Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

280 reviews

cozyscones's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Violence, Gore, Child death, Cannibalism, and Murder

vbarsi's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Really cool premise but didn’t read as easily as I would have hoped. I’m a pretty avid reader, but I found myself struggling due to needing to stop every few sentences to look up obscure vocabulary. It distracts from the story when you need to pause so often. Some cool themes about women’s rage and the things that men take from women, their entitlement to their bodies etc. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Child death

unexpected love story at the end! Didn’t imagine that would occur for a book filled with gore, despair, and violence

ashley_elizabeth's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

4.0

A really interesting twist on the mermaid myth. Super gory & atmospheric, with just enough purple prose to really build the fairy tale-like quality. I was left wanting more, which I think is always a good sign! The only part of the story I think genuinely needs a bit more explanation is the connection between our two main characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Violence

Minor: Cannibalism

allyareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

I'm currently on a horror kick and this book has me obsessed. I haven't stopped thinking about it and already desperately want to reread it. I feel like it may be a story you get something different with each read.

Please I implore you, take your time when reading this. The atmosphere, characters and actually all of the writing is handled with so much deliberate care. Even the most violent or gory scenes (i.e. most of the book) are written so beautifully and delicately. No doubt heavy on the purple prose, but I found once I was in I was in (I also read an Ebook version and we love a quick hold-down thesaurus check).
I’ve always hated the story of the Little Mermaid and this does a fantastic job of exploring the dark suspicions, the various myths and the cyclical nature of storytelling. Getting to hear the story from the monster/victim in their own truth was perfect.
I’m livid it was so short, even with the original short story attached. It may be controversial but I think I might have enjoyed reading the short story before.

But as someone who works as a bookseller, I know it will be divisive. I can tell some people will love this wholeheartedly and others are going to fucking hate it. So I can't recommend this to everyone.
If you don’t like books heavy on vibes, body horror and with big pretentious words, this ain’t your book.
Recommend to fans of tv series Hannibal, the dark elves from the Magicians, dark fairy tale retellings and the people who cheer on the monsters.

If anyone has any simliar books, GIMME! I would love some suggestions please.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Torture, Toxic relationship, Confinement, and Pregnancy

Minor: Rape

serinalovesreading's review

dark tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Body horror

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

knitting_sword's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Gore, and Body horror

percival_wise's review

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

pryingblackbird's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Cannibalism, Blood, and Gore

nhnabass's review

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This book unexpectedly has some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read. The author’s mastery of language creates striking imagery and haunting scenes of viscera of gore. The metaphors are deeply poetic despite seeming heavy handed at first glance. I thought the plot was interesting and I enjoyed the characters, but honestly was just consistently gripped by the word choices— there was clearly intention behind each choice and it comes through with a close read. Phenomenal writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Blood