Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

10 reviews

devilledgreggs's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.25

Stephen graham jones I love you

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Animal death, Death of parent, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, and Death

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Medical content, Gun violence, and Alcoholism

Minor: Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Mental illness, Incest, Cultural appropriation, Sexual assault, and Dementia

henrygravesprince's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This is a stunning follow-up to Chainsaw, serving as the slasher literature’s equivalent of the premier slasher film sequel (which, to be clear, is Scream 2, no contest). I was expecting it to be a 5-star follow-up, and it was. The writing is strong, the flow is fun (SGJ pulls off the ping-ponging perspectives like a champ), the audio cast is stellar. While the first book is patterned after the classic slasher, slow to ramp up and then all at once, this is patterned after the traditional slasher sequel: gorier, jumping straight into the action with a quicker, more persistently relentless pace. This book deals with cycles—cycles of trauma and of brutality, cycles of nature, of the beginning and the ending and starting again, emphasized by the slasher cycle and the murder cycles

of Dark Mill South

. Rebirth, and the connections forged in its fire, in friendship, in family; lineage in the wake of colonization and gentrification, and the lineage of the final girl; finding yourself again after rejecting who you are in order to survive. Getting more of Proofrock’s history was a delight, and the town is as much of a character here as anyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Violence, Murder, and Gore

Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Animal death and Ableism

Grooming; Brief discussion of antisemitic tropes; very brief mention of implied defilement of dead bodies

thewordn3rd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore

Moderate: Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Medical content, and Racism

elysianbud's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

"...many sequels have surpassed their original!"
"Name one!"

The answer: 'Don't Fear the Reaper'.

He's only gone and Terminator 2/Aliens/The Godfather Part 2'd us. One has to wonder if Stephen Graham Jones did this on purpose--the ultimate meta callback to Scream 2's classroom scene about sequels, because this sequel is better than the original.

Yet another incredibly fun ode to slashers, in my opinion, 'Don't Fear the Reaper' far exceeds its predecessor. I found the plot easier to follow, the characters more alive (until they're dead), and overall more entertaining. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Murder, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Child death, and Animal death

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Classism, Medical trauma, Cursing, Drug use, Alcohol, Colonisation, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, and Medical content

val_so_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Medical content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Torture, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Addiction, and Sexual assault

sarah984's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

I preordered this book and then proceeded to not read it for months. "Chainsaw" had what I consider the perfect ending and it was hard to imagine what a sequel could bring to the table. Now that I've finished the book I regret not giving it a chance earlier. 

While Jade is still the star of the show, this book expands to show other characters' POV, and all of these characters just feel so perfectly human. One of the early victims' internal monologue stuck with me for the entire rest of the book. There are a lot of moving parts and things going on in the book, but somehow it all slots together in a way where you couldn't take any of it out.

I really loved this. Fantastic sequel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore

Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Medical content, Grief, Ableism, Addiction, Child death, Stalking, Car accident, Colonisation, Death of parent, Racism, and Gun violence

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Body horror, Confinement, Self harm, Incest, Sexual assault, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, and Suicide attempt

annact's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

"Jennifer goddamn Daniels," Hardy finally says. 

"It's Jade, sir," Jade says back

Jade Daniels, the woman that you are...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Child death, Torture, Death of parent, Blood, Violence, Death, Physical abuse, Vomit, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Car accident, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Self harm, Sexual assault, Addiction, Gun violence, and Medical content

sdsmith80's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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

<strong>Exhilarating!</strong>

I've been waiting for this book for what feels like forever. Its arrival wound up perfectly timed with a minor surgery, so I was able to spend part of my recovery in Proofrock, Idaho, with Jade Daniels. 

This book starts off with a bang and just keeps rolling on an exhilarating ride through town. While there is some confusion as to who the killer(s) is/are, that isn't 100% cleared up in my mind at the end, it is such an exciting read. I literally couldn't stop myself from talking to my husband about this or that segment, even though I'm not supposed to be talking, haha. 

I can't wait to see what comes next for Jade and the denizens of Proofrock. Especially after this killer ending. I can only wish that time goes faster so the final book in this trilogy will be in my hands a little sooner. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death, Gore, Vomit, Cursing, Blood, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

Moderate: Gun violence, Child abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, and Mental illness

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Misogyny, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Stalking, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Violence, Torture, Gore, Death, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

Moderate: Medical content, Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, and Racism

Minor: Classism, Child death, Police brutality, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Trafficking, and Emotional abuse

PTSD, privacy invasion, mention of animal torture, s slur, MO lynching, MO Dakota 38, MO residential schools, drowning, car accident.

bookcaptivated's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Animal death, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Stalking, Body horror, Confinement, Medical content, and Gun violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Drug use, Mental illness, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Colonisation, Car accident, Genocide, Pedophilia, Self harm, Addiction, and Fire/Fire injury