Reviews tagging 'Mass/school shootings'

Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt

21 reviews

lynxpardinus's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Vomit, Antisemitism, Blood, Deadnaming, Death, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Deportation, Excrement, Mass/school shootings, War, Child abuse, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Bullying, and Classism

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Incest

magellen's review

challenging mysterious slow-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

2.0

I...am guessing this might hit different if youre british? 😒 Good god its so far up its ass rambling most of the time you're stuck waiting for it to find a plot. This book reads like its reaching to top Evangelion. I was about 40% through when I really started wondering like...what the hell is this trying to accomplish? It just...spilled rather than building. 

The synopsis that pulled me in was so loosely the basis that if the content actually stood by it you'd have about 20% of the whole damn book left. 

Also I mean when the friend turned into a meat swastika i was like alright we're just...rolling with that...happening. there's a lot of gore and transphobic talk obviously and like SHRUG be ready for that? It...gets old FAST.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Rape, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Death, Cursing, Colonisation, Antisemitism, Violence, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Racism, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Grief, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Mass/school shootings, Gore, Drug use, and Blood

lindseyas's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad 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? Yes

3.25

I think that this book was just not my cup of tea. We read the introduction to it in my "Literary Hauntings" class last semester, so when I saw it at the bookstore I picked it up because I recognized the title. It is a refreshing, political take on the haunted house trope and the idea that ghosts stem from trauma, but it was just really, really heavy. The sexual violence and horrific language and situations were a lot to get through, but the symbols really shine through in terms of the representation of fascism, transphobia and hatred. I think that it was well-written in that sense, but there were some moments where it was overwhelmingly and honestly the aura didn't feel necessary. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Sexual content, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Vomit, Sexual assault, Self harm, Racism, Colonisation, Deadnaming, Death, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Rape, Gaslighting, Hate crime, War, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Outing, Murder, Xenophobia, Violence, Racial slurs, and Pedophilia

ecn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

I don’t even know what to say about the book. It was absolutely brutal in every possible way and I could barely get through it. This book contains seemingly every trigger so check that before moving forward.
I can’t say I enjoyed this book but it was really well written and reflective of everything evil and vile about the world we live in. It’s hard to read a book with shitty MCs who are also not shitty and oppressed by society. I know that’s the point but phew. There was nothing light or good to hold into in this.

The ending also left me kind of confused as to what actually happened (whether this was bc of the multiple POVs, the jumping around of timelines, or bc I read the audiobook, I have no idea).

Overall feeling very ???? I would like for my scowl and jaw to unclench but I doubt that will happen any time soon.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Antisemitism, Rape, Vomit, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Racism, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Deadnaming, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Dysphoria, Drug use, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Animal death, War, Violence, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Hate crime, Drug abuse, Deportation, Death, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Classism, and Blood

books_onthe_ground's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Child abuse, Classism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Biphobia, Death, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexism, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Transphobia

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Vomit, and Addiction

thebankofbooks's review

challenging hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Racism, Rape, Violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Suicide, Vomit, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Excrement, Deportation, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Ableism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, and Toxic friendship

laiva's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective fast-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: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Excrement, Gore, Hate crime, Murder, Pedophilia, Antisemitism, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

gia0203's review

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense 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

4.25

This book showed how fascism is circular - how our history is shared and how quickly our anger at our own circumstances becomes hatred for others. It was hard to read at times, but that’s the point. Horror is a fantastic way to examine the world around us, and Alison knows it.

The climax of this book is harrowing and I felt nauseous reading it. What a fucking ride. The way the text splits into two… Original, terrific. 

I will say though that the idealistic ending between Alice and Ila is forced. This book should have ended on page 252. I don’t buy for a second that they could’ve escaped that house and moved on so happily. Maybe I’m pessimistic, but trauma isn’t so easily erased and radicalism can’t be so quickly undone. These two were doomed from the start. It was just too quickly wrapped up. I felt like Alison was just too fond of them to give them the ending they should have had.

 

I also think that the social commentary became too much at times. I understood the point was that all oppression is similar, but it was just a bit too much to comprehend.

That said, I will never read this book again, but I would completely recommend it. It is not for the faint of heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Transphobia, Antisemitism, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Blood, Death, Suicide, Drug abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Self harm, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Abortion, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Excrement, and Gun violence

ruddsreads's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Violence, Antisemitism, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Mass/school shootings

sleaterkenneth's review

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Be very mindful of the content warnings but seriously one of the best horror novels I've ever read. The writing is incredible and the concept is so well executed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Racism, Antisemitism, Body horror, Gore, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Mass/school shootings and Hate crime

Minor: Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, and Self harm