Reviews tagging 'Murder'

To Be Devoured by Sara Tantlinger

24 reviews

lizardgod's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

Kudos to a book making me queasy? That's about all it had going for it, nothing really to write home about.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Child death, Cannibalism, Torture, Suicide, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Animal death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Cancer, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Vomit, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Stalking and Infidelity

stephanieluxton's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

If Fight Club and Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke had a baby, it would be this book.

I think the synopsis of this book is both misleading and too direct. Here's a better summary of the basic plot:

This book is about a troubled young woman who develops and deep fascination with vultures that turns into an obsession. This story follows her as she becomes more and more unhinged.

This book is very different and I loved it way more than I expected to. The reason I enjoyed it so much is that the writing itself is very good. The subject matter is macabre and even quite gross at times but it's written in a way that's so poetic (in a similar way to how the writing in fight club is interesting).

Would I recommend this book? Not to everyone. It's definitely a weird book and I know many people would find it offputting. But if you're looking for something unique, poetic, and enjoy a semi-unreliable narrarator that becomes more unhinged as the story goes on, this is a good one for you.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Car accident, Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Death

Moderate: Cannibalism and Vomit

Minor: Infidelity

Our MC breaks into the neighbours barn and kills and eats a baby piglet raw. Then throws it up later. This scene is both sad because it's a poor animal, but also it's gross.

There's one fairly explicit sex scene between two women.

Our MC shoots her neighbour, killing him, then cuts him up to feed him to the vultures.

The MC eats raw and rotten meat.

brainbread's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

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

2.75

it was a fun read ngl, but it was really short. sometimes it felt like things were missing and the pacing would feel a bit rushed, but it is less than 100 pages and that can all be boiled down to the unreliable narrator.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Animal death, and Mental illness

possible tws: if you like animals, then I'd say maybe be cautious of this book. similarly, there is violence against a poc character initiated by the white, main character so if that may be troubling to you, maybe avoid this book

hen800's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.5

A really effective, depraved horror. Poetically written - but I didn’t find the main character’s obsession with vultures that believable, as we’re thrust into extreme thoughts from the start. Would’ve been more believable if the descent into obsession was slower, so it felt less like a gross-out horror that just intended to shock.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Vomit, Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, Death, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Grief and Death of parent

hayleyw's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Cannibalism, Body horror, Torture, Grief, Mental illness, Vomit, Murder, Car accident, Sexual content, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Violence, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Death, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual harassment

keddy4306's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

HAHAHA only read this to induce vomiting

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Child death, Violence, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, Gaslighting, Body horror, Suicide, Cannibalism, Vomit, Mental illness, Murder, Blood, and Toxic relationship

ennzito24'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? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. Some parts made me very uncomfortable and others had be completely encapsulated. I just couldn't put the book down! Expect lots of gross scenes and very dark undertones as you dwelve into the mind of a woman obsessed with vultures.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Blood, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Violence, Death, Gore, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Cannibalism, Torture, and Animal death

clairedearest_'s review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Vomit, and Death of parent

miss_choon's review against another edition

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Animal death, Blood, Mental illness, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Grief and Death of parent

thescenery's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

Despite being gruesome, and the reading being slow for a book of only 92 pages, the author was able to craft a remarkably intricate story. While reading, the reader may feel uncomfortable, yet they can navigate between understanding Andi and comprehending her unstable mental state. This differentiation was crucial for the book, and the author did a magnificent job of transforming something terribly graphic into beautiful descriptions and perspectives.

However, it was hard to grasp any sympathy for the character. I don't know if it was on purpose or not, but I think the book would benefit from it, getting the reader involved with Andi, because otherwise I just didn't care much.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Murder, and Death