Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

Cows by Matthew Stokoe

73 reviews

midnightime23's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

laciebug's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

vickerz54's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

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

2.0

I’m ashamed to admit I even read this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Excrement, and Vomit

umpaola7's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

lindseytsud's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was so good with description but so, SO fucked up. I think it hit every trigger ever made. I had to keep reading it anyway though 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

If you have a weak stomach, or a soft heart, don’t read it.

elderdragon_reader's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, and Murder

amymariereads's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

mackwhyte's review against another edition

dark 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Abortion, Murder, and Pregnancy

psychogen's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

2.25

Obvious reflection of society and the place of an individual in said society. Focus on darkness and emptiness of the world and people within.

For my taste too much focus in disgusting details for the sake of being shocking. There is no natural development into crazy things, all is described as horrible as possible. 

In comparing for example “American Psycho” managed to show insanity inside the normal world, which “cows” misses to deliver on.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

elderlyemo's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

3.0

After sitting with this one for a while, I upped my rating to a three star because this book is definitely a little bit different from the other books it often finds itself compared to. 

First of all - it is well written, and does contain within it some really interesting reflections on power, nuclear family, social isolation, self worth and mental health. Steven is a very interesting character who whilst being a bit simple in practice, comes off as compelling in the prose. 

Having said that, the quality of the writing makes me feel like the author could have written a much better book. The worst parts of this book - in terms of physical repulsion - are at the beginning and it does slow down into a more manageably disgusting book towards the end (right around where the titular cows start to really impact the narrative) is it still unrelenting and gross? Yes, but I don't think it's necessarily without merit. 

This definitely isn't a book for everyone, but I read it in one sitting and annotated quite a lot of it which is usually an indication to me and my own depraved mind that I am getting *something* out of it. What did I get out of Cows? I don't know. But it was something. 

I think how popular this book got led to its own downfall and I see it a lot on the Most Disturbing Books of All Time lists - which it totally should be - but I think the absolute lunacy of this story makes it wholly less disturbing. 

I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future because genuinely - it could be about literally anything. Solid three stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Violence, Vomit, and Abortion