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thespineofmotherhood's review against another edition
4.0
If you enjoy fun, fast horror novellas and find cults super interesting…this is for you!
I really appreciated the way Lucy pokes fun at and dissects how our society handles wellness. I felt like the messaging regarding social media/influencers was crucial, as well.
I laughed often at the razor sharp wit and brutal societal observations.
Definitely a unique reading experience!
I really appreciated the way Lucy pokes fun at and dissects how our society handles wellness. I felt like the messaging regarding social media/influencers was crucial, as well.
I laughed often at the razor sharp wit and brutal societal observations.
Definitely a unique reading experience!
bitchesgottaread's review against another edition
4.0
You will have a good time if you come to the book for the right reasons.
Let's start with the "wrong" reasons.
1. You are looking for horror that resembles literary fiction.
2. You want to be blown away by the depth and complexity of a narrative.
3. You don't like horror, thrillers, or gore. (For the sake of everything good in this world, can those of you who DON'T like horror stop reading horror books and rating them poorly? Please explain your thought process to me like I'm 8.)
The "right" reasons.
1. You were fascinated/entertained by the NXIVM documentary (The Vow.)
2. "Wellness Culture" has always struck you as a vice for those who are distinctly unwell.
3. You enjoy campy cult horror.
"Bad Vibrations" brilliantly achieves what it sets out to achieve and I loved it for those reasons. I had a great time, was entertained, and found it to be wonderfully escapist.
I look forward to reading Lucy's other books because I like having fun. I'm zany that way.
Thank you so much to Lucy Leitner, Blood Bound Books, and Netgalley for an e-copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Let's start with the "wrong" reasons.
1. You are looking for horror that resembles literary fiction.
2. You want to be blown away by the depth and complexity of a narrative.
3. You don't like horror, thrillers, or gore. (For the sake of everything good in this world, can those of you who DON'T like horror stop reading horror books and rating them poorly? Please explain your thought process to me like I'm 8.)
The "right" reasons.
1. You were fascinated/entertained by the NXIVM documentary (The Vow.)
2. "Wellness Culture" has always struck you as a vice for those who are distinctly unwell.
3. You enjoy campy cult horror.
"Bad Vibrations" brilliantly achieves what it sets out to achieve and I loved it for those reasons. I had a great time, was entertained, and found it to be wonderfully escapist.
I look forward to reading Lucy's other books because I like having fun. I'm zany that way.
Thank you so much to Lucy Leitner, Blood Bound Books, and Netgalley for an e-copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
thathorrorbish's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ucalthisreality's review against another edition
5.0
Pouring blood has never been so fun
Lucy’s latest satire turns the notion of self-delusion into a bloodbath. Based at a wellness retreat, there is so much that is wrong and so little right about the power-hungry, sex-crazed, spiritually-askew characters we meet in this story. The clash that ensues between this group of self-righteous rednecks and self-righteous health nuts at a country compound serves as an amusing reminder that human nature itself sometimes proves to be our greatest folly, and obstacle, to our own happiness. Humorous and concise writing makes for a fast-paced read, and having covered so much ground on the topic of wellness in the past year with her other stories, I look forward to seeing what issues in her writing Lucy takes on next.
Lucy’s latest satire turns the notion of self-delusion into a bloodbath. Based at a wellness retreat, there is so much that is wrong and so little right about the power-hungry, sex-crazed, spiritually-askew characters we meet in this story. The clash that ensues between this group of self-righteous rednecks and self-righteous health nuts at a country compound serves as an amusing reminder that human nature itself sometimes proves to be our greatest folly, and obstacle, to our own happiness. Humorous and concise writing makes for a fast-paced read, and having covered so much ground on the topic of wellness in the past year with her other stories, I look forward to seeing what issues in her writing Lucy takes on next.
gina_gina's review against another edition
4.0
Bad Vibrations is an irreverent ride through the landscape of social media influencers, their blind followers, and the mindset of those who oppose them -- not to mention some Covid-19 references.
There is so much at play here, and Leitner spares no one or nothing a pen poke, calling out everything from the opioid epidemic, the obesity epidemic (and the retaliatory fat-phobia), to the name-calling and suspicion that happens on both sides of a (social, political, health, etc.) divide.
There are some funny song and popular culture references (I appreciated some White Snake lyrics woven into the text) throughout, as well as Pittsburgh references.
At moments, the pacing seemed too slow, but that is my issue. When I have decided that an author has described a situation "too much", I get antsy, which has caused me to struggle with reading certain classics.
There is so much at play here, and Leitner spares no one or nothing a pen poke, calling out everything from the opioid epidemic, the obesity epidemic (and the retaliatory fat-phobia), to the name-calling and suspicion that happens on both sides of a (social, political, health, etc.) divide.
There are some funny song and popular culture references (I appreciated some White Snake lyrics woven into the text) throughout, as well as Pittsburgh references.
At moments, the pacing seemed too slow, but that is my issue. When I have decided that an author has described a situation "too much", I get antsy, which has caused me to struggle with reading certain classics.
breadzz's review against another edition
2.0
I almost DNF this but decided to push through. The first half was pretty slow to me. The second half was a bit more interesting but wasn’t keeping my interest. It was a confusing read honestly. Too many characters and different backgrounds to keep track off. Idk, this just wasn’t it for me.
mafaichney's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
wildgurl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Bad Vibrations
by: Lucy Leitner
Blood Bound Books
2022
5.0 stars
This was right up my alley. I really liked this satire of the wellness craze, social media and conspiracy theorists. It was fast moving, had twists of delight and opened your eyes with the satire, some of it was brilliant. Definately not for everyone, but this one worked for me.
Valerie has become a health nut, and has committed to living a healthy lifestyle, and eliminate all toxins from her body. It is important to her. So naturally, when she hears of a wellness retreat, lead by the Doctor, whose followers believe that by doing yoga with a hula hoop on a mini trampoline, while practicing "screaming" and drinking blood is the road to super healthy living. Free of toxins. The blood is the life.
However, the easily triggered rednecks living in this rural part of Pennsylvania are not happy with the group of health-nut hippies that have invaded their town, and corrupt them.
Short and funny, this made some excellent points.
Thanks to Net Galley for sending this e-book ARC for review.
#BadVibrationscultthebloodisthelife #NetGalley
by: Lucy Leitner
Blood Bound Books
2022
5.0 stars
This was right up my alley. I really liked this satire of the wellness craze, social media and conspiracy theorists. It was fast moving, had twists of delight and opened your eyes with the satire, some of it was brilliant. Definately not for everyone, but this one worked for me.
Valerie has become a health nut, and has committed to living a healthy lifestyle, and eliminate all toxins from her body. It is important to her. So naturally, when she hears of a wellness retreat, lead by the Doctor, whose followers believe that by doing yoga with a hula hoop on a mini trampoline, while practicing "screaming" and drinking blood is the road to super healthy living. Free of toxins. The blood is the life.
However, the easily triggered rednecks living in this rural part of Pennsylvania are not happy with the group of health-nut hippies that have invaded their town, and corrupt them.
Short and funny, this made some excellent points.
Thanks to Net Galley for sending this e-book ARC for review.
#BadVibrationscultthebloodisthelife #NetGalley
pushingdessy's review
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Sex. Yoga. Blood.” Interesting, right? I thought so.
In “Bad vibrations”, we ride with Valerie to a rural Pennsylvania town for a weekend retreat at a new wellness community that sprouted after the COVID-19 pandemic, where residents are committed to clean living and energy nurturing… and the newly discovered miraculous properties of blood drinking.
This satire makes fun of the current wellness craze aided and abetted by social media; of the mental hoops people jump through to believe in conspiracy theories and justify horrendous acts in the name of the greater (selfish) good; of the willingness of people to follow someone who tells them what to do; of gentrification.
It was a fast-paced, entertaining read and, as a very short book, you can’t expect much depth, but it read like a crack premise that wasn’t taken very seriously. All the characters seemed stereotypical cartoonish - the cult members: mostly rich, white Millennials with no identifiable jobs except for the protagonist; the cops: ignorant rednecks; all of them talked like they were in a parody. And I suppose they were! But I felt dumber by reading it, like when you watch Scary Movie.
I almost DNF’d near the beginning when the protagonist and the first cult buddies she meet are confronted by two of the townspeople and she thinks they’re “surrounded by enemies, like the Israelis”. I was confused for a sec - did the author mean the cult members were like the Palestinians surrounded by enemy Israelis? But of course she didn’t. Given that the protagonist, while slightly smarter than the rest, was still a brainwashed idiot with rotten opinions, I decided to let it go, but it still left a bad taste tbh.
All in all, this was an ok read; I didn’t hate it but I don’t think this type of satire works for me because it didn’t feel particularly clever.
“Sex. Yoga. Blood.” Interesting, right? I thought so.
In “Bad vibrations”, we ride with Valerie to a rural Pennsylvania town for a weekend retreat at a new wellness community that sprouted after the COVID-19 pandemic, where residents are committed to clean living and energy nurturing… and the newly discovered miraculous properties of blood drinking.
This satire makes fun of the current wellness craze aided and abetted by social media; of the mental hoops people jump through to believe in conspiracy theories and justify horrendous acts in the name of the greater (selfish) good; of the willingness of people to follow someone who tells them what to do; of gentrification.
It was a fast-paced, entertaining read and, as a very short book, you can’t expect much depth, but it read like a crack premise that wasn’t taken very seriously. All the characters seemed stereotypical cartoonish - the cult members: mostly rich, white Millennials with no identifiable jobs except for the protagonist; the cops: ignorant rednecks; all of them talked like they were in a parody. And I suppose they were! But I felt dumber by reading it, like when you watch Scary Movie.
I almost DNF’d near the beginning when the protagonist and the first cult buddies she meet are confronted by two of the townspeople and she thinks they’re “surrounded by enemies, like the Israelis”. I was confused for a sec - did the author mean the cult members were like the Palestinians surrounded by enemy Israelis? But of course she didn’t. Given that the protagonist, while slightly smarter than the rest, was still a brainwashed idiot with rotten opinions, I decided to let it go, but it still left a bad taste tbh.
All in all, this was an ok read; I didn’t hate it but I don’t think this type of satire works for me because it didn’t feel particularly clever.