Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

82 reviews

victoriamark's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Drug use, Murder, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Drug abuse

imaginaryalchemist's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

As soon as I finished Ninth House I knew I had to read the sequel, and it didn't disappoint!

One of my favorite aspects is the characters. They all play off each very well in my opinion. It's always entertaining to see Alex banter with everyone, I love how much of a smart ass she is. My favorite character would probably have to be Mercy, I'm glad she got more screen time and development in this novel.

I am curious to see how she handles everything moving forward, if she'll try to distance herself from Lethe and Alex.

I also enjoyed the murder mystery aspect, just like I did in Ninth House, and how it blended in with the overall story. I do wish the societies had played more of a role, they're very interesting and I'd like to know more about them.

I'll be eagerly awaiting the third installment in the Alex Stern series, and I plan on checking out Leigh Bardugo's YA series. I enjoy her writing style

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Sexism, Violence, Addiction, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Misogyny and Sexism

There are frequent mentions of rituals that often involve body horror. Murder is a major plot point. The main character's past, (which involves drugs, an abusive relationship, death, s*xual assault, forced institutionalization, and murder) is frequently brought up.

crownoflaurel's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• 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

Moderate: Body horror, Classism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death

maregred's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death of parent, Addiction, Violence, Blood, Classism, and Death

Minor: Sexual assault

tallulahlucy's review

adventurous mysterious 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

5.0

If you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you’ll probably love Hell Bent - but bear in mind this is not YA and please mind the tags 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Animal death, Violence, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Addiction and Rape

Minor: Suicide, Torture, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Self harm, Body horror, and Sexism

alwaysellana's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Vomit, and Murder

Moderate: Self harm, Rape, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Torture

Minor: Death, Body horror, Misogyny, Addiction, and Death of parent

alicelalicon's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Self harm, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, Animal death, Grief, Police brutality, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Gore, and Murder

Minor: Slavery

risaleel's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Body horror, Addiction, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Torture, Violence, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore

Minor: Mental illness, Police brutality, Racism, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Sexual assault

maddiereadswords's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

1.5

Well, I liked this one better than the first one, so that's not nothing. I will say I think the pacing is WAY better in this one; it didn't feel like I had to slog through half the book to get to the plot, but the flip side of that is that there was SO MUCH going on in this one that it was almost too much. There's literally an entire side plot that makes absolutely no sense if you think about it for a second longer than Alex does, but then at the end, surprise! Turns out it's just a loophole to fix a problem that didn't actually have to exist (or that at least could have been solved more creatively, because this fully just felt so lazy to me, not gonna lie.)

Some of the characters are marginally less flat than in the first book--specifically Turner, Mercy, and Tripp--but Alex, Dawes, and especially Darlington still are absolutely not working for me. Also the beginnings of a romance getting shoehorned in at the end is just...sure, this might as well happen I guess.

At the very least, this book didn't make me as actively angry as the first one; I was mostly just bored and annoyed with all of the characters and with Leigh herself. Like I said with the first book, her prose isn't bad, and I think this one did a marginally better job at actually saying something than the first one did, but it still was not for me. If I hadn't been bullied into reading these books by my sibling I absolutely would have DNFed. I'm glad other people can enjoy them, but they are absolutely not for me. (That being said I will be reading the third one when it comes out because I love to be a hater. ✌ Maybe she'll surprise me and stick the landing, but I'm not counting on it.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Body horror, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Blood, Drug use, Murder, and Racism

christinereads1823's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Another excellent book from Bardugo; I couldn't put it down. 
However. There are a number of new plot threads that seemed unnecessary at times, and I am honestly not sure how they will be tied up in a probable-but-not-yet-confirmed Book 3... or if they even can be. There is also more gore;

the continual references and visuals of the mangled dead rabbit

were viscerally uncomfortable for me. 
I enjoyed the theoretical aspects; the themes of good, evil, and what you have to do to survive; and the found family and forging of relationships. Who wouldn't go to hell and back for their friends and loved ones? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Death, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Gun violence, Drug use, Cursing, and Suicide attempt