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sarah_bookshelf's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
If you're debating whether the content will trigger you or not, that's probably a sign you should give this one a miss. I can't explain why I loved it so much, but it probably had a lot to do with the shock factor! It's a horror romp, and it definitely gets off on turning your stomach - a lot of body horror and very specific details about non-consensual surgery and alterations, in a "freakshow" vein. I think in the end the author really makes a point about the messiness and trauma of the trans experience, and I love that the story doesn't shy away from the absolute worst case scenario that might go through someone's head before undergoing surgery. I will definitely be checking out the other novellas in this Rewind or Die series! And I'll keep an eye on Eve Harms: their writing style is so readable and real, and it really pulls you into the moment.
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Torture, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Dysphoria, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Cursing
Moderate: Excrement and Alcohol
Minor: Deadnaming, Cancer, and Death of parent
sarah984's review
dark
funny
fast-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? No
4.0
I had a lot of fun with this one. Buckets of body horror, a plucky protagonist you want to root for, and an absolutely bonkers final showdown. Books in this series are supposed to capture the feel of 80s horror movies and this author definitely understood the assignment.
There was a little bit of weird language use around mental health (I mostly noticed this because the main character calls out fatphobia in the text and then immediately calls another character psychotic) and I wasn't a huge fan of the ending (I get why it went down that way but I wish it had ended like maybe 3 paragraphs earlier) but overall if you like your horror gooey and bizarre, I would recommend this one.
There was a little bit of weird language use around mental health (I mostly noticed this because the main character calls out fatphobia in the text and then immediately calls another character psychotic) and I wasn't a huge fan of the ending (I get why it went down that way but I wish it had ended like maybe 3 paragraphs earlier) but overall if you like your horror gooey and bizarre, I would recommend this one.
Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Transphobia
Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Cancer, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Violence
Minor: Cannibalism
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