dromedaryreader's reviews
24 reviews

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Very sad story disguised as horror. Unsettling portrayal of abusive relationships through the internet and a descent into severe mental illness.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Mental illness

Moderate: Homophobia

Cows by Matthew Stokoe

challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

As disgusting as promised. Hated reading every minute but couldn't look away for a second. Disappointed that I might never find another book that does quite what this one does.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Abortion, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Excrement, Gore, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Minor: Incest and Fatphobia

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

challenging sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Slower start then I expected, but when things picked up it was unending. One punch to the gut after another. I know what was coming from the first second but still had the air knocked out of me when I turned to that page.

"She moved her lips. Then smiled.

'I think I'm going to make it,' she said, and reached for Susan's hand. 'I think I'll be fine.'

In the artificial glare of the work light, in the dawn that for us was not a dawn, she died."

I know that this book will stick with me and always leave that lingering stomach ache.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Violence

Dead Inside by Chandler Morrison

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

A very gross book and not in a shock horror fun way, just in a gag worthy way of things being so over the top the plot gets lost in it. Featuring the most annoying, whiny, misogynistic, necrophiliac main character in history.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Car accident, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Fatphobia and Death of parent