Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt

7 reviews

mandi_lea's review against another edition

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

3.0


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djbobthegirl's review against another edition

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

1.0


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jemmers's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.5


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madelinequinnee's review against another edition

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

3.5

I have no idea what I just read

This was so so weird, but I think I enjoyed it? There were parts that made me feel so icky, the language and descriptions are grotesquely detailed and don’t shy away from anything.

This book certainly isn’t for the faint hearted or easily offended, there’s a lot of dark and disturbing stuff that probably isn’t for your casual horror reader. I do think there should have been a content warning on the back of the book because this was being sold in Waterstones where anyone could pick it up not realising how graphic and sexual it is until they begin reading. 

I can’t say I was a huge fan of the writing style, the ‘slam poetry’ kind of sections were a little hard to follow at times. I get the effect they were going for, but it was just a little difficult to keep up with. 

I do think the author was trying a little too hard to make this book disgusting, and it felt at times that the actual message of the story was being strayed away from in favour of grotesque descriptions. I get what the worms and the whole community around that was trying to represent, but i don’t know, it felt a little bit like it was missing the mark at times. 

I don’t really know what to take away from this book other than that i’m now really fucking grossed out by worms

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plumsdeify's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-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? Yes

5.0


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seawarrior's review against another edition

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4.0

Brainwyrms is as dark, disgusting, and wormy as promised. Rumfitt excels at ironic wit and at writing thorny characters who encounter brutal pulses of horror within their otherwise mundane lives.

The leads in Brainwyrms treat themselves and others with an aggressive disregard that unfurls into gruesome violence of cosmic proportions. I recognized their ideas and actions in some of the worst and most unwell people I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. Rumfitt is obviously someone who has grown up on the Internet, and was able to depict its underbellies and relentless noise of voices with deftness. However, I did not understand how some of the plots and themes of the book related to one another. This may be because I read the book so quickly, or it may be because I had no familiarity with Edgar Allen Poe's "The Conqueror Worm", which should be a prerequisite for this novel. I would recommend this book to other readers willing to sit with their disgust and read a story that makes no attempt to alleviate their fear of the future. The future for transgender people may be a horrifying one, and Rumfitt knows it. 

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vixenreader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

Unapologetically disgusting and unflinching in its commentary against the spread of transphobia, this novel is a riveting example of how pain and fear can disrupt the minds and growth of those unfortunate to be infected

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