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dirigitive's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Blood, Toxic relationship, and Rape
Moderate: Drug use and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit
sigynmoon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Rape, Pregnancy, Incest, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny and Ableism
menderash's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Mr Brite has a knack for writing books about horrible people doing horrible things, often for little to no reason, with minimal plot except to make the next horrible thing happen. His main characters are all murderers, rapists, cannibals, necrophiles, or the people who love them anyway. The prose is a means to an end; the end being the reader's hopeful erotic satisfaction of reading someone get nearly decapitated in vivid, lovingly described detail.
Brite's books (the two I've read) seem to hold no greater point than to either turn you on or gross you out, probably both. The violence is pointless, the plots are pointless, the morals are hopeless. But you know what? Brite is such an emotionally charged, evocative, talented writer, that I can't help but be hypnotized by his ability to make me sit down and devour a novel in one sitting. He makes me care about the few morally sound characters even though I know something unspeakable is about to happen to them. He explores the nuance of monstrosity in his uhh. Less morally sound characters.
I think my most sound, least hypocritical criticisms of Brite's work is a) his exploitation of real victims of real tragedies and b) his handling or lack thereof of characters of color. The few non-white characters in his work are relegated to the occasional dead body, future victim, or stereotyped backdrop. Then again, considering the kind of character Brite centers as his protagonists, do I really want him, as a white man, to portray a character of color that way? I'm fine with Brite's beloved monsters being mostly white men.
TL;DR: Absolutely disgusting. Awesome ride. Will read again.
Graphic: Rape, Car accident, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Murder, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Drug use, Gore, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, and Incest
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Animal death, and Self harm
loz_ange's review
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abortion, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Blood, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Child death, Death, Alcoholism, Car accident, Gore, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Vomit
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death