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vixenreader's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Pregnancy, Blood, Gore, Ableism, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Classism, Abortion, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Excrement, Sexism, Violence, Death, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Medical content, Cannibalism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Gaslighting, Bullying, Physical abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Miscarriage, Vomit, Stalking, and Suicide
Be aware that there is characters slowly dying, hunger, starvation, c-sections, blood clots, mob violence, financial struggles, mentions of Nazism, and destruction of cities and families.olliepopop's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Torture, Abandonment, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, and Child death
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Incest
fox_at_the_circus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
The different stories all adress and discuss trauma each in their own way and metaphors and within their genre, it was a really good read. I also appreciate, that in "Reunion" the narrator actually mentions trauma and what it does/can do to people. I don't see this direct mention a lot in horror stories, and it was a nice surprise while fitting into that story well. It also was a nice conclusion to the book, summarising the theme of this book at the end.
My favourite stories of this collection are "The Frozen Finger" for it's pure horror vibes that unfold throught the story, and "Scars" for main character and the growth he goes through.
Graphic: Misogyny, Child death, Suicide, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, and Incest
thomasdingemanse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Body horror, Miscarriage, Blood, Child death, and Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Animal death, Death of parent, Sexism, Abandonment, Medical content, and Car accident
perfectcupoftea's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Animal death, Murder, Blood, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Death, Ableism, Body horror, and Confinement
Minor: Child death, War, Toxic relationship, Genocide, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Car accident
sauvageloup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
pros:
- they're definitely gripping, and the writing style is sparse but clear and evocative, with the descriptions being vivid.
- the stories felt self contained and satisfying overall, even as many ended in tragedy.
- the last book of short stories I read, i struggled to jump from one story to another, maybe because they were so different and by different people. this one wasnt like that at all, and i had no problem reading straight through, pretty much.
- i liked the variety in length and themes of the stories, from birth horror, to supernatural, to fantasy fairy tale and modern criticisms on feminism and capitalism. i think i mainly read very on the surface and didnt look hard at metaphors and such, a reread might help me see this more.
- I liked the sheer imagination though and how Chung makes you care for characters who often arent even given a name.
cons:
- the first two stories especially, but a lot of them overall, were pretty horrible and graphic. they did their job in making you feel things! but it reminded me too much of just horrible nightmares and intrusive thoughts and I wouldnt read those two again.
- I also felt there was generally a lack of hope in the stories, but that's personal taste I guess.
overall, well written and gripping but too horror for me and dont think I'll seek out more of her work, but I might reread this in time.
Graphic: Child abuse, Infertility, Car accident, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Child death, Grief, Gore, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Bullying, Medical trauma, Sexism, Violence, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Torture, Pregnancy, Body horror, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
sneakysophster's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Mental illness, Car accident, Gore, Incest, Suicide, Rape, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Animal death, Body horror, Excrement, Pregnancy, Ableism, Murder, Misogyny, and Child abuse
virginplatonic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Miscarriage, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Confinement, Pregnancy, Gore, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, and Grief
Minor: Excrement, Suicide, Eating disorder, Vomit, Cursing, and War
scifi_rat's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Death and Child abuse
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Medical content, Excrement, Slavery, Body horror, Grief, Violence, War, Abandonment, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Murder, Torture, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Sexism, Suicide, and Vomit
Minor: Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Incest, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Animal death, Alcohol, Abortion, Infertility, Animal cruelty, and Infidelity
cocopeia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Death of parent, Mental illness, Blood, Animal death, Grief, Incest, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide attempt