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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was really good. I really like his writing, it sucks me right it. I was very engaged while reading this and I wanted to know what happened next, so I read most of it in one sitting. This was a lot at times, so do check content warnings before going in. There's a lot of gore and body horror that happens but the religious cult was honestly the most terrifying part to me with how real it feels. There truly are people out there who do think and act or want to act this way. Being in the US, it is hard not to notice how prevalent some of these christo-fascist ideologies are becoming. There are people who believe these things who have risen to powerful positions. I did appreciate how this book, despite all the horrible shit that has happened in the world and to the characters, there is still hope. People will fight back against oppression. People say violence isn't the answer but it is the answer more often than we want to admit, otherwise it will be tolerating intolerance which will only make things worse for the oppressed people.
I did enjoy the characters for the most part, I felt they could have been fleshed out a little more because they did feel a bit flat at times. I also felt the middle portion felt a bit slow as well. There was also a minor group that the characters interact with a couple times who are basically the gun loving, individualistic, Murica type people which I honestly found kind of funny. They've hoarded all these resources and have all these guns yet they are hiding and not fighting back. The queer youths are the ones fighting and having to show their kills to this group to get necessary resources. It just really showed how much talk these people are, not practicing what they preach in a sense.
I enjoyed the commentary in this and I could definitely feel the author's rage against these systems and groups coming through. Overall, I really enjoyed this and I'm looking froward to reading more of his work.
I did enjoy the characters for the most part, I felt they could have been fleshed out a little more because they did feel a bit flat at times. I also felt the middle portion felt a bit slow as well. There was also a minor group that the characters interact with a couple times who are basically the gun loving, individualistic, Murica type people which I honestly found kind of funny. They've hoarded all these resources and have all these guns yet they are hiding and not fighting back. The queer youths are the ones fighting and having to show their kills to this group to get necessary resources. It just really showed how much talk these people are, not practicing what they preach in a sense.
I enjoyed the commentary in this and I could definitely feel the author's rage against these systems and groups coming through. Overall, I really enjoyed this and I'm looking froward to reading more of his work.
dark
sad
tense
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
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was absolutely shocked, devastated, crying, and throwing up to find out that I did not love this book. I understand 10000% why other people love it, and on paper it has so many things I usually love: horror, religious deconstruction, monsters, queer characters, gore! Literally so much of this book sounds appealing to me... but I didn't feel invested in the reading experience.
I would say my biggest lasting impression was that I felt like the story was hollow in a way. The plot had great bones, some great character moments, exciting plot points, etc., but the in between moments all felt more like filler to me than intentional storytelling. The characters did not feel as fully fleshed out to me as I would have hoped for a book of this length. I actually think this would have worked better as a novella or even broken up into two shorter novels.
Didn't hold my attention as much as I would have hoped - but I am clearly in the minority with that opinion so please read if you are interested! I am definitely looking forward to reading what this author comes out with in the future.
I would say my biggest lasting impression was that I felt like the story was hollow in a way. The plot had great bones, some great character moments, exciting plot points, etc., but the in between moments all felt more like filler to me than intentional storytelling. The characters did not feel as fully fleshed out to me as I would have hoped for a book of this length. I actually think this would have worked better as a novella or even broken up into two shorter novels.
Didn't hold my attention as much as I would have hoped - but I am clearly in the minority with that opinion so please read if you are interested! I am definitely looking forward to reading what this author comes out with in the future.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have never experienced such visceral rage seep through the pages of a book until this book
Complicated, messy, yet hopeful
Complicated, messy, yet hopeful
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If the end of the world wasn’t enough, Benji is on the run from a cult which refuses to acknowledge he’s not a girl, and which is determined to weaponize the virus that is slowly eating him from the inside.
Being the squeamish wimp I am, I still don’t understand what pushed me to read a YA post-apocalyptic *horror* novel, but you know what? It was great. Yes, you need to be ready for body horror and so much throwing up of things that shouldn’t be thrown up. But the parallel between the deadly virus and the rampant disease that is religious extremism is really chef’s kiss. Despite the very in-your-face themes and depictions, I love that the author gives us nuanced characters who mess up and don’t always make the right choices. I wasn’t quiiiite convinced by the ending, but saying more would be spoiler territory so I won’t go into that.
Despite the book being set between February and August in a global-warming wrecked world, horror always feels like an autumn genre for me.
CW: gore, body horror, transphobia & deadnaming, fire, mention of child death.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Gore, Gun violence, Transphobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Dysphoria
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i haven't read many gory horror books but this one was written beautifully and at times seemed to hit a little close to reality in some ways.
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4.5 stars. Loved loved LOVED this. After hearing so much about it I am SO glad I picked it up. My copy had a preview of The Spirit Bares It's Teeth and I am super into that, too. I really look forward to reading more of this author!!
The main thing that stopped me from giving it a five stars is that I wished we got more information on Benji's dad. Why did he go along with this for so long? I also wish we saw some more grief over him from Benji, but I think that's Legendborn having spoiled me. Also this isn't a complaint really but after so many reviewers telling me this book is so gorey that it's "not for the faint of heart," I was a little disappointed, but I think that's on my standards for gore lmao. One more quick minor thing: I think the book tries to reach a *little* too broadly and we wind up with flatter side characters and the like. I was really hoping to get a better look at the varying religions and struggles with them, but we didn't.
ANYWAY I also wanted to give this book a shoutout for having a trans character with social dysphoria and not much body dysphoria, because me too, Benji!!! I have so rarely ever seen that talked about!!!! And I'm so glad it's in this book!!!!!
The main thing that stopped me from giving it a five stars is that I wished we got more information on Benji's dad. Why did he go along with this for so long? I also wish we saw some more grief over him from Benji, but I think that's Legendborn having spoiled me. Also this isn't a complaint really but after so many reviewers telling me this book is so gorey that it's "not for the faint of heart," I was a little disappointed, but I think that's on my standards for gore lmao. One more quick minor thing: I think the book tries to reach a *little* too broadly and we wind up with flatter side characters and the like. I was really hoping to get a better look at the varying religions and struggles with them, but we didn't.
ANYWAY I also wanted to give this book a shoutout for having a trans character with social dysphoria and not much body dysphoria, because me too, Benji!!! I have so rarely ever seen that talked about!!!! And I'm so glad it's in this book!!!!!
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal death, War
Minor: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Alcohol