Scan barcode
maecaitlin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I had to take multiple breathers and breaks to get through due to how graphic the horror is. But, it’s a really effective analysis of the horror of this TERF Island.
The only reason this hasn’t been rated higher is that I’m not a massive fan of how the book sometimes structurally derails itself into rambles every now and again. Sometimes the portrayals of kink were just too much for my innocent mind.
I would not recommend this to any of my friends or family as I fear they would have their opinion forever changed of me, and I feel that’s a good sign of a strong horror.
Graphic: Blood, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Biphobia, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Excrement, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Transphobia, Body horror, Dysphoria, and Gore
vixenreader's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Death, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Excrement, Gore, Murder, Rape, Deadnaming, Infertility, Medical content, Violence, Body shaming, Transphobia, Blood, Cursing, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Torture, and Vomit
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Ableism, Outing, Suicide, Child death, Classism, Incest, Addiction, Confinement, Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment
Minor: Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Racism, Animal death, Stalking, and Antisemitism
Be aware that this is frank depictions of parasitic infestations with human bodies, urine, water sports, scat-play, anal sex, cyberbullying, online harassment, bombing, terrorism, eating and inserting excrement, fisting, running away from home, homicide, and extreme TERF behaviour.gia0203's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
The same themes pervade both books: being transgender in Britain, and how it links sexuality and trauma. Rumfitt writes about how it feels like we’re going backwards. She touches again and again on how extremist ideas spread. Interestingly in this novel, the internet is also a major theme, for example the fetish community. She pulls at the tension between fetish communities as a bit of fun, a sanctuary and as a coping mechanism.
This book is at times very satirical. I really enjoyed that. It isn’t scared to expose the underbelly of hypocrisy in modern politics. There’s a passage in this book that says everything is about sex, and people just like to pretend that it isn’t. This book is daring when Britain at the moment is leaning towards conservatism and tradition.
In this book, the worms are the metaphor for extremism, similar to the haunted house in Tell Me I’m Worthless. But Rumfitt’s books can’t really be defined as just one thing. She juggles many metaphorical plates at once. I criticised Tell Me I’m Worthless for it’s lack of clarity, and I don’t hold the same criticism for this book. In many ways it’s a stronger novel. Rumfitt is growing really well as an author.
Subjectively however, I think the difference between them is that Tell Me I’m Worthless was more emotional, more zoomed in on the two people at the heart of it, whereas Brainwyrms takes a broader perspective. I prefer Tell Me I’m Worthless on a personal level, but Brainwyrms is the better book.
Graphic: Hate crime, Body horror, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Moderate: Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Self harm, Excrement, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Outing, Fatphobia, Animal death, Addiction, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Murder
Minor: Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Abortion, Pregnancy, Ableism, Antisemitism, Infertility, and Rape
Terrorism/Bombingahliahreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Excrement, Transphobia, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Body horror, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Vomit, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Death, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Child abuse, Classism, Eating disorder, Murder, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
iheartm4m's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Death, Excrement, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Self harm, Gore, Sexual harassment, Torture, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Transphobia
discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Excrement, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Sexual content, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Incest
Minor: Death of parent, Suicide, Ableism, and Deadnaming
ellisdex's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Excrement, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Gore, Death, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Body horror, Violence, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Classism
Moderate: Blood, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Genocide, Stalking, Torture, Suicide, Dysphoria, Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Infertility, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, and Grief
jackie_reads_314's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Infertility, Sexual content, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Gore, Hate crime, Rape, Bullying, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Cursing, Drug use, and Transphobia