Reviews tagging 'Excrement'

John Dies at the End by David Wong

19 reviews

acwhite's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

I first read this book around 2010 & had fond memories of the thrilling fever dream it is. So revisiting it in 2022 I was surprised to find my brain had edited out some choice language. I had no recollection of the excessive use of r*tard and occasional drops of the n word and f*g. Some of this language can be attributed to the book starting as a blog in the early 2000s but it still put a slight stain on the reread for me. 

I’m rating it so middling for the aforementioned language but also because the pacing was rough. Again I think we can blame the blog origins, the whole business seems like three novellas in a trench coat masquerading as a full novel. But I still came out the end having enjoyed it. 

The last third is the strongest part of the book in my opinion, Amy is a crucial character and “David” having a slightly different tone improved things. 

I have the whole quartet and do intend to read them all. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Animal death, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Excrement, Gore, Racial slurs, and Drug use

Moderate: Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, and Mental illness

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

pinkmalady's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.5

Laugh out loud funny, psychologically horrifying, and gut-wrenchingly volatile... This is the exact kind of thing I will be thinking about for a long time. The way it handles mental illness and trauma targeted me specifically in such a deeply visceral way... The narration perfectly captures how it feels to lose your mind.

I adored the characters and their relationships. While I went into this mostly blind, I knew prior that

Amy and Dave would end up together. I'm honestly surprised at how well their relationship and their respective traumas relative to their relationship were fleshed out. It absolutely makes you feel for these two. Especially when Amy's life is on the line.

This book stressed and stresses me out. I'm afraid that if I think too hard about it I'll start spiraling... Going in, I had the feeling this book would rearrange my brain chemistry, and I believe it didn't fail. It's utterly chilling, and I don't usually spook easily when it comes to horror.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Grief, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Drug use, Body horror, Blood, Cursing, Excrement, and Gore

Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Car accident, Animal death, Ableism, and Alcohol

Minor: Rape, Antisemitism, and Suicidal thoughts

jaydoncornell's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Outing, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction, Racism, Alcohol, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

entityj's review

dark funny fast-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Cursing, Death, Excrement, Gore, Violence, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Alcohol, Homophobia, Islamophobia, and Racial slurs

vsnuffles's review

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious 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

4.0

I picked this up and didn't get super into it but my brain is like that sometimes. It's generally not an indicator of whether or not I like a book. But I got back into it and really loved it! Real life got in the way a bit but I finally finished it this morning.

This will date the review a bit but there is something deeply cathartic about reading cosmic horror when Omicron is rearing its ugly head and the powers-that-be in our own governments are failing us in sometimes minor and sometimes major ways. Just the huge complexity of these systems is a kind of cosmic horror. At least we aren't dealing with the (all-too-often literal) shit they have to in this book though.

Glad I read it. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Excrement, Gore, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, and War

carrionkid's review against another edition

5.0

I've actually read this several times before but I got hit with the mad desire to reread it. What appears to be a horror comedy about cosmic, eldritch terrors on the surface actually belies a surprisingly nuanced and sympathetic story of mental illness and disability. It's insane, balls to the wall crazy, funny, clever, and overall just a compelling read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Excrement, and Suicidal thoughts

cabeswaren's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Animal death and Body horror

Minor: Ableism, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Excrement

kell's review against another edition

adventurous funny tense fast-paced

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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Excrement, Gore, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Ableism and Sexism

Minor: Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

ohkmurr's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

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

2.0

I was immediately hooked in the prologue, but I quickly fell out of it, and by the end I was not into it at all. It's like a Supernatural spoof trying to be Fight Club and Donnie Darko at the same time. I warn you: this book is not for the weak stomached either—I had the creepy-crawls the entire time and was generally grossed out for a lot of it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Vomit, and Violence

Lots of creepy-crawly content—mostly bug-related.