Reviews with content warning for Body horror - Boy Parts

Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

jil_m's review

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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hjb_128's review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-paced

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

4.0

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sofiaboebia's review

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challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

this book was intense with a lighthearted “nothing matters” tone, in the creepiest way. The last chapter sums this up completely and is a stunning ending to such a gripping book. It almost feels stereotypical but not, it feels like it relies on shock but it doesn’t, it’s well written but almost not. The last line leaves you mouth open, but not particularly shocking. The book follows a deeply attractive woman’s sabbatical from a bar job she was forced to take. excessive drug use, mania, and clearly phycopathic behaviors leave her recollection of the story questionable and unreliable. The first 200 pages are a slow build of a clearly messed up woman living here life as a photographer and partying but the last 100 pages take a dark and gorey turn. This book follows her vengefulness and almost rage, and as awful as she is, she is an compelling and (for some of it) almost forgivable main character(this obviously has to do with her narration as well). This book is almost entirely character driven, nothing “just happens” to her except for the reason she is on a sabbatical in the first place. Although it is plot driven there is no positive character development to speak of, throughout the book she looks through her archives of photos and reflects, but clearly she has been a similar person for a long time and will continue to be.

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maddiechristine15's review

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dark

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

3.25

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isaarusilor's review

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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stories_of_the_soul27's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I am very happy that this genre exists. This genre could have its own literature course very easily.

Irina is unlikable and unreliable. She is cruel, unhinged and broken (?). She is powerful in the sense that she knows the screws she needs to tweak to get her ways. She picks up this average looking men and makes them feel desirable by clicking racy pictures of them. The whole power dynamics is so hypnotic. She is so controlling and manipulative of her subjects. They bow to her because she plays her part well. She knows how to dress, how to talk and exactly how to reply to keep everyone on the hook. She fishes the insecure ones and completely exploits and uses them. There’s certain kind of cruelness to her. She sneers when she hears her male contemporary getting awards and recognitions by photographing already sexy women models while Irina is building things literally from scratch with average looking men.

The jump between present and past was so smooth and the timing was rightly done. Her crazy actions completely threw me off sometimes. Irina does a lot of unjustified things. And she will continue to do so unless she has a massive breakdown or she is stopped. She was abused in her teenage years and the way her mother treats her to this day is another reason why Irina cannot be nice to anyone. Irina is mean and vile through to her core. She does not even spare strangers without acting against them even it is in small ways. She is obsessed with being skinny in the most unhealthy ways. She cannot let go of her girl best friend whom she just wrings and uses like a dishcloth.

Irina’s job is one which has also put her in harm’s way. Calling unknown men to her home to be photographed in a fetishised way her cost her security. Still she plowed on. Stupid or brave? A disparity definitely because if roles were reversed it is again women only who are in danger. Irina is also a regular drunk and addict. This has also lead to her safety issues. She knows this and yet she goes on with this lifestyle. She is self destructive. Either she believes that the worst has already happened to her or she believes that she won’t let the men (or patriarchal society) stop her from living her life the way she wants.

The books after second half goes on to becoming more dark and visceral. More of Irina’s unhinged actions are thrown a light upon. She asks a question at one point about how far she can take it before someone tells her to fuck off without trying to justify her actions. I think she is frustrated for not being taken seriously because she is a woman from a working class with a middle class upbringing. The world she is trying to venture into and life she wants to build for herself is one full of posh, upper class people. It is very far out of her reach.

I do believe our surroundings while growing up make us who we are. Part of Irina is because of that. But I also believe that we are our choices. So yes some part of Irina is crazy like a psycho. She simply likes violent shit and is always willing to take it a bit too far. Her choice of movies and what she does to her models is evidence of that. But yes she is a victim too.

I will reread this book again after a few years later and try to critically judge the themes then after reading a bit more of books in this genre.

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kates_cupcakes's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Feels like a fever dream, you experience the hallucinations as she does and because she’s unreliable you don’t trust her. Heavy drug use and alcohol fuel the plot and it keeps the pages turnings at almost a dizzying speed. This book makes you feel lost in time, almost as if the world stops

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whatlenalikes's review

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

3.75

While the concept and the story of the book is absolutely fantastic, sometimes I felt like it got a little too self aware of its own edginess. I’m conflicted about whether that was intentional or not. But it’s a brutal commentary on classism and sexism, and what women have to do to be taken seriously. So I really can’t fault it too much. Definitely worth a read.

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