Reviews tagging 'Excrement'

Bestiary by K-Ming Chang

27 reviews

eestellar's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

I listened to the audiobook & read this book and I have never read anything quite like it before. It was trauma heavy and gross (lots of bodily fluids). The plot got lost in all the metaphors and poetic writing, I was confused a lot of the time, but even with all of the flaws I still wanted to continue the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual violence and Vomit

monsty's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Body horror, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Excrement

harrimyers's review

so explicitly disgusting and brutal in its language. loved the idea but the actual writing was so grotesque i couldn’t do it 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, Gore, Excrement, Vomit, and Blood

jesspeach's review

1.5

Not what I was hoping for. The premise seemed really interesting but I didn't enjoy the prose. Although there were a lot of interesting metaphors, this book was just needlessly vulgar and I actually found myself cringing while reading it. The closer I got to the end, the more eager I was for it to be over. Disappointing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Excrement

mirissab's review

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

This book was not what I was expecting, but it was ultimately worth my time despite it taking me three attempts to start it. My niche is books that are multi-generational (preferably matrilineal) with a little history weaved through it. This book captures all of that but with more magic and surrealism sprinkled in.  While beautifully written with poetic prose and melancholic storylines, I found it perhaps a little too fantastical for my personal preference. I appreciate the layers and complexity of the characters and storylines even though I would say there wasn't much of a (fast-moving) plot: the harsh realities of being an immigrant in the USA, what makes or breaks a family, how history shapes the present, and how we are capable of more than we know (both good and bad). This book made me feel like I understood nothing and everything at the same time. It was oftentimes confusing and I felt like I was missing something, but I could likely attribute at least a part of it to my ignorance (for example, I'm not that great with symbolism). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Abandonment, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and War

Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Racism

jess_18's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective tense 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? Yes

4.75

was so weird but i thought it was great. the mother daughter relationships shown got to me. definitely not for everyone 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Excrement, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, Gore, and Medical content

kairhone's review

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Animal death, Violence, and Excrement

Moderate: War and Sexual content

brianareads's review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Blood, Violence, Animal cruelty, Gore, Excrement, and Body horror

readingpicnic's review

5.0

I’ve never read a book with so much pissing in it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Animal death, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Excrement, Sexual assault, War, Domestic abuse, Gore, Blood, and Violence

maksipad's review

challenging emotional slow-paced

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

3.75

I like weird books and this fits in that category for sure. The prose was absolutely beautiful and I really loved the story. However, it was also fairly slow and I could only read small chunks of the book before I had to put it back down for awhile. Also, as others have mentioned, there are manyyy bodily function references.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Abandonment, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Dementia, and Gun violence

Moderate: Gore, Vomit, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail