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A review by readundancies
Leech by Hiron Ennes
dark
mysterious
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? No
5.0
Well, I must say, this turned out to be quite the creepy little gothic horror sci-fi moment, and I frigging loved it.
The synopsis is kinda perfect. It sets the story up without giving much away and yet everything it contains is truth. And there is still so much more to wade through within the plot, so many questions I still have that will never get answered. And I’m totally fine with it it despite my endless curiosity.
The narrator collective - the (initially) nameless representative of The Institute who was connected across the globe through a host of human bodies which they simultaneously inhabited and had networked into their consciousness so that it was very hive mind-like in nature but still solitary enough that you could still perceive them as a single entity - was entirely fascinating.
And the writing! I was so incredibly enamoured by the beauty and atmosphere that Ennes cultivated. There was this general reverence for anatomy that shined through but it was also dark and domineering and clinical and yet also moving all at the same time. This is a heck of a debut. It was littered with a ton of sensitive topics and issues and I beg you to search for content warnings before picking this one but rest assured it was fucking stellar all the same.
The audiobook is a fine choice to consume the story - the narrator Abigail Thorn really captures the world and the people with her accents and it’s very smoothly delivered. I loved listening to this right before bed because it had this powerful dichotomy of Thorn’s lulling voice as she read aloud that paired so well with such the strange and bizarre narration of a creature that does not seem wholly human and perceives humanity as needing to be kept alive but also revelled in the dependency of humans and how they had a seemingly large amount of superiority over them. The Institute aided not out of kindness, they aided because that is what they were born to do and they do it best so there was no need for alternatives.
The second person perspective that cropped up from time to time was interwoven into the first person perspective a bit clonkely - I didn’t have an issue with it, I rather liked it truth be told - but it was a tad bumpy at times and I could see some people disliking the reading experience because of how confusing it could get. I do think the bumpiness could be by design however; an (un)intentional means to make the reader feel much like the narrator and how disjointed the whole ordeal that she’s going through actually is.
The themes of this novel were posited in such a satisfying manner, from those of bodily autonomy, biology versus the psyche, the human connection, trauma and abuse, rebellion of the mind from body, gender and gender identity, etc. All of them were wrapped in this creepy and darkly disturbing setting where nothing was as it seemed, vitriol was either spewed violently from the mouths of the rich and powerful or toxically in the silences that lay behind every closed door. The hopeful glimpse of freedom at the end was such a breath of fresh air after having delved into the many horrors that the novel touched upon and for a shorter novel, it really did pack a punch.
This was menacing and thought-provoking and atmospheric in a way that felt claustrophobic and suffocating and I was in my element wading through it. Truly, this was such a fantastic gothic sci-fi that lives up to both genres and I loved how unsettled the ending leaves the reader because there were so many loose ends that were not knotted but everything still seeped with this feeling of resolution. It’s a hard line to toe and I think Ennes did so beautifully.
I need a physical copy of this. I also urge anyone interested in picking it up to check out the audiobook. It was bloody brilliant and the story was truly brought to life in a way that simply reading it cannot capture. If you can, make it a hybrid read, you won’t regret it.
The synopsis is kinda perfect. It sets the story up without giving much away and yet everything it contains is truth. And there is still so much more to wade through within the plot, so many questions I still have that will never get answered. And I’m totally fine with it it despite my endless curiosity.
The narrator collective - the (initially) nameless representative of The Institute who was connected across the globe through a host of human bodies which they simultaneously inhabited and had networked into their consciousness so that it was very hive mind-like in nature but still solitary enough that you could still perceive them as a single entity - was entirely fascinating.
And the writing! I was so incredibly enamoured by the beauty and atmosphere that Ennes cultivated. There was this general reverence for anatomy that shined through but it was also dark and domineering and clinical and yet also moving all at the same time. This is a heck of a debut. It was littered with a ton of sensitive topics and issues and I beg you to search for content warnings before picking this one but rest assured it was fucking stellar all the same.
The audiobook is a fine choice to consume the story - the narrator Abigail Thorn really captures the world and the people with her accents and it’s very smoothly delivered. I loved listening to this right before bed because it had this powerful dichotomy of Thorn’s lulling voice as she read aloud that paired so well with such the strange and bizarre narration of a creature that does not seem wholly human and perceives humanity as needing to be kept alive but also revelled in the dependency of humans and how they had a seemingly large amount of superiority over them. The Institute aided not out of kindness, they aided because that is what they were born to do and they do it best so there was no need for alternatives.
The second person perspective that cropped up from time to time was interwoven into the first person perspective a bit clonkely - I didn’t have an issue with it, I rather liked it truth be told - but it was a tad bumpy at times and I could see some people disliking the reading experience because of how confusing it could get. I do think the bumpiness could be by design however; an (un)intentional means to make the reader feel much like the narrator and how disjointed the whole ordeal that she’s going through actually is.
The themes of this novel were posited in such a satisfying manner, from those of bodily autonomy, biology versus the psyche, the human connection, trauma and abuse, rebellion of the mind from body, gender and gender identity, etc. All of them were wrapped in this creepy and darkly disturbing setting where nothing was as it seemed, vitriol was either spewed violently from the mouths of the rich and powerful or toxically in the silences that lay behind every closed door. The hopeful glimpse of freedom at the end was such a breath of fresh air after having delved into the many horrors that the novel touched upon and for a shorter novel, it really did pack a punch.
This was menacing and thought-provoking and atmospheric in a way that felt claustrophobic and suffocating and I was in my element wading through it. Truly, this was such a fantastic gothic sci-fi that lives up to both genres and I loved how unsettled the ending leaves the reader because there were so many loose ends that were not knotted but everything still seeped with this feeling of resolution. It’s a hard line to toe and I think Ennes did so beautifully.
I need a physical copy of this. I also urge anyone interested in picking it up to check out the audiobook. It was bloody brilliant and the story was truly brought to life in a way that simply reading it cannot capture. If you can, make it a hybrid read, you won’t regret it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Blood, Chronic illness, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Torture, Suicide, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Self harm, and Violence