Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

25 reviews

_moomin's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective 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

5.0

This book was a beautiful and arresting, but profoundly disturbing, read. It imagines, somewhat plausibly, a scenario where the first group to respond to first contact with aliens are the Society of Jesus, and bases what that mission might look like on Jesuit missions from Earth history. It also makes a strong case for whoever finds extraterrestrial life to never tell anyone else and shred all the evidence in fear of something similar to what happens to our friends in this book. It's an adventure story that turns into a horror story, and you spend the book finding out how that happened.
I loved how the author integrated her clearly vast knowledge of anthropology and linguistics into the novel. She uses the characters to explore the philosophical and religious implications of what happens in the plot in a way that feels organic and compelling. It makes total sense that these intelligent and thoughtful people, upon experiencing both wonderful and traumatic events, would have to find spiritual and intellectual ways of dealing with what they experience.
A structural thing I liked about this book is that characters will say things (usually hopeful or optimistic things) that are clearly ironic foreshadowing for terrible things that will happen later. It casts a really delicious sense of impending doom over the whole book.
I also thought the way the characters are developed is masterful. Emilio, of course, is the star of that character development-- his character development in both timelines of the book is what brings the two time periods together, in the end, and is just like hugely thematically and emotionally important to the novel. But the other characters experience similarly realistic and interesting changes as a result of knowing each other and going through this incredible journey together. They make a beautiful found family together.
This book deals with very heavy themes at times, but the tone overall is not heavy (jokes and lighthearted moments abound). Russell also handles sensitive topics, especially sexual trauma, with grace and sensitivity. There is some graphic descriptions of violence, but I didn't think any of it was unnecessary or gratuitous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Rape

Moderate: Child death, Sexual violence, and Body horror

major character death (you know it will happen at the beginning of the book, but it took me a while to figure out who it would happen to and was quite attached to the characters by the time I figured out they were going to die), a character has a history of underage prostitution that isn't graphically described, and there is a graphically described rape. I forgot this in my initial review, but there's body horror/mutilation (specifically, the removal of the muscles and most of the skin on Emilio's hands-- the process is not described in detail, but the aftermath is) and some horrific illnesses. Emilio spends most of the later timeline of the book extremely mentally, physically and spiritually ill.

lesbegays's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Excrement, Medical content, Murder, and Terminal illness

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Antisemitism, Car accident, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, and Xenophobia

lucy's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Body horror

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Sexual harassment

peartree's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Body horror

Moderate: Torture, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Minor: Murder, Pregnancy, and Medical trauma

scoulson2011's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Grief

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence

Minor: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness