Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

True Biz by Sara Nović

8 reviews

ajoyr's review against another edition

emotional informative 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Body horror

Minor: Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Alcohol, and Drug use

ashton_n's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved the chapters with information on Deaf Culture, the history of Anarchism, and of course our favorite girl, Charlie. 

Favorite Quote: “This is not your fault; this is the way it always has been; there is nothing any of us can do; I love you so much for trying”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Child abuse

Minor: Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Body horror, Alcohol, Dementia, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

sarkenobi's review

challenging informative reflective 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Body horror, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Dementia, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Dysphoria, Grief, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Abandonment, Car accident, Child death, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Cultural appropriation, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Violence

elmtreebooks's review

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective 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

I loved visiting this world, and the interstitial nonfiction elements were used deftly to educate while building out the foundation for the story. 

Character wise, I enjoyed the range of flawed but interesting POVs we got, some more hate-able, some more lovable. 

Plot wise, the ending was a bit abrupt and does not provide a strong sense of closure about the most critical plot element, which is frustrating but appears to be accurate to life for this community — you don’t really get a happy ending, just a glimmer of hope (or rebellion, really) but I probably would have found it disingenuous to the intent of the book for these major systemic issues of discrimination to be wrapped up tidily just to see our characters land happily. 

Kayla was amazing and I’m glad we got a chapter from her POV. 

This was read as a book club pick, and overall, I will strongly recommend this read. 

Quotes that I highlighted:

 
“But whether or not she banished the thoughts from her own head did little to help Emily, or any of the kids whose parents' affections were distributed on a sliding scale tethered to how well said kid could perform normalcy.“

“She would learn as much as she could and do whatever she could to dismantle all that she knew to be broken, brick by brick, by hand if she had to. She would keep the bricks, though. She would use them to build something new.” 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Body horror

kelsea's review

adventurous dark informative reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Medical content, Body horror, Car accident, and Medical trauma

Minor: Drug use

lacey_wi's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Dementia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment

gm_vak's review

challenging informative lighthearted 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Ableism, Child abuse, and Medical content

jessalex610's review

adventurous challenging funny informative reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Would’ve appreciated more background stories aside from single chapter anecdotes, and disappointed that Kayla and her experience as a Black Deaf girl wasn’t elaborated more on in this book, but I loved the story, the stakes of it, how reflective it was of ableism IRL. The in-between ASL lessons were such a cool and unique addition that made a lot of sense. Didn’t expect the ending, don’t really know how I feel about it. Overall a read I’d recommend to friends!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Ableism

Moderate: Religious bigotry and Racism

Graphic detail of body horror connected to ableism and religious trauma regarding Eliot’s story at end of chapter 60