Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Small Game by Blair Braverman

26 reviews

maggies's review

adventurous challenging mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

Back when I still used Twitter, Blair Braverman was one of my follows, and I loved her threads about dog sledding and the outdoors. She's an incredible storyteller, and Small Game, her first novel, really lived up to that for me. While I would never participate in a show of this kind and I'm not outdoorsy by any stretch (I always say I'd prefer to go first in an apocalypse), I was captivated by Mara and the other "survivors" and their creativity and problem-solving. In an episode of You're Wrong About, Blair said—paraphrasing here—that nature doesn't feel any animosity towards us and that's comforting to her. After reading this book, I can absolutely see what she means. I wouldn't quite call this a thriller, but it was very thrilling just the same.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Vomit, Death, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Murder

princess_marie's review

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death and Blood

Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Cursing, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content

erinoconnor's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I read an advanced uncorrected proof copy - so I’m not sure if anything changed with publication, that being said - I really enjoyed the story. I wanted more and wish there was a more fleshed out ending, but I appreciate the mirror image of the beginning at the end. Some things seemed rushed and not fully answered - I want to hear EXACTLY what happened to Lenny and the crew, while I think it’s probably their last theory about money but STILL! - but I thoroughly enjoyed this read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Medical content, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Sexual assault, Rape, Blood, and Sexual content

mikeebeth's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

centrifugepolitics's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Cannibalism

chris_reads's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Infidelity

Minor: Blood, Excrement, Sexual content, Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Gaslighting

finesilkflower's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This isn't normally my genre, but I was gripped! As a reader of Delicate Sensibilities, I had to skip/skim some harrowing parts around the climax, but that is to be expected from the premise. A suspenseful premise which illuminates how delicate survival truly is, and shows the psychological toll that survival scenarios can take on people. I liked how much care and attention went into getting the details of the wilderness setting right (specific plants, etc.), and the behind-the-scenes logistics of being on a survival reality show were interesting. Braverman keeps the pace up, the tension high (even when not much is happening), and also throws her tortured protagonists a win every so often. Through it all, she manages to convey a worldview that shows respect for nature and the fragility of human existence, while embracing joy and rejecting toxic grittiness. The queer romance aspect was an unexpected bonus. 

It would have been nice to find out a definitive explanation for the premise, but by the end it hardly seemed to matter. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore

kemrick19's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Death

natagot's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Death

Minor: Sexual content, Gore, and Vomit