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nerdybookqueen 's review for:
You Weren't Meant to Be Human
by Andrew Joseph White
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
Thank you Netgalley for this ebook.
I... honestly, I just finished this, and I am at a total loss as to how to review what I just finished.
First of all, very much check the trigger warnings. I saw the author put them on here in the reviews.
Like other works by White I've read, this one was phenomenal. But it left me in such a state of shock. I genuinely may need to reread it later on to fully process it all. I had to put it down several times while reading, sometimes talking through events with my partner, only to jump right back into it.
This is horror at it's finest, and if you can make it through, it's an incredible read. But I genuinely don't know how to explain or elaborate any more than that. Just...damn. It's a timely story and a painful and distressing one, but it is a good one.
It is clear from the acknowledgments at the end just how personal this story is, too, and I respect White so much for writing this.
I... honestly, I just finished this, and I am at a total loss as to how to review what I just finished.
First of all, very much check the trigger warnings. I saw the author put them on here in the reviews.
Like other works by White I've read, this one was phenomenal. But it left me in such a state of shock. I genuinely may need to reread it later on to fully process it all. I had to put it down several times while reading, sometimes talking through events with my partner, only to jump right back into it.
This is horror at it's finest, and if you can make it through, it's an incredible read. But I genuinely don't know how to explain or elaborate any more than that. Just...damn. It's a timely story and a painful and distressing one, but it is a good one.
It is clear from the acknowledgments at the end just how personal this story is, too, and I respect White so much for writing this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
From the author's website:
Infanticide (neonaticide) involving cannibalism
Graphic depictions of pregnancy and childbirth as violence and body horror; on-page early stillbirth with subsequent desecration of corpse; on-page botched DIY abortion
Narrative focus on suicidality and planning suicide, with no attempt made; similar focus on self-harm, shown on-page (disfigurement via scalding)
Consistently unclear sexual boundaries and consent, up to and including rape, often involving confusion on behalf of the survivor
Sexual fantasies/intrusive thoughts involving abuse and bestiality
Domestic abuse
Graphic violence
Emetophobia warning
Weird parasitic bug shit, needles, general transphobia and ableism, etc.