Reviews - Oddbody | The StoryGraph

107 reviews for:

3.5 - I enjoyed these stories - they're weird, gory, and made me squirm. I love anything weird and bizarre in my books. However, I just didn't find it to be anything too groundbreaking or different. I feel like body horror short stories are 'in' enough right now that you really need to differentiate, and I don't think any of the stories did that. I found them all super well-written and interesting, just not any different than any other collection like this that I've read. If you're a self proclaimed 'weird girl/guy/person' reader, I'd recommend you check these out!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.

jennadoyle's review against another edition

4.0

dark funny lighthearted reflective

So weird. One story is literally would you still love me if I was a worm. One was about women who actually lay eggs when they ovulate. One was about a detox doctor who pulled a creature out of a woman. Even with all the weirdness, I think you could find some greater meaning in the stories. Entertaining and I never knew what I was gonna read about next.

chuckstafer's review against another edition

2.0

challenging mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

This story collection was certainly “odd”. The stories contained in this collection were all very strange, but they were strange enough to keep me reading without being too weird. But, the stories all just seemed to lack a conclusion. On some of these, it’s almost as if the author just stopped writing and I had no idea where the stories were going. I really liked the fantasctial world where some of these stoires took place becasue they were so strange (sheep growing on stalks like corn: very interesting), but I just wish the author did more with the worlds and build stronger stories around them. Not a win for me at least.

atomicbbgum's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

🥚🐑🪽👻Oddbody👻🪽🐑🥚

You ever finish a book and then stare at a wall contemplating life and asking yourself what the hell did I just read?

This is the embodiment of that.

"...Change, any kind of change. It would feel ecstatic, even if it was a bad thing..."

In this cornucopia of bizzare short stories, we get a bit of everything, weird girl lit, sci-fi, horror, bodyhorror, a look into grief, body dismorphia, the complexities of human relationships, the never ending cycle of trying to fit in into a society that keeps changing, and the relationship within ourselves, all in the light of a feministic POV. I absolutely loved it!

Some of the stories straight out turn my stomach, others made me sad, some made me pause and think and others just freaked me out! Every story has two views if you look close enough.

If you like weird girl literature, bizzarre horror tales and enjoy Bora Chungs work you will absolutely will love Oddbody!

I would love to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this awesome debut e-book ARC!

catherineisa's review against another edition

3.0

dark tense

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Some interesting stories and a well laid style, I liked some more than others but that isn't surprising based on the genre.

mdahg's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I absolutely loved this collection of short stories from Rose Keating! It was the perfect mix of ‘wtf,’ weird girl/sad girl lit, and body horror. Even though all the stories are very different and distinct, I can imagine them all occurring in the same world.

The stories in ODDBODY focused on girl-/womanhood and complex relationships. Namely with yourself, parents, and romantic partners. Also, societal expectations of women and what is right and wrong for them to do or how to carry themselves. Even though these stories were bizarre with bizarre characters, I could relate to each story in different ways.

iznz's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark tense medium-paced

It's safe to say that I am partially shaken and traumatized, but I survived this book like a champ.

I love weird literature and enjoy body horror, but to a certain extent, this book really disturbed and triggered me so much that I felt dizzy. The explicit scenes were brutal and gory, and while the stories were well-written and easy to understand, that also made them even more triggering.

Thank you for the ARC, Edelweiss!

Content Warnings

lanaconda's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book is for the weird litfic girly pops! It’s a dark short story collection about women; bodily/psychological functions, shame, sex, the spectrum of emotion, outsider/outcast perceptions, and all of it in relation to other people and circumstances. Next to Cleanliness, Notes on Performance, and The Test were my favorites! I really enjoyed this book. All the stories packed a punch and some of them make you feel a little squeamish, either from relatability or description. There’s literally a story called Squirm. It’s a very intricate weirdness, horrific, but worth the ride. I’ve definitely not read anything like it! I love Irish writers.

TW: There's some animal stuff that may be a no-no for some. Not too graphic but if that subject matter is off limits to you, keep it in mind before reading.

Oddbody comes out on July 1st. Thank you so much to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the arc!