Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

76 reviews

brynnfai's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

3.0

I liked the ended ending a lot and it was a very fresh book with beautiful prose though addmitedly a bit hard to follow at times. I had to read it out loud to fully understand what I was reading a lot of the time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical content, Murder, Blood, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Cannibalism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Violence

Minor: Animal death

roxiehrt's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Im still trying to process this book, but it’s a solidly written book. You do get dropped into the world with basically no exposition so know that you’re going to have to figure out the rules of the world as you go along. The flowery language does make it a laborious read and you’ll need to give it your full attention, but it’s worth the read if you’re into a gothic horror fantasy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Torture, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Gore, Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, and Medical content

lilinn_aion's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Medical trauma, Gore, and Pregnancy

nickel_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

4.5

Didn't know I needed this reimagining of The Little Mermaid, but I most certainly did! At the center of a tale dripping in blood and violent rituals of making and unmaking is a love story of sorts. Khaw continues to use beautiful prose to describe horrific - and ultimately human - things. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Violence, Death, Torture, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma

e_l_k's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I'd seen this book on plenty of best-of horror lists, but I'll be the first to admit that the premise alone didn't thrill me.
That doubt was dashed from my mind from the first page onwards.
Khaw has a way with descriptive prose that my English teachers would have envied, coveted, before gagging at how vivid the depictions of viscera and horrible violence are. This is NOT a book for the faint of heart or stomach. But it is a spellbinding tale of rediscovery, self-acceptance, and love in the face of pure, selfish evil. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Slavery, Gore, Vomit, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Cannibalism, Violence, Torture, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Blood, Child abuse, Dysphoria, and Murder

There is a short story at the very end of the book that presents the events directly precluding the main narrative.

annachronistic's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Death, and Medical trauma

tenthousandactualbees's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Torture, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, Physical abuse, Gore, Death, Body horror, Miscarriage, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

ctara2123's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Child death, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, Body horror, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Grief

percival_wise's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Body horror, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death, Murder, Blood, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

mar's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

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

4.5

literally had to come back and up my rating after a couple of days bc i cant stop thinking about this book. i want what they have

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Child death, Medical content, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Body horror, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Animal death and Miscarriage