Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez

107 reviews

everuth91's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia

jess_xen's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

 I wish I had read this closer to spooky season, because it is such a mood dampener. I do not recommend for spring reading.

Mariana's Enriquez's The Dangers of Smoking in Bed is a collection of horrific stories drenched in magical realism. This is my first book by Enriquez after hearing such praise for The Things We Lost in the Fire. I wish I had started with the latter.

Some of the short stories were very abrasive and not in a "this is good horror" kind of way, more in the vein of "how to make this as disgusting as possible". I couldn't find a point for the disgust other than to be disgusting. Perhaps that was because I am unfamiliar with South American folk tales and lack a background in the region's particular style of storytelling.

I thought I would like it more than I did.

**Content Warning: Death/sexual violence/transphobia** 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Transphobia, and Child death

nefarious_rat's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

collection of short stories so character progression and such is difficult, but within each story the characters were distinct and never felt rushed, some of the stories were not to my taste but still very well written, favourites are, our lady of the quarry, the well, the lookout (particularly the characterisation of elina), where are you dear heart (grotesque and delicious my absolute favourite i keep re-reading it), and meat (a very close second favourite for the exact same reasons)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Addiction, Suicide, Child death, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Police brutality, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Blood, Abandonment, Cancer, Excrement, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, Torture, Body horror, Cannibalism, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Vomit, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Stalking, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Infidelity, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Outing, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Biphobia, Cancer, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Confinement

zaraatyeo's review

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, Self harm, Pedophilia, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Vomit, Mental illness, Transphobia, Addiction, and Sexual assault

maisiebrowne1's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Mental illness, Body horror, Gore, Death, Cannibalism, Suicide, Kidnapping, Self harm, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Trafficking

gia0203's review against another edition

2.5

I really didn’t gain much from this. I liked the depiction of spain, I cried at the story “the well” (I could write a whole review just for that story) and I did enjoy a few concepts, but it was so underwhelming? the stories felt stilted and unfinished and I struggled to grasp much of their meaning. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Classism, Excrement, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Kidnapping

Minor: Rape, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Pedophilia

dlrosebyh's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

2.0

I have yet to find a short story collection that can make me go 'wow'. Because this was not it.

It had everything I want in a short story collection. It was directed to people who tend to result to pain, to fear, to anxiety.  But I found this book...lacking? I don't know, I only liked maybe three stories and that's about it. My favorite is absolutely Rambla Triste. If the rest of the collection was written like that, then maybe I would have rated this higher.

Also, the last story has the t slur. I have not seen anyone mention it, which is weird...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Death

Moderate: Pedophilia, Trafficking, and Suicide

Minor: Transphobia

meaghanelizabook's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug use, Transphobia, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Medical content, Suicide, Child death, Drug abuse, Vomit, Alcohol, Body horror, Death, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Kidnapping, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, and Trafficking

lozp's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia

eli99's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

This book had some good stories and some they weren't worth it. It's the type of crazy horror that I love. Boardering on reality. I love reading books like this that have been translated to English because you can tell a bit of the cultural difference as well. Horror and ghost stories are so different between cultures. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Self harm, Kidnapping, Grief, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Gore, Child death, Pedophilia, Violence, Mental illness, Rape, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Suicide

Minor: Transphobia