Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5 I'm all over the place about this one. I hate the frame of it all. Found that labored, repetitive and extremely predictable. The poems... didn't need them. To me this is all a construct for some good and always wacko short stories. I'd suggest most readers just read those. The points of the framing story are simple and few. The characters so broadly drawn, the two dimensional names match that. Overall there's a drive to be weird, gross, shocking, offensive that is so constant that it becomes silly and you feel the author at all times (notable in stories that are supposed to be written by characters in the book - I mean, why does every last one of them write a confrontational and boundary pushing story). I was laughing at the choices because you just knew they were coming. He's inventive and totally exhausts what can be mined from the dark end of all moments. There's a few gems hidden in that barrage that are well worth seeking out. Guts is one of those. It's a piece of virtuosic, sexual-shame grotesquerie that's worth reading out loud to guaranteed to be shocked and laughing friends.
Interesting. I see this as a short story collection, though all of the stories are embedded in an overarching story that does not tie them together, but does give the stories a reason to gather in the same place.
Like most short story collections, some were good and some were less good. I enjoyed several and will remember them, but I think there were more forgettable stories in this book than gems.
This disability fraud destroying private detective and the throat slashing prison camp commandant will stick with me for a while. I also liked the prematurely aging teenage boy who solicits pity sex from overly sympathetic suburban moms.
It was a good spin on an old set-up, 'people stuck together telling ghost stories', but I think Chuck crammed in a few too many characters and stories and that a leaner book would have been better.
Like most short story collections, some were good and some were less good. I enjoyed several and will remember them, but I think there were more forgettable stories in this book than gems.
This disability fraud destroying private detective and the throat slashing prison camp commandant will stick with me for a while. I also liked the prematurely aging teenage boy who solicits pity sex from overly sympathetic suburban moms.
It was a good spin on an old set-up, 'people stuck together telling ghost stories', but I think Chuck crammed in a few too many characters and stories and that a leaner book would have been better.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read Guts. That’s enough for me thank you. I thought I was going to read ghost stories. My mistake.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Look I’m not going to lie, it’s a tough read. It’s dark, intense, gory, and downright frustrating. With that being said, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a horrifying and interesting take on human greed and desire. How people will do ANYTHING to achieve their goals.
The one word that describes this book most easily, is disturbing. Although in this case disturbing was really intriguing as well. I found myself enamored with this book from the moment I started to read, and I just flew through it. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart though. Readers need to brace themselves for ample amounts of descriptive blood and gore!
Haunted takes a look at the deep, dark parts of people that hide beneath the surface. It reminds us how easily we can revert back to those hidden selves. All it takes is a little coaxing.
What really sold the book for me, was the short stories that bind the storyline together. I wasn't always completely sure of how I felt about the characters, but each time I read one of their stories I felt connected again.
Amazing! This book is a gem.
Haunted takes a look at the deep, dark parts of people that hide beneath the surface. It reminds us how easily we can revert back to those hidden selves. All it takes is a little coaxing.
What really sold the book for me, was the short stories that bind the storyline together. I wasn't always completely sure of how I felt about the characters, but each time I read one of their stories I felt connected again.
Amazing! This book is a gem.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
challenging
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia
The plot moves by sooo slowly, there's just a bunch of characters and everything isn't even gross, it's just unnecessarily vile, unnecessary. Everyone kept talking about how the chapter of "Guts" was so disgusting which lured me into reading the book but it was honestly a let down, just some gore. I rarely DNF books because I like finding value in every book no matter how boring but this book just feels like it's written by a porn addict with a kink for horror that somehow got a following with his shitty writing. I can't comprehend how people would genuinely rate this higher than a 0. Even Colleen Hoover is worth my time more than this, and that says enough.