Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda

44 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

hbic's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Blood

Moderate: Eating disorder, Death of parent, Dementia, and Terminal illness

porshainielsen's review

reflective 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? Yes

3.5

3.5. Homegirl did in fact not eat very many men!! I was I was expecting more of a revenge plot and got more of a lost girl in her twenties (samesies) I wanted to know more about Lydia’s vampirism; the getting drunk off cows milk was confusing to me and fever dream esc. Also, the dog does NOT die; I was very concerned when the cutest pug entered the plot line but we chillin. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism

Moderate: Death of parent and Eating disorder

vee_the_tree's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense 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? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, Body shaming, and Death

Minor: Terminal illness, Dementia, Eating disorder, Animal death, Grief, Cancer, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

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

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

gzaborski's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

So true vampire bestie, eating men IS self care.

Honestly this novel did a great job conveying the atypical story of a young vampire coming to terms with her creative spirit, her femininity, her mixed race heritage, and her vampire-human identity. 

At times the metaphors presented in this novel felt a bit heavy handed, but overall it was a really fun take on a vampire story and packed a lot of feeling into a 230-page book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Sexual assault

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Death of parent

sandravic's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Eating disorder

Minor: Death of parent

ramreadsagain's review against another edition

medium-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

4.0

I put this off for a while because I was a bit worried about the low average rating it has, but ended up really enjoying it.

Reminded me a lot of the film Only Lovers Left Alive at times, in that it's an all-vibes take on a mentally-ill vampire in a modern world, struggling to find food. I also loved it as an exploration of being mixed race, the exploitation of the art world (something something vampire metaphore) and having a strained relationship with your mother. 

The writing is a fairly detached stream of consciousness that falls solidly within the Sad Girl Fiction genre, but I feel like it managed to say a lot and also had a really satisfying ending. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Blood

Moderate: Racism and Dementia

Minor: Animal death

foxwish's review against another edition

reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment and Eating disorder

Moderate: Death of parent and Infidelity

Minor: Sexual content