Reviews

Woom by Duncan Ralston

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meebo's review against another edition

2.0

With how many positive review this book has, I am extremely disappointed to hear no critiques of a white man (the author) using the n word and being in black peoples business for no reason. I wanted to stop because of the horrible portrayal of black people, but people I seriously respected in the bookish community raved about this splatterpunk novel (yes, I can handle dark shit, but I draw the line at racism - shocking I know), so I thought there would be a reason for this shit (there wasn’t). The bad thing is the underlying story would’ve been good, albeit predictable. There was no reason to write this how it was written. Also SPLATTERPUNK MALE AUTHORS, you can make a fucking great splatterpunk novel without making your “shock value” raping a woman. Just write a good story and don’t rely on shock value just for shock value’s sake. No, this isn’t about me “not being able to handle splatterpunk” - I enjoy splatterpunk. This was a good story ruined by a white guy being shitty. 2⭐️ (story: 4⭐️, problematic things 0⭐️).

38/100

mrshorak's review against another edition

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dark fast-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? It's complicated

3.0

netruce's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

kaleereads's review against another edition

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5.0

it’s been almost a year since i read this book and i think of it so often still. my first voyage into splatterpunk and joy did i jump in the deep end. absolutely love this novella.

mila_nights's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ralston's writing is sharp and unflinching, making the reader confront uncomfortable truths and disturbing scenarios. The narrative structure is unique, interweaving past and present seamlessly, and each story within the story adds a new layer of complexity and horror. The characters are well-developed and their psychological depth adds to the novel's intensity.

While "Woom" is not for the faint of heart due to its graphic content and disturbing themes, it is a compelling read for fans of dark fiction. Ralston's ability to evoke a visceral reaction is impressive, making this book a memorable, albeit unsettling, experience. A solid four-star read for those who appreciate horror that pushes boundaries and challenges the psyche.

Content Warnings