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A review by mahtzahgay
From the Belly by Emmett Nahil
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
5.0
Genuinely one of the best horror novels I've read. Nahil's attention to detail and creeping, atmospheric horror makes for an effortlessly page-turning read.
Isiah and Essex's relationship, while a slow build and certainly not the cornerstone of the book, is both beautiful and haunting – I felt myself, despite knowing better, wishing for their happy ending.
Nahil draws not just on the imagery and world of seafaring, but the literal sea itself. Within descriptions of gore, beauty, and misery, Nahil repeatedly calls on the fauna and flora and world of the ocean; Isiah and the rest of the crew on the Merciful are wonderfully isolated from land, for all the ill it causes them.
Isiah and Essex's relationship, while a slow build and certainly not the cornerstone of the book, is both beautiful and haunting – I felt myself, despite knowing better, wishing for their happy ending.
Nahil draws not just on the imagery and world of seafaring, but the literal sea itself. Within descriptions of gore, beauty, and misery, Nahil repeatedly calls on the fauna and flora and world of the ocean; Isiah and the rest of the crew on the Merciful are wonderfully isolated from land, for all the ill it causes them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Terminal illness, Medical content, Alcoholism, Violence, Gore, Alcohol, Suicide, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Vomit, Animal death, Murder, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty