Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt

31 reviews

erica_reads_things's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

My second read by Alison Rumfitt and I was so excited to be brought back into her world and unique writing voice. I was not disappointed in that regard! I do think this would be a 5 star for me on my second read, as the themes were a bit harder to follow than in Tell Me I'm Worthless. Im for sure going to give this a second read in the future to focus more on what it all means, what the wryms represent, and so on. That's really a huge part of what I have loved about Alison's work thus far. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, Incest, Gore, Transphobia, Body shaming, Infertility, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Death of parent, Hate crime, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Animal death, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Medical content, Fatphobia, Dysphoria, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Homophobia, and Outing

joy_ong's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Dysphoria, Violence, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Vomit, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Excrement, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Incest, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective 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

4.5

Unapologetically disgusting and unflinching in its commentary against the spread of transphobia, this novel is a riveting example of how pain and fear can disrupt the minds and growth of those unfortunate to be infected

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Content Warnings

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

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

Rumfitt’s narrative voice is very clear and direct in this book - the purpose of the novel felt very clear compared to her last one. I very much enjoyed it, in a different way from Tell Me I’m Worthless.

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. 

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Content Warnings

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/Bombing

ahliahreads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• 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

Not for the faint of heart or easily squeamish. However if you're tough enough to handle the parasitic, subversive nature, this might be one of the most important stories of the year.

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Content Warnings

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

lovelylilelle's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, Incest, Child abuse, Blood, Body horror, Physical abuse, Child death, Excrement, Outing, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Body shaming, Abortion, Death, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Self harm, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Drug abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, Cursing, Confinement, and Fatphobia

iheartm4m's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

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

ellisdex's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• 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

jesus christ. i have brainwyrms brainworms

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Content Warnings

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

kentanapages's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Actual review to come. Immediate reaction What the f did I just read, I am disturbed. This is some f#@ked up sh!t. Every trigger warning.  it’s horrifying it’s just so disturbing i read it in one sitting 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Hate crime, Incest, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Vomit, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Excrement, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Chronic illness, and Pedophilia

Minor: Body shaming, Ableism, Deadnaming, Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Animal death, and Dysphoria

Weird, There’s not a content warning specific to “graphically depicted parasite fetish” :)

gilroi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

 Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in return for a fair review. Sorry for reading it in one sitting.

Weird, lyrical, unhinged, whip-smart, extremely painful. This book is difficult to describe, but that's a compliment; it's complex and refuses to compromise, while still having highly engaging and readable prose. Most experimental / poetic novels are a little too obtuse for me, but Rumfitt's eye for prose and person always sits well.

In the end, I think I liked it less than Tell Me I'm Worthless, though I don't really think that's the book's fault. While it begins with (helpful!) content warnings, it doesn't really go into enough detail for me (I'm fine with books not having content warnings, for the record, but this book's CWs were a bit vague). In the end, it dwelled on subjects I personally find incredibly gross. Not morally suspect, not bad, not wrong, just, for me, subjectively, gross. And that will inevitably make me like a book less, no matter how well it's written.

And Brainwyrms is incredibly, startlingly well written. It's at least as good as Tell Me I'm Worthless, perhaps better in how it expands its scope and aims. The book has a lot more to say on a wide range of issues, but still hits the topic home. If you disliked the unsubtlety and long rambly prose style of TMIW, though, this book is similar. Personally, I find that a success; I love Rumfitt's work and her style.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Fatphobia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Drug use, Death, and Excrement

Content warning for graphic scat, water sports, bugs / parasites, parasitic infection.