Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez

29 reviews

grace_alice's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Mental illness, Gore, Rape, Suicide, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Child abuse, Trafficking, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, and Drug use

cosyskog's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories, and it definitely needs to come with multiple content warnings. However, maybe the ugliness of some of the characters is the real horror, the unspoken realisation that they are just like people we already know. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Child death, Child abuse, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Excrement, Grief, Body shaming, Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicide, Ableism, Classism, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Cursing, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, and Violence

Minor: Car accident, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Police brutality

itsgeesus's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad tense

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

3.75

This was a really interesting read and one that can be read quite quickly. I was hooked on this mysterious entity that haunted Buenos Aires and thought that the author had portrayed it in such a magnificent way. It was morbid, but not in a way that is usually blood, guts, and gore, but more psychiatrically morbid. The way each story is written plays with the mind, which made it all the more enjoyable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Self harm, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Cannibalism, Drug use, Pedophilia, Body horror, Transphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Mental illness

mayze's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

A collection of short stories, all well written, some of course better than others. I just wished the meaning behind was a bit more obvious

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Blood, Child death, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Addiction, Bullying, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Medical trauma, Murder, and Suicide attempt

emmalouisereads's review

dark fast-paced

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

3.0

I think, as with most short stories, some stories you enjoy and others just aren’t. 

Many of these stories were only about 10 pages which I think is just not long enough for me to get invested.  

I preferred the stories that were a little creepy, especially the longest story in the book ‘the kids who came back’. I didn’t particularly enjoy the stories that weren’t scary and instead were just absolutely vile (on purpose I’m sure). I had to take breaks between stories as some turned my stomach. So, if that’s what you’re looking for - this is the short story collection for you! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cannibalism, Suicide, Body horror, Blood, Child death, Domestic abuse, Excrement, and Self harm

Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexism, Transphobia, Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Pedophilia

nialiversuch's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective 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: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abandonment, Body horror, Body shaming, Excrement, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

miaaa_lenaaa's review

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Favourites were meat and kids who come back
‘She longed for summer to be the last, and she spent more and more time in the lookout tower, where she could b barely hear the whisper of the living, which she knew how to imitate so well, but could not comprehend.’

‘ I have three memories of him, but one of them could be false.‘

SPOILERS-
Kids who come back- kids who’ve disappeared return but not really human
Meat- teen girlies eat their dead idol
The lookout- ghosty wants sad girl in the tower to replace her
Angelita unearthen- lonely ghost baby comes to haunt her relative cause she was left behind
Our lady of the quarry- fuck u smart girl im gonna pray u and ur hot boyfriend get eaten alive by rabid dogs
The cart- neighbourhood chase away homeless man and theyre all cursed but one family isn’t affected
The well-  girl grows up fearless, becomes terrified as her mother and sister delay their fears onto her, she lives on misery, but is too afraid to throw herself down the well
Rambla triste- woman visits friend in barcelona who tells her the streets are full of ghost children who wont let anyone leave
Where are you dear heart- girlypop has a heartbeat irregularity fetish but her boyfriends doesnt mind to much if he dies cause she wants to her his heart beat get more and more problematic
No birthdays or baptisms- guy hired to film things asked to film girl having seizures in which she claims ‘he’ makes her do things
The dangers of smoking in bed- her neighbour was paralysed and smoked in bed till she caught fire and died, girly pokes holes in her sheets with cigarette, the ceiling looks like stars, and smokes out the moths
Back when we talked to the dead- teen girls talking to spirits duh they start to leave mid convo, say they don’t trust one of the girls, one girls brother comes in but it was not her brother

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Violence, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Self harm, Vomit, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

raquelcanread's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Violence, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Alcohol, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault

zombie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Violence, Addiction, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infertility, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, and Suicide

introverted_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, Child death, Mental illness, Drug use, Body horror, Excrement, Sexual content, Suicide, Cannibalism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Medical content, Addiction, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Gun violence, Cursing, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Chronic illness, Alcohol, Transphobia, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Alcoholism, Rape, Vomit, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Incest, Lesbophobia, Ableism, Car accident, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Police brutality