keen's reviews
202 reviews

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Body horror

Moderate: Physical abuse, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Child death

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Torture, and Gore

Moderate: Animal death, Murder, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide, Child death, and Car accident

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Blood, Child death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Car accident, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Gun violence

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual harassment

Body Shocks by Ellen Datlow
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.

Out of 26 stories, I read, from most liked to least:

1. The Truth That Lies Under Skin and Meat by Cassandra Khaw
2. Welcome to Mengele’s by Simon Bestwick
3. Cuckoo by Angela Slatter
4. The Travellers Stay by Ray Cluley
5. Spar by Kij Johnson
6. La beauté sans vertu by Genevieve Valentine

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Colonisation, Violence, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism and Torture

Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks

medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib

fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Homophobia, Murder, Bullying, and Violence

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Child abuse

Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Domestic abuse

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Gun violence and Alcohol

Minor: War

I noted the diversity as "complicated" because I'm unsure of the exact races of the characters, aside from one being British, but the main character is a lesbian. She does not get involved in any relationship and it's only mentioned briefly.

Eyes Guts Throat Bones by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Grief, Child death, Self harm, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Bullying, Suicide, Infidelity, and Homophobia

Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Torture, Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Medical content, Alcohol, Grief, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness

Minor: Cannibalism and Suicide