Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt

44 reviews

thistle_rose's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, Child abuse, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Death, Dysphoria, Excrement, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcohol, Antisemitism, Classism, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism

siriface's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Body shaming, Sexual content, Incest, Transphobia, Body horror, Blood, Homophobia, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Drug use, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, and Animal cruelty

vimesboottheory's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Fatphobia, Vomit, Torture, Abandonment, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Blood, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Violence, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexual violence, Rape, Pregnancy, and Incest

jemmers's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Drug use, Medical content, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Blood, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Body shaming, Confinement, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, Abortion, Alcohol, Body horror, Cannibalism, Classism, Death, Cursing, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

madelinequinnee's review against another edition

dark informative fast-paced

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

3.5

I have no idea what I just read

This was so so weird, but I think I enjoyed it? There were parts that made me feel so icky, the language and descriptions are grotesquely detailed and don’t shy away from anything.

This book certainly isn’t for the faint hearted or easily offended, there’s a lot of dark and disturbing stuff that probably isn’t for your casual horror reader. I do think there should have been a content warning on the back of the book because this was being sold in Waterstones where anyone could pick it up not realising how graphic and sexual it is until they begin reading. 

I can’t say I was a huge fan of the writing style, the ‘slam poetry’ kind of sections were a little hard to follow at times. I get the effect they were going for, but it was just a little difficult to keep up with. 

I do think the author was trying a little too hard to make this book disgusting, and it felt at times that the actual message of the story was being strayed away from in favour of grotesque descriptions. I get what the worms and the whole community around that was trying to represent, but i don’t know, it felt a little bit like it was missing the mark at times. 

I don’t really know what to take away from this book other than that i’m now really fucking grossed out by worms

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Kidnapping, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Sexual content, Mental illness, Blood, Body shaming, Drug use, Dysphoria, Incest, Medical content, Abandonment, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Body horror, Cursing, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Classism, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Vomit

cburns13's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Classism, Drug use, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Eating disorder, Excrement, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, Murder, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Child death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Animal death, Death, Grief, Racism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Vomit

janbabs's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This is not a book for everyone. Literally all the trigger warnings. It was messed up, disturbing and disgusting. It was like picking a scab. I was compelled to continue reading, even though it was uncomfortable.The major themes of transphobia and political terrorism/fascism felt worryingly relevant to society today, and if anything were amplified by the gruesome horror setting. The writing was brilliant and I thought the shifts between first and third person narratives worked well. This was not an easy read, but I think it's gonna stay on my mind for a long time to come

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Excrement, Gore, Incest, Sexual content, Dysphoria, and Transphobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Incest, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Medical content, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Self harm, Rape, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, Infertility, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Misogyny, Mental illness, Bullying, Blood, Antisemitism, Deadnaming, Drug use, and Alcohol

catatlanta's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Dysphoria, Body horror, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Rape, Classism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Gore, Outing, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Blood, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

grey_jayne's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I immediately poured Brainwyrms into my head after reading Rumfitt's debut Tell Me I'm Worthless. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors with both books her perversely poetic filth ragebombs lobbed at society. I absolutely loved that she introduced the book as if she was writing from the 2030s and reporting back, the satire has no bounds this time around and it's pretty great.

I still don't know if her work is accessible to cis people but honestly I don't fucking care. We needed her voice from out of the darkness and I will follow her wherever she goes next. Trans books for trans people!

This is also officially the book with the most trigger warnings that I've logged so far. The label "Extreme horror" should be treated with respect and care. Enter at your own risk.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual assault, Incest, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Homophobia, and Self harm

minxtte's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

5.0

I had to physically force myself to stop reading this for my own welfare. Obsessed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Incest, Gore, Hate crime, Murder, Rape, Stalking, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Homophobia, Alcohol, Blood, Mental illness, Death, Excrement, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Cursing, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Self harm, Transphobia, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abortion, Body horror, Child abuse, Infertility, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Islamophobia and Fire/Fire injury