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savvylit's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was so absolutely riveted by this novel. Each new horror that unfolded had me simultaneously surprised and disturbed. Natural Beauty is the perfect example of what I love about horror - it holds up a mirror to society's ills and forces us to look. This was an absolutely stunning debut from Ling Ling Huang and I eagerly anticipate her next work!
Graphic: Racism, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Death, Grief, Car accident, Medical content, Death of parent, and Medical trauma
livlamentloathe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a grotesque dissection of beauty, marginalization, and the dangers of the male gaze. It was more than that too, I can’t exactly summarize this book into a sentence. The ending felt akin to Carrie Narby’s “Indescribable,” in It Came From the Closet. The nonexistence of beauty, of perception, grants a form of freedom. There is a queerness to ugliness.
Natural Beauty captured the dangers of beauty well. It spoke to the “feminism” of beauty and the cage that surrounds conformity. Reading this was an experience I can’t truly describe in words. But I enjoyed this a great deal. Another example of how the greatest horror stems from reality.
Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Death, Dysphoria, Excrement, Fatphobia, Grief, Medical content, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Body horror, Classism, Confinement, Gore, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, and Stalking
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Vomit, Terminal illness, and Sexual violence
Minor: Animal death, Cannibalism, Murder, Vomit, and Excrement
chris_reads'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
3.5
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
mermaidsherbet's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Body horror and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Gaslighting, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual assault
Minor: Infertility, Murder, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Animal death, Bullying, Cannibalism, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Classism, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Stalking, Drug use, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
sophmcgraw's review
- 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? No
4.75
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Medical content, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gore, Vomit, Body shaming, Body horror, and Pregnancy
noshinbean's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, and Sexual assault
Minor: Ableism, Cannibalism, Car accident, Dementia, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Sexual violence