Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

30 reviews

dearheart's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Confinement, and Abandonment

Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, Blood, Violence, Suicide, Infidelity, and Body horror

Minor: Pregnancy, Animal death, and Vomit

angelkisses's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad 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? It's complicated

3.5

Inconsistent pacing, an overarching story that screams feminism 101, repetitive expository dialogue. The writing was enchanting and the descriptions were palpable, their power muted by the narrative they occupied. Part I was a bore and Part III was the novel at its best. The epilogue was interesting enough and Part IV interesting in the way that expectations of a specific character

(Dionysus)

were "subverted" but not so much that anyone who doesn't have a basic understanding of Greek mythology. There are better examples of 'mythological realism' out there, one being the very book it's being comped to in its description (Circe by Madeline Miller) where constant narrative questioning and tired repetitive exposition doesn't plague the story. I understand this is a debut story so I will not hold prejudice against the author -- they certainly have a talent for writing.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, and Murder

Moderate: Rape

lanid's review against another edition

reflective sad

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Grief, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Death, Incest, Gore, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Violence, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Rape

cviii's review against another edition

reflective sad 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? No

1.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Abandonment, Body horror, and Confinement

Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

alicia_m_andrews's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Grief, Animal death, and Abandonment

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Violence, Death, Sexism, Gore, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Incest, and Physical abuse

evilyn777's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective

• 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? No

2.5

I feel like the message of this novel was "Yes, all men are bad". If I would live in that universe I wouldn't even get near a men.

The plot was based on the myth, so I have no critique there, but I agree with other reviews that the pacing was all over the place.

I still enjoyed the authors writing style, so that was ultimately what kept me reading. (I will also give this author another chance, since I enjoyed the writing so much.)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, and Suicide

Moderate: Murder, Death, Body horror, Pregnancy, Child death, Gore, and Grief

Minor: Vomit

caterina_1212's review against another edition

So much female body horror, and now that shit is in my head forever. Also the gods suck, and the men are douchebags.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death and Blood

Passive women, misogyny, myths retold.

sarahna's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Murder, Pregnancy, Death, and Fatphobia

nlghtshade's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Murder, and Pregnancy

whatjasread's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

• this had a rough start, but picked up around 1/4 through
• i liked ariadne, although i felt like i liked her mostly because of how everybody interacted with her rather than because of her as a person
• phaedra was very interesting to follow too
• very morally grey characters -- you root for them because they deserve better but then they do awful things and you can't justify your support
• i enjoy learning the in depth versions of greek mythology, especially because we only ever learn the basics where the women were the problem, or where theseus was a great hero
• overall, it was a decent story but i felt detached from it quite a lot of the time

TWs: blood, child neglect, child abuse, death of animal, animal cruelty, lying about rape, gore, pregnancy, miscarriage, post-natal depression, rape, child death, emotional abuse, incest, sexism, body horror, abandonment, suicide (hanging)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Suicide, Child death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Blood, Abandonment, Rape, Pregnancy, Incest, and Body horror

Minor: Miscarriage