A review by thecriticalreader
Oddbody by Rose Keating

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

1.75

In Oddbody, Rose Keating delivers a series of aloof feminist body horror short stories. 
 
 All of Keating’s short stories in this collection take on a feverish, dream-like quality as her characters privately deal with obscene supernatural elements in a version of our contemporary world that acknowledges, but rarely embraces, these phenomena. In “Squirm,” the main character isolates herself as she cares for her dad who has turned into a worm. In “Eggshells,” the protagonist lays eggs that take the shape of varying objects and entities which verbally harass her. In “Next to Cleanliness,” a woman is told something is fundamentally wrong with her as a person as she attempts a series of gruesome cleanses. And so on and so forth. Each story deals with an alienating and humiliating aspect of womanhood through somewhat abstract gelatinous dismemberment and gore. Unfortunately, when placed next to each other in a collection, their signature style and repetitive tropes cause them to blend together. 
 
I think that some people will love this collection, but for me the feminist insights and body horror often seemed rather stale—perhaps if I had read Oddbody five years ago or so, before feminist body horror experienced a surge in popularity, I would have appreciated it more. The most I got out of the majority of the stories was a slight nudge of satisfaction when I thought, “Oh, I see what she’s doing here.” But beyond the mild appreciation of her rendering of feminist issues in creative ways, I mostly felt bored. I think the main reason for my boredom is that Keating writes these stories in a detached, somewhat absurdist manner that obscures character emotions and foreignizes their relationships with each other. It’s a common technique used in literary short stories that gives them an alien, dream-like feel: characters do and say and feel things without much explanation. I am confident enough in Keating’s ability as a writer to assume she makes this stylistic choice intentionally so as to mimic the feeling of unreality and isolation women experience in their daily lives. However, more often than not this technique led me to feel disconnected to the stories, and I didn’t find their creativity or social commentary made up for that lack. I’m confident others will connect to this collection more strongly than I did, so I still recommend giving it a try if it sounds like something you might enjoy. 
 
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
 
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