Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica

170 reviews

mesrosee's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Incredibly dark and traumatic, but also inspiring and beautifully written. LGBTQ+ friendly in the horror genre was a pleasant surprise. Not for those with weak stomachs. There were only a few recurring themes/comments that I felt weren’t properly tied together or revealed at the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder

maryarelis's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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now, don’t get me wrong - this was a good read! .. but i’m a reader that prefers slow to medium pace throughout the novel. this book started out slow, but once the obvious plot began to unravel it went too quickly and by the time we discover the sicko who hid his face the pages ended. . . that was it? that’s what we’re left with? usually this type of response would mean the novel was just *that* good, but no - it gave me shivers, it definitely made me question a lot, but it ended to soon and the ending was rushed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic

rachaelcandoit's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about this book. I think maybe the dystopian genre just isn't for me. It always feels like it's a horror story at the expense of the women in it. I understand that this may be realistic but it's so awful to read. It also feels like almost stereotypical in a sense. While reading this I was constantly like, 'is the ending of the book just gonna be what i think it's gonna be?' and it was. And it was disappointing in a way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic

simonstays5's review against another edition

3.5

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment

Minor: Pregnancy

heckgoshdang's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting

ambert's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Mad Max meets Saint Maud

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder, Excrement, Murder

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

Seriously - Heed these tags, this book is full of awful shit that is required for the story/setting. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic cult that requires sacrifice in the form of self flagellation and self torture. The author also shares her childhood before joining the cult, where many of the tags take place.

alilucia's review against another edition

3.25

challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Blood, Excrement, Death of parent, Pregnancy

impishrosesreads's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

tails423's review against another edition

2.5

challenging dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I almost DNF'ed at 28% - in the end I'm glad I struggled through it but the beginning was too much for me. Strange writing style, splatterpunk (for the sake of it), and not much direction. Right around the 1/3 mark, there's a noticeable shift in the writing style, storyline, etc that made this finishable. In the end, I wish there was much more to this from the start than gore and violence, because then the second half (and especially the end) leaves little time for exploring the issues.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting

Moderate: Death of parent

wizardmouse's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I would advise against reading this review if you have not read the book. 

This is not a complaint, but I struggle to understand how this is rated as fast-paced. Maybe because its a novel under 200 pages, but barely anything occurs plot-wise until the last quarter of the book. 

I think this makes the authors slow-burn style incredibly rewarding. She spends a lot of time and effort detailing her worlds, fleshing out details that not only better help you understand the characters motivations but their flaws and character traits. Bazterica has mastered the art of writing a flawed main character. She displays the push and pull of selfishness vs selflessness, her works exploring what occur when either side wins out. 

The Unworthy, is quite the story. There is much to enjoy: human connection and passion, bravery and sacrifice. Not only sacrifice in the religious, cult sense, but true sacrifice in the form of dying so your beloved can be free.

I particularly have to say, I enjoy the way the author wrote queer romance. It felt real, it felt strong. People may accuse the author of the

bury your gays trope, but I strongly disagree and think that is missing the point of her death

My star review is not 5 stars, because I did not find it perfect. At time the story feels obfuscated by prose. Not sure if this is an issue with reading a translated version of this book. Though I know the author tends toward the poetic rather than clarity. Sometimes, you are left putting the puzzle pieces together for what would have benefited by clarity.

Also, I’m just not really connected to religion, so I guess I had a harder time connecting for the first little while. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War