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thayerbowen's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Blood
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism
maimy_santiago99'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A nice twist on the latest trend in Gothic horror, I found some of the more esoteric bits of world building a bit too puzzling to be creepy. I think the normally of people with their organs outside their bodies and with mechanical replacements, for example, could have been established as being completely ordinary and not unusual a bit earlier, though I don't know how without it becoming tedious and ruining that lovely opening. The mysteries abound and few are explored, though, and that pulled me out of the story a bit as things continued to tangle but very few threads came loose.
The queerness in the story is simultaneously entirely incidental and completely pervasive- a character with he/him pronouns who lactates and acted as a wet nurse presented and seen as just another person rather than a trans person or a genetic anomaly (I assume the former, but in the world of the novel it could easily be the latter), the androgyny of the narrator for the first half of the book, the almost neglectful acceptance of physical differences... It's clear that in this world, queerness of any stripe isn't a huge deal to anyone who doesn't desperately want heirs, to the point where it is ubiquitous and almost blasé in its presentation, but it still feels revolutionary in the world we live in.
The twins were a highlight for me, and I'd happily have read a version of this novel that centered on them instead of the doctor/narrator (which is not to say I didn't enjoy this version!)
All in all, an enjoyable debut. I'll keep an eye out for their sophomore effort.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Confinement, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
ofbooksandechos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Body horror, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Genocide and Alcohol
CW: loss of body autonomy, dissociation and PTSDlanid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Torture, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
readmeup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide and Vomit
todayisnot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
The story was fine and mostly held my interest while I worked but I found the delivery of the narration in the audiobook to be a bit grating. I had some questions about elements of the world building that would probably have been easier to follow/refer back to if I had been reading a print version.
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual assault
swell_gal'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Pregnancy
theafictionado's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Gore, Blood, and Medical content
Moderate: Ableism, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
hollyko'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
maryellen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail