Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott

15 reviews

awebofstories's review against another edition

dark tense 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

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, and Body horror

pagesofkenzie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Body horror, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide attempt, Grief, Addiction, and Death of parent

kristenbynoe's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Violence, Sexual violence, Self harm, Colonisation, Drug use, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Genocide, Alcoholism, and Death of parent

sortabadass's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Body horror, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Addiction

_inge's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad

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

4.5

4.5 stars 

This book had me hooked from the start. Alice felt incredibly real, and I had no issue envisioning her life from the first pages. I love especially how her husband is seen to try his hardest but doesn’t quite get ‘it’, which made their communication issues understandable - even though this is usually something that can really put me off in a novel. The way Alice’s mental health develops felt very real too, I’m not surprised the author consulted women with similar experiences on this as it did come across as natural. Initially she’s quite funny and seems a bit conflicted, but gradually she spirals further and further. Some segments reminded me of Mona Awad’s writing. I love magical realism, horror, and unreliable narrators, so this was perfect for me. 

The only downside to me is that the last quarter didn’t feel very necessary. The story seems to wrap up at one point, and I didn’t really need more of the plot to feel satisfied with the ending. I wouldn’t have minded an ambiguous ending, given the story as a whole could be interpreted in different ways as well. It would’ve been clear enough to feel like a fitting end. Instead, the last quarter increases the magical elements and wants to highlight generational trauma more. I actually felt less satisfied with this additional context than I would’ve felt if the book ended about 50 pages earlier. 

If you’re into some of the topics I’ve mentioned here, you’re surely going to enjoy reading this book. I’d like to read more from Native authors after reading this as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racial slurs, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Vomit, and Racism

Moderate: Self harm, Child death, and Gun violence

fiaharringbook's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

This book was a life-changer for me. It was like Get Out but make it Indigenous Canadian, meets Everything Everywhere All at Once or Interstellar. The scope of imagination, creativity and originality in the way this story was told was gob-smacking. My favourite book of the year so far, absolutely bloody exquisite, I cannot recommend enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child death, Death of parent, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Body horror, Classism, Drug abuse, Genocide, Addiction, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Gore, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Cursing, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Death, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs

caitlinxreads's review against another edition

dark sad tense 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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Racial slurs, Cannibalism, Body horror, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Addiction, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, and Self harm

alicelalicon's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Racism, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Body horror, Drug use, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Xenophobia, Grief, Mental illness, and Gore

baileyanabella's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

... just wow. I am going to be thinking about this book for a long, long time. My first completed title from the 2024 Women's prize longlist, and if the rest of them hold a candle to this one then we are in for a real treat.
Slight spoiler alert in the content warnings - but if you are sensitive to dark themes I recommend looking over them, there is a lot in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Addiction, Body horror, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Grief, Racism, Confinement, Suicide attempt, and Blood

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Drug use, Child death, and Chronic illness

jessicakornelsen's review

challenging dark emotional tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Drug abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Death of parent, Cannibalism, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Colonisation, Classism, Racial slurs, Genocide, and Body horror