Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

106 reviews

halaagmod's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense

• 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

4.5

This was one of the most creative things I've ever read and the best science fiction novel I've read in a long while. An utter masterpiece.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Body horror, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Kidnapping and Sexual content

Minor: Pregnancy, Transphobia, and Cannibalism

sofipitch's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Stayed up late to finish this so writing less than it deserves but fucking excellent. One thing that really stood out was how engaging the prose was, especially doing a similar bit that Harrow the Ninth does (well, did before). Every bit of this was so well put together, I don't feel like anything overpowers one another, the plot, characters, themes, etc stand in equal importance, which makes for a really engaging and rich read. Also not afraid to get dark

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Child abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Body horror, Death, and Grief

cherry_lake's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Completely loved this book, so excited to read the next one. 

Things I loved about it:
- World building
- Character development 
- Queerness as an unremarkable aspect of the world
- Excellent pacing 
- Complete commitment to the geology theme 
- Such a good plot twist near the end 
- Loose writing style that easily enveloped very difficult themes and humor

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Physical abuse, Violence, Body horror, Child death, Torture, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, and Child abuse

Moderate: Bullying and Pregnancy

dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Genocide, Blood, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Bullying, Hate crime, Grief, Murder, Violence, Stalking, Child death, Colonisation, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Slavery, and Abandonment

Moderate: Classism, Kidnapping, Animal death, Sexism, Transphobia, Alcohol, Body horror, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content

tired_cicada's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

4.75

Do you ever go into a book knowing nothing about it and it is just gut punch after gut punch? Cause apparently that's how I need to pick my books from now on casue y'all this book had me in the palm of its hand!! 

(Check trigger warning through!)

I am I sucker for nonlinear story telling, I live pick out the lies and the half truths! I am glad I didn't know anything about this though, cause if I'd know this book was told in second person I probably wouldn't have picked it up, but...
This it was just too good! 

I would recommend this book to my friends... But maybe not my mom. If you know you know.

I need book two right now!

WE ARE GOING TO STEAL THE MOON!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Death, Classism, Child abuse, Child death, Blood, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Torture, and Grief

Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, War, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

mythicsage's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Cursing, Gaslighting, Blood, Cannibalism, Grief, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Murder, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Animal death, Medical content, Rape, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Torture, War, and Body horror

squidnamedfinger's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-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

5.0

totally gripping all the way through. couldn't put it down. you know a fantasy book is good if it's got me actually referencing the glossary.

Jemisin does such a great job creating a world that is as deeply insidious as our own. her use of second-person perspective is especially good at hammering it in that YOU should be feeling this sense of hatred and injustice at every turn. I love the way the perspective character often describes people in terms of how desirable the empire sees them. it really drives home how deeply the ugliness of this world affects the way her characters think and act.

and her CHARACTERS. the whole cast is enthralling. I won't say much because I think they deserve to be introduced on their own, but my favorites are Tonkee and Innon.

Jemisin also supplies just the right amount of information; the glossary and timeline are vague enough to give a sense of the world without spoiling anything. I actually went back and reread the prologue about halfway through to get more context, then I read the glossary and ignored the timeline (until the end). 

her pacing is also a huge strength--I was confused for the first few chapters jumping time and perspective, but by the time I got about 80 pages in (around when you're introduced to Damaya and Schaffa) it clicked. from there it just delivers blow after blow of outstanding scenes that all echo each other across every storyline. 

cannot recommend this enough. brutal and horrifying--but it's also heartwarming, and quite funny in passing moments. quite a few passages had my jaw on the floor. really excited to dive into the next in this trilogy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Child abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Body horror and Gore

therainbowshelf's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

I really loved this epic fantasy packed full of earth-based powers, found family, inclusive character design, and tragedy. The 3-character style worked so well. This starts slow, as many epic fantasy do, and has such an interesting payoff as character stories come together.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Grief, Child death, Blood, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, Body horror, and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death

Police brutality, destroyed homelands/refugee experience

wordpuncher's review

adventurous dark mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Bullying, Gore, Violence, Sexual content, Animal death, and Classism

Minor: Emotional abuse and War

hazeln00t's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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? No

5.0

This book rules and I can’t wait to re-read it. Throughout the book there’s passing observations that feel inconsequential and human, but no remark or reflection is accidental. Jemisin is a fantastic world builder and the ending snowballed so fast to a jaw dropping tease for the next book. All of her characters are also deeply emotionally intelligent. That’s not exactly realistic maybe for people in real life, but it makes for damn good fiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Vomit, Torture, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Grief, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Violence, Sexual content, Racism, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery

Moderate: Ableism and War

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Body horror, and Deadnaming

While races are fictional, race and bigotry are prominent themes.