Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

31 reviews

rodent_scribbles's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

A beautiful reflection of grief, human nature, and monstrosity.
This book made me feel the grief of each character deep in my bones.
The way Mexico City is portrayed speaks to my own experience growing up and it is truly lovely to see my hometown represented so lovingly.

And incredibly strong debut, I am excited to read whatever Gerardo Sámano Córdova writes next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Chronic illness

Minor: Alcohol, Medical content, and Homophobia

puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition

dark emotional 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: Terminal illness, Child death, Death, Animal death, Cannibalism, Blood, Body horror, and Grief

Moderate: Medical content, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Confinement, and Drug use

coryyalva's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

There is so much to be said about this book that I do not even know where to begin.

While Monstrilio didn't take me on the journey I expected it to, it did fill me with endless emotions as it touched on love, loss, grief, and labels and expectations. This book spoke to me in a way I had not expected it to.

(Please look up the trigger warnings first, but....) go read Monstrilio!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Blood, Child death, Gore, Animal death, Violence, Death, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Cannibalism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Medical content, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Sexual content

Minor: Drug use

ccerpa's review against another edition

2.75

I really enjoyed the concept but I think it lost the thread once the

kinky scenes started and the big jump happened…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Murder, Medical content, Grief, Gore, Death, Child death, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Blood

holy_moly_colee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Cannibalism, Grief, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Murder, and Violence

spacebras's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.0

Well written and has a strong message :)  but for me it's fine and not earth shattering.  It's not so much <i>horror</i> horror as it is magical realism. It turns from slight horror to domestic fiction pretty quickly and the pace drops from there. And I think that misunderstanding soured the story for me because it was not what I was expecting, but unfortunately it wasn't able to recapture my attention. 

I'm not rating it lower because of what I wished it was, but how to never really got to me in the end. Maybe it was the tone? I'm not sure. I can understand why people are into it. But I wouldn't call it "genuinely scary" like the blurbs tot. Outside of the first few scenes it's really not. And it doesn't have to be- it's just promoted as such

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Body horror, Child death, and Medical content

Moderate: Cannibalism and Animal death

In the first scene, a child's dead body is torn open by his mother and a piece of his lung is taken out. It is graphic, but is the most graphic the story will get. And not done with ill intention (it's complicated)

michael_langeloo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Murder, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Grief, Violence, Body horror, Medical content, Sexual content, and Gore

sarcomatic's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book, like M, grew on me. I liked the pacing between the moments of horror (extremely tense, slightly grotesque) and the more reflective pieces (the parents reflections of their grief, their felt responsibility of their creation, and their relationship as parents). M’s perspective was the perfect ending to the book. I like how it said true to horror leaving it open-ended, but it felt much deeper than just any old monster tale. I also really enjoyed the changes in location and what the tones of the cities (Mexico City, Berlin, New York) brought to the novel. I took off .5 stars only because I was sure it would be a 4 star rating, until I got to M’s perspective, but that is not a majority of the book. Still highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

Moderate: Blood

anilourengo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny 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

2.0

An innovative way to treat parenthood figures in different circunstances, such as supporting their child regardless the consequences and grief.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Medical content, Sexual content, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

joensign's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Grief, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Medical content, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Confinement, and Sexual violence