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farenmaddox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Cannibalism
Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, and Pregnancy
hookandbookclub's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Several short stories make up Life Ceremony, including the self-titled one.
Its not clear whether the stories all take place in the same alternate reality but many could be called speculative fiction.
The author clearly questions society and our arbitrary rules and customs. In the book new traditions are presented and they might have you wondering, why we do the things we do anyway, and why wouldn’t we take it a step further?
If you have a leather sofa, and a woolly jumper, why not a teeth chandelier, or a human hair sweater?
In the stories we get glimpses into the human condition, existential questioning, and glances at human relationships.
These stories feel like a contemporary kind of satire, or something speculative.
There is a disquiet to them.
Having read Earthlings towards the end of last year, I was keen to read this but I preferred Earthlings. It’s along the same vein of weirdness but being a standalone novel, more time is given to develop the world and the characters.
Life Ceremony gives us instead many vignettes of alternate visions of social customs, without much room for plot or character development. I feel like many of the short stories could be the basis for longer works though, and some of them seemed to recall Earthlings.
One point of advice for the squeamish or just in general: Avoid snacking while reading!
Moderate: Death, Body horror, and Cannibalism
biobeetle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
thedistortionist's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cannibalism, Vomit, and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Incest
Minor: Stalking
lucyduller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Stalking, Excrement, Incest, Sexual content, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Death, Sexual assault, and Excrement
nialiversuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Abandonment, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Bullying, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
ellenisntcool's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexual content, Death, and Incest
Minor: Stalking
jamieann123's review against another edition
Understand this is the aim of the writer but too much for me-and I am usually a fan of horror.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, Grief, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Body horror
grunbean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Grief, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Death of parent, Ableism, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Vomit, Sexual content, Mental illness, Medical content, and Body horror
alisarae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cannibalism
Moderate: Death