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corsetedfeminist's review
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I found this book somewhat disappointing as a whole, perhaps because I expected too much of a collection of short stories focused on body horror and the transgender/nonbinary experience.
First, for the good things: when the stories in this book are good, they are excellent. Two in particular properly unnerved and stuck with me- that of a monk impregnated and forcibly feminized by a succubus, and that of a pastor’s wife struggling with gender and the expectations of womanhood in a very queered Stepford wives.
That being said, many of the stories just didn’t resonate with me- much of the prose across these stories leaned a bit purple for me, focusing too much on the imagery and the words than the reality of the body horror and the connection to the queer experience. They felt detached, almost. Perhaps it is that there isn’t time in a short story to learn to love the characters in the same way, I’m not certain. I can absolutely see these stories being very meaningful for a different person, it just didn’t work for me.
First, for the good things: when the stories in this book are good, they are excellent. Two in particular properly unnerved and stuck with me- that of a monk impregnated and forcibly feminized by a succubus, and that of a pastor’s wife struggling with gender and the expectations of womanhood in a very queered Stepford wives.
That being said, many of the stories just didn’t resonate with me- much of the prose across these stories leaned a bit purple for me, focusing too much on the imagery and the words than the reality of the body horror and the connection to the queer experience. They felt detached, almost. Perhaps it is that there isn’t time in a short story to learn to love the characters in the same way, I’m not certain. I can absolutely see these stories being very meaningful for a different person, it just didn’t work for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
biobeetle's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Suicide, Torture, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail