Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

69 reviews

booksthatburn's review against another edition

mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

In A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES, Sam is visiting her mother in the home they once shared with her now-deceased grandmother. However, most of the ways Sam's mother had decorated to make the place her own have been undone, and she doesn’t seem to understand or acknowledge why this would be disturbing. Little things start to add up, eventually going beyond what’s merely bizarre - transforming into something downright creepy. 

Because as a reader this is my introduction to Sam’s mother, it’s harder to immediately know how she ought to be acting, but Sam’s thoughts provide that context in a way that feels natural. It feels like Sam working through it in her own mind, and not just for the benefit of me as a spectator. This is one of those cases where the things that I like best about the book are the ways that my understanding of of what's going on suddenly shifted as new information became available. It's short enough that to discuss most of what I loved in the latter half of the book would spoil many of the best parts of the experience. In general, I like the way that this played with my expectations of what a horror novel could or should be. There were several layers of revelations that didn't really feel like plot twists, as much as they involved realizing the meaning of information that had been said previously, but was transformed by new events. 

I love the ending, that ramps up the pace and the stakes to be suddenly exciting just as everything looked like it was going to wrap up more calmly.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Vomit, Dementia, and Alcohol

alienor's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Fatphobia, and Blood

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Racism

swarm of insects

jaedia's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

cathuluu's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Fire/Fire injury

awebofstories's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Grade: A

This is my first T. Kingfisher book, but it won't be the last.  I quite enjoyed this somewhat crazy haunting story.  The prose was clear and fun to read, but it still built a lot of suspense.  I found this more creepy than scary, but that will probably vary from reader to reader.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror and Emotional abuse

itsalina's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Fatphobia, Violence, Blood, and Cannibalism

Minor: Body horror, Death, Racism, and Murder

solari's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

A modern southern ghost story, complete with vultures, bugs, roses, and witches. Sassy and sarcastic main character, Very satisfying. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

maryellen's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Ursula Vernon does mundane-to-utterly-terrifying so brilliantly. . Excellent characters, a story that starts off slow, with little moments of dread, and then launches itself into full-blown terror. I absolutely loved it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

boglord's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Racism, and Blood

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Cursing, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail