Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

5 reviews

aparker89's review

adventurous emotional 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? No

3.75

Everyone knows that a hoarder's home is a nightmare in and of itself, but what if that hoard was hiding something even more devilish. When Mouse's grandmother finally passes away and her house needs to be dealt with, she doesn't know what to expect. She also doesn't know that there might just be monsters awaiting her arrival. Between reading her dementia addled grandfather's journal and dealing with a mountainous mess- what could possibly be worse. Well Mouse finds out... but thank goodness for hwr coonhound to keep her grounded through an adventure that can't quite be understood but definitely is a doozy! 

I still can't get over the fairy monsters in pure hillbilly fashion... they will be haunting my dreams for years to come!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Stalking

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, and Violence

traa's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Slavery, and Violence

Minor: Car accident

readwithbells's review against another edition

4.0

 Then I made faces like the faces on the rocks, and I twisted myself around like the twisted ones, and I lay down flat on the ground like the dead ones.

That made my skin crawl. Folk horror (and turns out a pulp horror retelling, thanks authors note) done absolutely right. Sometimes the humour felt a little too much and there was a point between 60-80% where so many reveals were happening the storyline got totally convoluted for me. I took a six hour break and finished the book this afternoon and I’m so glad I did because that climax was fantastic. I haven’t had a horror book make me physically shudder in a long time and this was exactly what I was looking for: something spooky and horror-feeling where I’ll still be able to sleep at night. Potentially a bit long and certainly a bit repetitive, the atmosphere wasn’t great but the body horror was; I liked it. Never gonna look at rocks the same though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Chronic illness and Mental illness

Minor: Child death and Death of parent

Moderate:

forced pregnancy

ldandridge's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I read this for the read harder 2021 challenge to fulfill the prompt

"a book with a beloved pet where the pet doesn't die," and honestly it was such a relief throughout the book knowing that Bongo made it out alive!

Overall a good horror/suspense with a great supporting character for the the second half. Avoid this one if the idea of walking around the woods in the dark creeps you the hell out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Death

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Dementia, and Violence

keenanmaree's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, and Violence

Minor: Animal death, Chronic illness, Dementia, Infertility, Kidnapping, and Racism