Reviews with content warning for Adult/minor relationship - Exquisite Corpse

Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite

22 reviews

devin_raquel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Sadly, I was disappointed with this book; the TikTok hype is just not worth it in my opinion.
Yes, there was cannibalism. Yes, there was necrophiliac scenes. Yes, there was plenty of detailed gore. But I found the characters flat and the switching between POVs irrelevant. I think the story could’ve been told entirely from Andrew Comptons’ POV, and the readers would’ve gotten the same experience.
As much as I love a dark and bloody story, this one just didn’t do it for me. The only saving grace was Brites’ exquisite imagery and descriptions; she made even the most horrible acts sound beautiful.

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wormariwood's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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natreviews's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

So another BookTok recommendation. I found this on a video labelled most disturbing books I've ever read and thought I would give it a go. To be honest, I didn't find it too disturbing. Pretty much, if you know the more gruesome details of the Jeffery Dahmer case (including pictures, I highly recommend the Murderous Minds episode on Dahmer) then you can handle this book. Speaking of, Dahmer was a huge inspiration for this story. Without going into too many details from the book, you have the picture taking, younger victim pool, PoC as victims, cannibalism aspects, plus an entire short scene that is pretty much straight from one victims account. (If you want to know the exact victims situation that got translated into this book, the victims name is Konerak Sinthasomphone)

It's told from four different perspectives. Three third-person, one first. Two murderers, one victim, and one the victims ex-lover. It was really interesting to read it this way. It was an interesting stylistic choice that actually ended up working. With also having the background set in 1990's New Orleans during the AIDs crisis, it's an interesting read just from a historical standpoint.

I will give you the warning that you will need to read the last 60-100 pages in one sitting. On the final day/night the book takes place, it really ramps up and is just better in one sitting.

I gave this book a 5/5 not only for the story (because even though it's extremally disturbing, it still is a good story), but for how it's written. It's a read that is worth it if you can handle it, but, like Tender is the Flesh, is a book that I don't think I will read again. Once was enough in my opinion.

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cahealwa's review against another edition

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dark funny medium-paced

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

4.75

It was horrifyingly beautiful and I both hated and loved it simultaneously. It is much more enjoyable to read than other grotesque fiction, like 'American Psycho', and the descriptions of their bloody enjoyment are so well-written, it's hard to put the book down

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anthuriumskies's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

gay cannibals? um

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mayapharaoh's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.75

dark, chilling, twisted, and compelling. one of the modern horror greats, imo.

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gmelrose's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

The book was interesting. It was the right amount of gruesome and intriguing, though it was quite ambiguous. In style of writing it was straightforward and easy to understand, it definitely made me queasy. As for the plot, I didn’t really understand it, though it ended quite surprisingly; granted the book was short, and it made me not want to put it down, I read it fast. Maybe the fact that it was fast-paced and a bit distanced from a proper reason for it. The book is clearly character-driven, and the characterization was the best part, in my opinion. I liked the switch up between narrators and their languages, a neat detail. A thing that really threw me off was the use of the n-word, coming from a white writer, not glamorous.

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