Reviews with content warning for Gore - Maeve Fly

Reviews tagging 'Gore'

ruthypoo2's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.25

This is a well-written and interesting story with a unique and somewhat unbalanced protagonist with feminist-leaning sensibilities. While the flow of the storyline is pretty tight, at times it felt a little slow to me, but around 60-70% it became quite engaging.

The bottom line is that I don’t care for body horror or sexual content, especially when they’re combined. Even though the body horror and sexual content in this book are relatively mild and the author doesn’t go into a lot of detail, it was still, personally, more than I want to read. With that said, it works for the main character, Maeve Fly, and the story, just not for this reader.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Sosie Bacon. The personality and vocal inflections Ms. Bacon brought to all the characters fit perfectly, but I thought the huskiness of her voice took a little getting used to at the start.

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essie101's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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antimony's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

took a little while to get into but the end was CRAZYYY

I knew she would kill liz but was NOT expecting GIDEON oh my god

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anna_pizzichidilibri's review against another edition

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dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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laurareads404's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

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

Can serial killers find true love? Someone who accepts them, violence and all? Find out in Maeve Fly

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dykelberg's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

The twist with the dolls was unexpected and that was fun, but otherwise a lot of the plot felt like shallow shock value. There wasn't much substance and perhaps I missed it but it felt like there was some social commentary that either didn't actually exist or completely went over my head. Still, it was fun for the most part, but not what I had expected from the praise.

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pkatrinaanne's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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cspa's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

First, a little commotion for the cover art, crafted by Carly Janine Mazur and Christine Foltzer!!
While reading the reviews on the back page, I found the comparisons to American Psycho quite intriguing. In my review, I will also compare it to the book, considering the existing comparisons and the few references found within the book itself.

While I had previously watched the film and enjoyed it, last winter during a road trip with my partner, we listened to the Audible version of the book. Although I found the body horror, splatter punk, and gore immensely disturbing, especially as a women reader, the book has lingered in my thoughts. In the end, I gave the book 4.5 stars because I do believe it's something everyone should read, yet surprisingly, many miss its underlying message entirely.

In Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho, there is a significant amount of satire surrounding Bateman’s character and his social circle. The intention is for readers not to sympathize with him, but rather to critique anyone who finds him relatable. Penned by a gay author, it serves as a criticism on masculinity and how easily abhorrent behavior is overlooked. How many men strive to blend in and emulate other men, aiming to maintain appearances without standing out from the crowd? Your status defined by competing to have the best business card or reservations at high-end restaurants to meet societal norms, only to be confused with several other men who resemble and behave like you- the perfect hiding place for a killer. It always astounded me, particularly after finishing the book, how some men perceive Bateman as admirable.

The essence of American Psycho lies in its writing. I admired how Ellis portrayed Bateman's voice, even in drug-induced states of psychosis. Throughout the narrative, you sense his detachment, obsession, meticulousness, emotional instability, and the absence of empathy. The absence of emotional range highlights his fixation, whether discussing a Phil Collins album in one chapter or describing brutal torture in the next, all in the same detached but precise tone. This repetitive yet shocking style provides insight into his psyche, even without a full explanation. The facade he presents to the world underscores the true horror of this character.

This was the type of writing I was excited to hopefully find in C.J. Leede’s book, Maeve Fly. I was anticipating the main character, Maeve, to have similar qualities to Bateman. And unfortunately, this is where the books did not deliver.

Bateman's outward mask is crucial to his public image, symbolizing the duality and detachment in his life. Unfortunately, the delineation of Maeve Fly did not achieve the same effect. Leede portrayed Maeve as timid, yet in every interaction, she proved to be anything but. It seemed as though this perceived character flaw was forced upon her, with little to no satirical representation of her character. She is a killer, a fucked up girl who really loves Halloween and ruining peoples lives on the internet. She also works as a princess at a theme park and is often referred to as the "innocent" one compared to her best friend, Kate. Maeve has blonde hair, while Kate is described as a promiscuous, fame-seeking redhead. Kate is known as "the mean girl," while Maeve is seen as the "weak-willed sidekick." In a light-hearted moment, they playfully ask the bartender about a job at the local strip club. The bartender replies, "You two are such sweethearts, I could not corrupt you! Especially you with that angel face," he says to Maeve.

Bateman resides in a corporate environment that already promotes toxic behavior, enabling him to act as he does without consequences. I wish Maeve's surroundings could’ve been similarly supportive. I wish this book aimed to satirize radical feminists or TERFs, I might have agreed with the reviews then. (I genuinely don't understand why this book has been labeled as a "feminist slasher" or a "feminist masterpiece.” Because the killer is a woman? Because she believes that woman don’t have to be victims to turn into killers? The crucial element that was lacking for me was the authentic portrayal of a psychotic narrator; I am skeptical that merely being "not-like-other-girls" is sufficient to evoke a desire to become a serial killer.)

When delving into a narrative from a killer's viewpoint, I expect the protagonist to be undeniably psychotic. While the book "My Husband" doesn't involve heinous acts of vilence, the narrator is undeniably unhinged. It's disappointing that “Maeve Fly” fails to convince me of anything it aims to convey.

She was just....annoying. Annoying in her descriptions of LA, “human culture,” how “humans have imposed ourselves on our world, and dominated it,” halloween, how not-like-other-girls she claimed to be. But none of it hit the same as Bateman. His unsettling personality stemmed from his detachment. Bateman fixated on what he believed others valued, striving to demonstrate his superior knowledge to compensate for feeling disconnected and unable to relate to others. He held a delusional belief that he and others were identical, a conviction he maintained until reality shattered it. Maeve has always believed that there is no one like her, and that no one will ever truly comprehend her, which isn’t scary, it’s just exasperating.

The Gore Factor: I'm not a fan of gore. If I do engage in horror or gory content, it's only because the overall context makes it worthwhile. The reward lies in the characters, the situations they find themselves in, the plotting, the character development, the CRITIQUE!!! Gore, especially traumatizing and deliberate displays of hyper-sexualized deaths, are more disturbing then I ever want playing in my brain. I don’t like reading about women dying brutally just for the sake of it, I don’t trust anyone who does. But if you are going to make me read the gore, I believe it has to come with something to say. Otherwise it’s egregious.

Side note, I consider the romantic elements in this book to be rather insignificant and not believable. Right from Gideon's introduction, it was unclear where the attraction between the characters existed, it felt forced. I was prompted to perceive sparks, none were evident until the end when it became her sole emotional connection (and somehow, the climax of the book?).

I wasn't captivated by the book. I had to buy the audiobook to follow along, as I was uncertain if I would complete it without knowing how much more time I needed to invest. Typically, I am drawn to complex female protagonists, those we are not expected to root for but whose minds are captivating to explore. I aim to gain insight into unfamiliar perspectives, yet in this particular book, the main character was simply annoying, offering no new understanding of someone like her, who is, despite her best efforts, just like every other girl.

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