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kylieqrada's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Medical content
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
unboxedjack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Infertility, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Sexual assault and Toxic relationship
smitinghedgehog's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Pregnancy
apiecalypsejen's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
krisalexcole's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
ohsunnyaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death and Rape
Minor: Misogyny
thayerbowen's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Blood
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism
gabbyfaw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Graphic: Body horror
Minor: Sexual assault
hotdaddybiscuit's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
maimy_santiago99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A nice twist on the latest trend in Gothic horror, I found some of the more esoteric bits of world building a bit too puzzling to be creepy. I think the normally of people with their organs outside their bodies and with mechanical replacements, for example, could have been established as being completely ordinary and not unusual a bit earlier, though I don't know how without it becoming tedious and ruining that lovely opening. The mysteries abound and few are explored, though, and that pulled me out of the story a bit as things continued to tangle but very few threads came loose.
The queerness in the story is simultaneously entirely incidental and completely pervasive- a character with he/him pronouns who lactates and acted as a wet nurse presented and seen as just another person rather than a trans person or a genetic anomaly (I assume the former, but in the world of the novel it could easily be the latter), the androgyny of the narrator for the first half of the book, the almost neglectful acceptance of physical differences... It's clear that in this world, queerness of any stripe isn't a huge deal to anyone who doesn't desperately want heirs, to the point where it is ubiquitous and almost blasé in its presentation, but it still feels revolutionary in the world we live in.
The twins were a highlight for me, and I'd happily have read a version of this novel that centered on them instead of the doctor/narrator (which is not to say I didn't enjoy this version!)
All in all, an enjoyable debut. I'll keep an eye out for their sophomore effort.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Confinement, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy