Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

80 reviews

becksus's review

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.5

 This was insane!!! I liked the general feel and it felt familiar at the beginning (think: The Circle by Dave Eggers, new company + all these apps and things you do that end up being more of a hindrance than a benefit). I appreciate all the different ideas that went into making Holistik something a little bit different and futuristic. The twist works and I love how far it's taken! Beauty industry turns into body horror. Beautiful descriptions of music too. This book would not have been as good without the classical music side. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Rape, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

americattt's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

“Maybe what we’re doing is manipulative but maybe it’s important, too. I can’t see where that difference begins or ends. Beauty has always been one of the only ways women have been able to access power, and I can’t fault any of them for wanting more of it.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Body horror, and Medical content

Moderate: Cannibalism, Car accident, and Death of parent

Minor: Racism and Animal cruelty

ashp's review

challenging dark emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

This book is if the film “Whiplash” was set in a holistic clean beauty space. The story is jarring and unnerving. An excellent tone of social commentary. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Classism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Body horror, Death, and Eating disorder

willa_reads_books's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

4.75

loved this book. very good body horror. not what i expected and i loved it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Medical content, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cannibalism

librasgroove's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5

Interesting Things in the book: Gay stained glassed nightclub, blondes as the ultimate evil, lesbian pining, beauty as a sunk cost, the intensity of being a pianist, parental legacy, and fetishization of Asian women.  

Warning: ALOT of mentions of restrictive eating/new age wellness 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Eating disorder, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexual violence, Vomit, Pedophilia, and Body shaming

Minor: Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Miscarriage, and Death of parent

cosmicmamallama's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Car accident and Death of parent

Minor: Miscarriage

sunbearbeam's review

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Body horror, Sexual assault, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Car accident

simplyammee's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Body horror, Body shaming, Car accident, Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, and Vomit

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Rape, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Murder

chris_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

3.5

The most insidiously disturbing book I've read to date. Good writing and themes of class, consumerism, immigration, sexual exploitation and beauty standards for women. Characters were sympathetic but passive and not very likeable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Medical trauma, Rape, Body horror, Classism, Stalking, and Bullying

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Medical content, Dysphoria, Toxic friendship, Drug use, and Eating disorder

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Murder, Racism, and Vomit

emilyceratops's review

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Ending felt a bit cliche, characters felt a bit flat. At times it felt like it was being sad for sadness' sake, and grotesque for the sake of being grotesque.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Car accident, Death of parent, Chronic illness, and Bullying