around sudden loss, so this book resonated with me in that way. 

 

It’s a slow building book, with most of the horror action in the last 30-40 pages, but from the first inciting incident it sucked me right in and it was hard to put down. King really has a way with words and turns of phrases that I enjoyed, as well as repeating phrases and themes. I’m never going to hear that Ramones song the same way again, that’s for sure. Hey-ho, let’s freakin’ go! (Or don't. Probably better to stay put actually.) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Grief, Animal death, Death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Car accident

Moderate: Terminal illness and Animal cruelty

colin_s's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

 Quote:

“And the most terrifying question of all may be just how much horror the human mind can stand and still maintain a wakeful, staring, unrelenting sanity.”

Setting:

Pet Semetary takes place in the small town of Ludlow Maine. We follow Louis around the town but the majority of the story takes place primarily at his house and the house of his neighbor Jud. This allows us to get very comfortable with the setting before things start to spiral out of control.

Plot:

The majority of the plot follows Louis with the trials that come with moving his family half way across the country for a new job to a house they haven't seen yet. They quickly form a friendship with their neighbors Jud and Norma. Several events then happen that challenge Louis and family in new and hard ways as the story progresses.

Writing:

This is my second Stephen King book and boy does he know how to write great characters and dialogue. You find yourself routing for people even when you aren't sure they are doing the right thing cause you can understand why they are doing it. 

Characters:

Our main character Louis is flawed, not deeply but enough for people to connect to him. All of the characters in this novel are in fact so that helps the story feel very grounded even when the more supernatural things start to take place.

Pros:

Realistic characters

Down to earth setting

Cons:

Very quick lean into supernatural

Very rushed ending

Recommendation:

I read this book at the wrong time as it's topic was really hard to hear. However the story kept me wanting to read more. I found myself finding an excuse to go a little longer, to get a little further. I will say however that I've heard that Stephen King can't write endings and I'm starting to see that as a pattern here. The majority of the book I'd give it a 5, however the ending brings it down a bit. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Car accident, and Death

westernsunshine's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Animal death, and Grief

Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Cursing

Minor: Medical content and Suicidal thoughts