Scan barcode
nonesensed's review
2.0
I added this to my reading list because a number of fellow horror fans recommended it as "the most disturbing thing they'd ever read". I'm all for being disturbed and I'm pretty jaded when it comes to horror, having gluttoned myself on the genre from a young age, so I'm always looking for new and interesting takes on a good scare.
As it turns out, I am apparently very jaded. This story - or snippet of a novel? - didn't do much for me. I've read grosser things and far scarier things both offline and online. But I get why people have found it a thrilling and horrific read, if you're not used to the subjects that lie here within.
Because the story is so short, it's hard to summarize it without spoiling the whole thing. "Shock value" seeming to be what the story is all about, I've thus chosen to write my summary under this spoiler-cut:
This story is told from the POV of a guy who, as a kid, got his intestines stuck in the pool vent and almost died. That's it. That's the story.
To me, this read like a "shock and horror" PSA about pool safety and safe sex XD I do mean that. We get an intro of anecdotes about teens who've managed to do utterly fail at experimenting with 'non-vanilla' sex (pegging, breath-play and sounding, respectively, all ending in emotional or physical pain. Often both). I think I was supposed to find these stories at least a little shocking, but, uhm, I've had Internet access since before child-safety tools for online use were a twinkle in Apple and Microsoft's eye. So. Yeah.
The most horrific part of this build-up was the reminder of the US's lack of affordable healthcare and that's depressive-scary not chills-down-my-spine-scary.
The main part of this short story is a description of the guy working to survive as his anus prolapses and he gets stuck under water, almost drowning, guts going down the pseudo-literal drain. He chews himself free with his teeth and ends up not getting a football scholarship - which, again, reminds me of how education, as well as health care, is so crazy expensive over in the USA.
Is this actually a horror story about the US's healthcare and education systems? Food for thought.
Also, I don't know if the story meant to imply that the main character was messing with the reader by lying about his sister managing to get pregnant from his sperm in the family pool or if the character actually believed that happened. If you're going to include that kind of a "plot twist" by the end of a story, I'd prefer it to actually shock me and not make me go "do you take me for a fool? or are you the fool whose sister managed to lie about having sex with someone else and you never questioned that or did _any_ sort of research on sperm viability in _pool water_?"
Just irks me, it does.
As it turns out, I am apparently very jaded. This story - or snippet of a novel? - didn't do much for me. I've read grosser things and far scarier things both offline and online. But I get why people have found it a thrilling and horrific read, if you're not used to the subjects that lie here within.
Because the story is so short, it's hard to summarize it without spoiling the whole thing. "Shock value" seeming to be what the story is all about, I've thus chosen to write my summary under this spoiler-cut:
To me, this read like a "shock and horror" PSA about pool safety and safe sex XD I do mean that. We get an intro of anecdotes about teens who've managed to do utterly fail at experimenting with 'non-vanilla' sex (pegging, breath-play and sounding, respectively, all ending in emotional or physical pain. Often both). I think I was supposed to find these stories at least a little shocking, but, uhm, I've had Internet access since before child-safety tools for online use were a twinkle in Apple and Microsoft's eye. So. Yeah.
The most horrific part of this build-up was the reminder of the US's lack of affordable healthcare and that's depressive-scary not chills-down-my-spine-scary.
The main part of this short story is a description of the guy working to survive as his anus prolapses and he gets stuck under water, almost drowning, guts going down the pseudo-literal drain. He chews himself free with his teeth and ends up not getting a football scholarship - which, again, reminds me of how education, as well as health care, is so crazy expensive over in the USA.
Is this actually a horror story about the US's healthcare and education systems? Food for thought.
Also, I don't know if the story meant to imply that the main character was messing with the reader by lying about his sister managing to get pregnant from his sperm in the family pool or if the character actually believed that happened. If you're going to include that kind of a "plot twist" by the end of a story, I'd prefer it to actually shock me and not make me go "do you take me for a fool? or are you the fool whose sister managed to lie about having sex with someone else and you never questioned that or did _any_ sort of research on sperm viability in _pool water_?"
Just irks me, it does.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Gore
Moderate: Incest
hapikohw's review
dark
fast-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
Well that was a quick, cute and edgy little thing. Reminded me of Woom. Also wasn't a fan and couldn't get past screaming "that's not how that works!" regarding female anatomy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Blood, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Incest, Body horror, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Abortion
helianthus13666's review
dark
funny
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was not what I thought it was. I don't know if I should laugh at the stories or be horrified beyond belief. I have decided to laugh. So...
😆 🤣 😂 😁
😆 🤣 😂 😁
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Medical trauma, Gore, and Sexual content
coldbrewfiction's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
what the heck did i just read... the things you find while you clean your hard drive huh
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Suicide
Minor: Incest
mlovesbooks's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
0.25
Why?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Suicide
Minor: Incest
levine's review
challenging
dark
fast-paced
2.0
Very hard to rate. Since I instantly regretted reading it when finished, and wouldn't really recommend it to anyone ever... I guess by some definitions it isn't good?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
More...