Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Cows by Matthew Stokoe

18 reviews

seraphina2000's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Vomit, Gore, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Murder

siobhan_leahy's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

<spoiler ish here>

OK, so there is gore, there is carnage there is every trigger warning you can possibly think of and more that you can't but........ Is it realistic? Is it drawn from real life?  Talking cows? Evil parents and inner personal demons?

Well I'm going to say yes!!!! And before you laugh (whoever saw a talking cow) I'll explain.

This is a story about a guy who's been abused by his only parent for 25 years, his boss at his 1st and only job sexually abuses him. Forcing him to doing things he doesn't want to, complete power trip and manipulation of the vulnerable. (sound familiar yet?)

Afraid of the world around him, desperate to be part of a normal loving family he clings to the only thing he has ever found comfort with. A disturbed girl living in a flat above him and the cows at the meat factory where he works.

His descent into madness and mental health is sadly a true reflection on the world in which we live. Working in this sector I see these vulnerable people everyday and my heart aches for them.

Mental health does not operate in the neat tidy box's we slide society into. It doesn't cover over the nasty dirty details of the human condition, like this book, it is cold, open, cruel, dirty, and outcast. Society seeks to hide it (and from it)! Mental health is a growing pandemic in today's world much like a developing herd of Murderous talking cows under a city.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Abandonment, Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Rape, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Not for the faint hearted or those with a weak stomach

rileye's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious fast-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? Yes

4.5

This book is really gross and awful and I'm not sure it's even good and it might be my favorite book I've read in the last few years. The definition of a guilty pleasure, I read cows in a single night after finding a pdf on some internet form site. It's basically a coming of age story on PCP with a healthy dose of animal cruelty and possible psychosis. Don't read this probably. Again, I'm not sure it's actually any good I'm just a sicko.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Violence, Self harm, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Sexual violence

Gross book, again not for someone put off by ridiculously graphic stuff. Also features one of those captive bolt cow stunnerr things, so that's always good.

abbie_reads_horror's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.0

Please check all the trigger warnings!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Abortion, Animal death, Murder, Sexual assault, and Mental illness

yennifer's review against another edition

challenging dark

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Excrement, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Animal death, Gore, Sexual assault, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Violence

straple's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

2.5

This book sets out to be depraved and disgusting and it definitely does that. Not really any development, and was bad enough I had to step away from the book to gag multiple times. Not for the faint of heart!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

Beastiality

connellplease's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Excrement, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

moumita's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

2.0

The book is depraved and monstrous. Not for the faint of heart. It will make you gag and want to throw up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Vomit, Torture, Sexual violence, Self harm, Rape, Gore, Excrement, Death, and Animal death

Moderate: Blood, Confinement, and Mental illness