Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen

89 reviews

nele_vds's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder

Moderate: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment

nellebelle's review against another edition

2.5

dark tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book is definitely somebody's cup of tea, but it's not mine. I didn't find almost any of the characters likeable, practically every type of relationship felt toxic on some level, and the mystery was so obvious it was almost painful watching them avoid the clear answer. The body horror/gore was written well, as was the sisterly love and period-accurate background (including the sexism from the shitty male characters). The climax was semi satisfying I suppose, but even the ending didn't quite do it for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder

ladyettejin's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

szyca's review against another edition

4.5

dark tense medium-paced

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism

sarahkam's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Murder

naenaebug's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization

_ashreadsalot's review against another edition

3.25

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I honestly don’t know how to feel about this book. It took a little while to get into it, and the gory bits really gave me the ick…but I also couldn’t stop reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood

treeswerepens's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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So many moments of "eww" that were perrfect. When things started getting really crazy about a third of the way through, I had literal chill bumps from anticipation, revulsion, and excitement. I like how this book handled questions around family, wanting, and missing someone you care greatly about. A pretty good gothic horror mixed with body horror mixed with something vampiric. Queer characters exist, though it's not the main character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism

Minor: Death of parent

naturalmorgue's review against another edition

1.5

dark mysterious fast-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

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Technically DNFed at 31%, but I did flip through the rest of the book to find out more about it the plot without having to spend precious lifetime on reading a book I didn't enjoy. Big mistake.
Read this right after Hungerstone and was expecting an equally gripping vampire story, but instead I was hit with very flat and unlovable characters. Literally did not like any of them and Michael was almost comically evil. I get it, men can be annoying, but they're not that obvious about it. 

One thing that threw me off pretty early was the relationship between Lucy and Sarah. 
The bond between twins tends to be strong and sacred, I get that. But they literally kiss each others hands all the time, write letters where they fantasize about holding each other and - what creeped me out the most - cuddle naked with each other. Unless this was intentional, I have many questions for the author. I kept thinking that I must've missed a trigger warning for incest at the beginning of the book. 

Also, this book takes place in 1887, not in the 21st century like one might assume when looking at the way this book is written and the characters talk. 

1 star because the cover is beautiful. Half a star because I liked the premise.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore

Moderate: Incest, Sexual content

Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault

sorrel29's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence

Moderate: Child death, Sexual content