Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

24 reviews

glitterdeww's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense medium-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

4.25

Just about everything in this book is an A+, and I need to give it all that credit up front. The plot setup of Big Swiss is brilliant. An emotionally immature woman in her 40s has on a whim, uprooted her life, moved in to a friend's 300 year old dilapidated farm house in a small New York town, started a job as a transcriptionist to a sex therapist, and became infatuated with a client that she hears through the recordings. I see why this is supposed to be an HBO series (if they just get a move on, already). You look at that cover, and you know this is going to be an unhinged, horny, and hilarious novel, and it sure holds up on each of those aspects. 

Pairing with the "bigness" of the title, there is certainly a BIG messy energy all throughout this book. Each one of these characters put out an intense but yet imaginable chaos. I feel like I have seen versions of these people in the wild. They are exceptionally written. 

Speaking of messy, Big Swiss is also a great depiction of unreliable narrators. Jen Beagin uses transcripts from those aforementioned therapy sessions AND the POV's unhinged internal monologue to show how memories and storytelling aren't dependable from person to person.

Now all that said, are there things in this book that simply aren't for me? Yes, 100%, and that will bring down my rating a smidge. Because reviewing IS a subjective activity, no matter how you come at it. The POV character of Greta... I wanted to. Throw. Her. Off. A. Bridge. 🤣. Goddamnit lol I ended up pushing through some parts quickly because I just couldn't personally stand her actions anymore. I could never be her friend, Sabine is a saint, and Big Swiss needs even more therapy. So again, the characters in this book DO get 5 stars, because she's supposed to be the pitiful, gross, traumatized, selfish mess that she is. I believe that is entirely on purpose, so well done... But I still didn't *enjoy* wanting to smack her so much. 

Plot: 5

Characters: 5

Craft: 4.5

Engagement: 4

SPARK: 3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Suicide

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, Gore, and Stalking

percybabercy's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

If you liked how weird the movie Saltburn was and how gross it made you feel after watching it -- I'd pick this book up! It's so bizarre and atmospheric. It's also quite gruesome so...warning. The banter between the main character Greta and her housemate Sabine also made me chuckle. The book is just full of crazy turns and is incredibly weird. Read it!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Death of parent

lilgriff's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Animal cruelty, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Addiction, Suicide, and Stalking

Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, and Grief

Minor: Misogyny, Gore, Miscarriage, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Cancer

katerina_l's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Excrement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Infidelity, Misogyny, Drug use, Body shaming, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Grief, Gore, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Stalking, Medical content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Body horror, and Sexual harassment

hazel_oat's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Sexual content, Body horror, Gun violence, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Addiction, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, and Body shaming

Minor: Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, and Gore

swapacoinforafish's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I found the beginning of this book really quirky in it's writing and that's what was really entertaining about it. Beagin's descriptions are very unique and it makes you drawn to the uniqueness of the characters. When i'm reading I usually have a good picture of the main characters in my head (typically with elements of celebrities or people I know) but I found it really hard to do with this. I didn't find myself identifying with them in any way which made it quite difficult for me to read. Having said that, it didnt stop me enjoying the dialogue and journey that the characters went through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use

averyt121's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore

oliviakoeppen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

3.0

The author’s descriptions of feelings & events simultaneously enamored me and disgusted me. This book made me feel a lot, but mostly feelings of discomfort and embarrassment. I am glad I read it but would be contentious in who I recommend this book to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Drug use, Addiction, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Mental illness

cch3rd's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

I’ve never enjoyed reading something less. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

charlereads's review against another edition

dark funny reflective 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

4.0

Witty and clever. Dark. Little plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Infidelity, Death, Drug use, Grief, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship