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_paddi___ 's review for:
Brainwyrms
by Alison Rumfitt
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the weirdest book I have ever read but I say non-judgementally. I love it for being weird. It is so so so weird but that is brilliant. From the very first line of the book I was hooked and I ended up reading it literally twice as fast as the next fastest I have ever read a book. A truly gripping and thrilling experience that left unable to put it down and constantly thinking about it during the day, excited to see what happens next. Even the parts I didn't quite understand because I wasn't fully supposed to had me interested.
The political subtext was maybe a little heavy handed but I'd never call that a flaw of a book and it's certainly something that needs saying more; I was glad to have finally found a book to address these things at all and it did it well. The one thing that scared me the most (in this horror book) was the constant tension surrounding the rise of transphobia and hatred in the UK.
Yes the book is shocking and gruesome and grim and somewhat horrible but that just made it a wild ride and quite unforgettable. It's certainly not for everybody but I could help but love it. What a lovely disgusting thing.
The political subtext was maybe a little heavy handed but I'd never call that a flaw of a book and it's certainly something that needs saying more; I was glad to have finally found a book to address these things at all and it did it well. The one thing that scared me the most (in this horror book) was the constant tension surrounding the rise of transphobia and hatred in the UK.
Yes the book is shocking and gruesome and grim and somewhat horrible but that just made it a wild ride and quite unforgettable. It's certainly not for everybody but I could help but love it. What a lovely disgusting thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, Classism
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Antisemitism