Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda

25 reviews

askirmishofwit's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I appreciated what this one did and the fact that, for something so weird, it was also very funny. It's just not for the faint of heart re: body horror and is a pretty depressing read given you're in the head of a starving (physically and emotionally) young woman/vampire as she fights against hunger that she's been told is her human and demon sides fighting to take over from each other. Ultimately, all of it reads like a pretty well-crafted extended metaphor of a character dealing with self-loathing, emotional abuse/manipulation by a parent, sexual harassment, ennui and dissatisfaction, body dysphoria and disordered eating, but wrap it all up in a book seemingly about vampirism that doesn't shy away from some body horror and, frankly, too explicit of a description of a dead duck. But it's just very ~literary fiction~ about the whole thing, IYKWIM.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Eating disorder, Death, Murder, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Dysphoria, and Racism

libellumartinae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad 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

3.5

Before going any further with my review I'd like to say that when I started this book, I made a mistake as I don't think that it was appropriate for the period, albeit it was quite comical that I started a book about adulthood after starting my first week of work. Still, this book proved quite too much content heavy for me and I also had my very - high - expectations completely disappointed.

I think it's extremely innovative and interesting the way the author has portrayed vampirism as a metaphor of growing up sheltered and suddenly having to grow up, alongside the whole complex of choosing on which side to land on as the child of immigrated parents; it's definitely a charming idea but I feel like it should have deepened, as so many - important - themes were only brushed superficially. I did enjoy her portrayal of mother-daughter's relationship, but I definitely felt like her whole relationships should have been better deepened (and f*ck you, Ben).

An interesting recount of - suddenly - growing up, that still stayed a bit too dull and unshaped for me!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.75

This book was short and sweet. A misanthropic ‘Buffy’ and ‘what I eat in a day’ video obsessed vampire artist grapples with art and connection in present day London. If you’re a fan of Otessa Moshfegh and Ocean Vuong… imagine a vampire novel written by the two of them.

At the end of the day, this book was about breaking generational trauma, and female desire and its challenge to the gender hierarchy. And I don’t exclusively mean sexual desire, I mean ambition as well.

The prose was absolutely beautiful. The characters were rich and fascinating. Sometimes I felt the grand themes got away from the book a little. But overall, I really really enjoyed this one.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Racism, Murder, Dementia, Sexism, Blood, Death, Grief, Gore, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

peggy_racham's review against another edition

4.75

"I'm not really sure what I am anymore, whether I'm a monster or whether I'm just a woman, or both."

Ah good vampire books. The parallel the Mc draws between being non white and being a vampire are chiefs kiss. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Dementia, Medical content, Death of parent, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Murder, Gore, Grief, and Sexual harassment

renegadegrocerycart's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Murder, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Gore, and Death

Minor: Sexual assault

bexxhenders's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, Gore, and Sexual assault

Minor: Racism and Xenophobia

littki's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Animal death, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Gore, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Bullying, Terminal illness, Vomit, Cancer, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual content, Stalking, Infertility, Death, and Dementia

nadiaxm's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

4.5 stars 
I loved the ending and this writing was beautiful it was just a bit slow but at the same time that’s kinda what made me like it? also i really wish we saw more about her relationship with her mother and her mixed race identity but, if you love vampires and have an identity crisis please read this you will not be disappointed

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, Gore, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse

veelaughtland's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content

alisonscurfield's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Dementia, Body horror, Gore, Blood, and Animal death