Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

4 reviews

vixenreader's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

More of a cult folk horror than a slasher, and with a messy narrative structure, a cast of likeable teens with strong friendships, twists that I genuinely did not see coming, and visceral horror and gore made up for the book’s shortcomings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Animal death, Child death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Stalking, Child abuse, Violence, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Medical content, Cursing, Gun violence, and Torture

Minor: Sexual content, Police brutality, and Racism

There is also police negligence, ritualistic sacrifice, weaponry, horror movie spoilers and bodies hidden in lakes.

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Sexual content, Stalking, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Blood, Kidnapping, Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Medical trauma, and Physical abuse

startjpw23's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is a great take on the summer camp/slasher/final girl trope. The initial set-up is clever and not one I have seen before. The book does a great job building tension. If a book can have jump scares, this book has them. There is a mystery intertwined with the horror. I liked the resolution of the mystery. This main protagonist, Charity, is an appealing lead character. Her responses to the events in the book were realistic. The responses of the other characters were realistic also. I can't recommend this book highly enough for those who like the horror trope I described above. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Murder, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death

bookish_afrolatina's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Bayron brought back the vibes of older slasher flicks in You’re Not Supposed To Die Tonight and it was just as entertaining. 

Charity runs the show at Camp Mirror Lake, a gory horror simulation where she and her crew are tasked with scaring the living daylight out of guests each night. It’s a typical summer of fright until some of her staff mysteriously don’t show up for shifts. Oh well! This “final girl” leads her team in another game with her girlfriend and bestie subbing in. Little do they know, it’s about to get real.

This book accomplishes what every teen slasher should, which is keep you on your toes! However, I could have done with a little more substance on Charity‘s situation with her mom and literally anything about Beni’s family. The characters had fun lines here and there but they mostly felt one-dimensional. 

It was a cool premise, but the pacing sped wayyyy up at the end and the epilogue left me feeling like, “okay…I guess that’s nice.” Felt like there was a whole in how that wrapped up.

If you’re looking for some books for your Spooky Season TBR, this would be a good addition.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, and Gore

Moderate: Sexual content, Stalking, Abandonment, and Animal death