Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt

242 reviews

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

squid_ears's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.75

You can see Rumfitt's background in poetry in her prose, which is evocative, emotional, and dripping with symbolism. The content of her writing makes this an important but difficult read. The message and themes are timeless, and yet more timely than ever.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Rape, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, and Murder

queersubtext's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Fatphobia and Dysphoria

keenanmaree's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

This was a really tough one to rate. I averaged it at 3 stars because there were things I loved about it and things I really didn’t love about it. I get that the point was to make the reader uncomfortable, but…..jesus. Take those content warnings very seriously. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

call_it_kizmet's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

This book does not hold back but it’s a good and important read.

ellisdex's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

akinderjim's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

beanwa's review

challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.5

Wow. This is one of the most unique books I've ever read. It's weird and violent, a meditation and expression of trauma and fascism. I especially loved how the author wrote Ila, I felt it was an almost compassionate portrayal of a TERF - which I found really compelling.

This would be a 5⭐️ read for me but I did have a few problems with the book.

Mostly that I felt Alice's character was kind of weak. It's later revealed that she's racist, but I didn't really feel like that was properly set up at the start in part one. I also didn't feel super convinced by Ila discovering he's trans. In the sense that I found it a bit on the nose (re: TERFs are closeted trans men) slash not really set up well at the start of the book.

I was also a bit underwhelmed by the ending - though I did like

that the House continues to haunt, even after it's been burnt to the ground.

That all being said, I really enjoyed the writing and how unique and different this book is. I also LOVED the characterisation of the house. So compelling and interesting and spooky!

Overall, I had a few qualms with this book BUT that didn't stop me from loving it! If you enjoy weird reads, you'll likely love this. It is VERY violent and disturbing though. Antisemitism, transphobia, sexual assault, self-harm and body horror abound - so proceed with care.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

grimdark_dad's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Transphobia

Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

I’m honestly not sure how to rate this one. I’m a trans femme writer (in a different medium, but writer nonetheless). I tend to like really confrontational storytelling. So I wanted to love it. It felt in many ways like a rehash of Helen Oyeyemi’s “White Is For Witching” which is one of my favorite books, by way of Chuck Palahniuk. There were passages that really worked for me. There are some interesting ideas being explored. But there was a whole lot that felt bordering on pornographic for no real narrative necessity. The result for me was kinda a mish mash wash from someone who I suspect is a very good writer, but needs some more experience. So I look forward to what Rumfitt does next. But this book was rough for me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria