Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims

44 reviews

songofthewolfy's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Excellent debut novel by Jonathan Sims! I loved The Magnus Archives, and thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I did feel that the end went a little fast for how much of a build-up there was to the climax. But I found it very enjoyable, and can't wait for more from him!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Sims uses the listed content warnings to deliver a scathing critique of society. However, he does not shy away from depictions of mental illness, gore, and trauma. Please use discretion.

bigofheartdumbofass's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I like the way the horror was constructed, and there wasn't a single individual story I didn't like. My favorite was Cari's. The ending was a bit on the nose with the theming during the villain monologue but it doesn't take away from anything imo. I also really liked the epilogue. The only thing I actively don't like was the fact that Jonny Sims made three characters who all had relatively similar parts to play ALL have names that started with "D". It was so confusing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Cannibalism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Transphobia

Most of the gore is at the end and in Jason's story.

Death

is in Jason and Alvita's stories and the end.

ambers's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

I'm a big fan of this author's brand of horror, so while I admit the slow pace and the whole "the real horror is capitalism" underpinning

(with a deeply cathartic finale in regards to our rich bitch landlord)

may not work for everyone, I LOVED this book.  I should also add I listened to the audiobook version, which really added a lot to it. For example - a trans character who is, I believe, voiced by a trans actor! 

Each chapter is both self contained and connected to the main plot/the other chapters, which is a lot of fun to engage with. The characters are all unique and well-written, although I did have my favorites. I actually kept some notes on my phone while I listened too, which helped a lot for recall. This book also made me talk out loud to myself, multiple times - sometimes because something horrified me, and sometimes, as strange as it sounds, because something delighted me (maybe I'm easy to win over, but I was THRILLED to have a character mention his binder, and I distinctly recall reacting out loud to that one).

I do see some comments saying there were parts that were difficult to get through, and while I see where they're coming from, I don't personally agree. I loved the slow burn to the ending, and I found it suitably creepy throughout. I would definitely recommend this to horror fans, especially if they enjoy blatant leftie theory in their horror (I certainly do).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Addiction, Deadnaming, Transphobia, and War

doubledevour's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Colonisation

Minor: Transphobia and Police brutality

loop_laurens's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Yet another example of the author's masterful storytelling.

The individual stories wrap together in impeccable ways, each subtly linked to the others until they cumulate in the grand conclusion. Despite being the focus for only a single chapter, each character feels like a real person with a multifaceted personality and connections to the people and places around them that cement them as the kind of people you find in any city apartment. Each of their decent into the supernatural is perfectly paced and tailored to their character, and the final chapter brings them together for an engaging, narratively satifying conclusion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Cannibalism

miss_sunshine's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Cannibalism, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Addiction, Child death, Genocide, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Colonisation

hhhale's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore

Minor: Cannibalism

amyspag's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

I almost DNFd this book twice, it wasn't what I expected at all from the synopsis. I'm still not 100% on the rating because I keep flip flopping between this being fairly slow and hard to get into and it intriguing me. This book is quite gory at times and as I was expecting a standard thriller this took me by suprise, it's way more of a horror. I think horror fans would eat this up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

librariangeorgia's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, and Cannibalism

Minor: Addiction, Deadnaming, and Transphobia

milo_malachite's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

Fans of The Magnus Archives will see familiar themes in Jonny’s prose work. Anti-capitalism meets supernatural horror in this delightfully scary book that will keep you on your toes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Violence