wearysighs's reviews
58 reviews

Sick B*stards: A Novel of Extreme Horror, Sex and Gore by Matt Shaw

2.0

this book feels like bad cabin in the woods fanfiction. that’s the closest thing i can compare the plot to. smut, cannibalism and assumed incest. it’s not like these books are necessarily designed to be groundbreaking works of prose, so i suppose if you’re looking to read the literary version of a snuff film, here you go.

also got a pretty big misogynistic vibe towards the female characters in this book and couldn’t tell if it was intentional to add to the horror of the story or the author’s weird fantasies leaking through. ick (which again i guess is the point.)

i did appreciate the ending and felt that made the book more worth reading overall.

Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite

5.0

this book utterly and completely took me by surprise.
would i recommend it? not to just anyone. the evil incarnate of the two killers in this book and the unspeakable acts that occur are disturbing to say the very least. if you're not into gore, skip out on this one.
if you can handle the world of stark horror, though, i'd go as far to say this is the best i've read in the genre thus far. brite's prose is so poetic and immersive, i was often distracted by the horrors depicted in this novel. perhaps the most chilling element of this novel is the amount of humanity given to these characters and the likeability and relatability to the side characters. not only is this a story about two serial killers bringing out the worst in each other, it's a look at new orleans in the late 80's early 90's and how the AIDS epidemic affected the queer community.

i feel like it's wrong to consider this book beautiful, but it's the closest adjective i can think of. will likely read again.

The End of Alice by A.M. Homes

5.0

this book was truly horrifying, i believe, because of homes's stellar writing and the depth she gave to her main character. i found myself falling in love with the writing and then being startled by it knowing the context of the plot. what an interesting study on the human mind, trauma, and what makes people who they are.

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

3.0

i should know better. there’s always some death in SJM’s universes that crush me.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

5.0

what a wonderful little story. wholesome and delightful, and nearly brought me to tears. a science fiction story in which there is a hopeful future. to me it seemed that this novel found me at just the right time in my life, and if you decide to read it, i hope it leaves an impression on you as well.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

4.0

i hate myself for saying this but this is funny in a very particular early 2010s way, but that’s because it came out in the early 2010s and a lot of the comics in the books were viral memes.
anyway, it’s easy, relatable, and gave me some genuine chuckles!

The Sparks by Kyle Prue

3.0

i would have enjoyed this book a lot more when i was still of young adult age. that being said, i think it’s a great YA novel! i just feel that it’s very obvious kyle prue wrote this book when he was in high school. it’s not an insult (that’s quite an accomplishment), it just is what it is, i’m 30 and that style of writing just isn’t my thing anymore. i will still go on to read the rest of the series. a fun, easy read, taking elements of popular fantasy novels and adding its own twist. i really enjoyed learning more about the backstory of these characters and it was enough of a draw to make me want to read the others.

Chouette by Claire Oshetsky

4.0

a fever dream of a novel about motherhood and femininity, and what it means to stay true to yourself in a society that never stops telling you what you should or shouldn’t be.