Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda

14 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.

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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

clairevlinney's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror

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.

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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. 

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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

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Sexual assault

margauxjpg's review against another edition

reflective 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Cannibalism, and Sexual harassment

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

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Content Warnings

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

snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, Death of parent, Blood, Dementia, Racism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts

itsdanibee's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Animal death

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Body horror, Colonisation, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexism, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Xenophobia, Infidelity, Murder, Cannibalism, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, Child death, and Child abuse

bridgetbry'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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment

Moderate: Racism, Sexual violence, and Body horror