Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

4 reviews

librarymouse's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

The Museum of Extraordinary Things was one of my favorite books as a teenager. I reread it recently to see if it's still holds up. I didn't remember Coralie being so religious as a child, though it tracks with the conservatism forced upon her by her father.

I didn't remember how it ended when I went into the book. I read another review or somebody said that the epilogue ruined it for them, but I think that might be the nicest way that Alice Hoffman could have tied up the loose ends. All Coralie ever wanted was to live a normal life. What she got was a normal life that she did not have to change herself to achieve, a husband who loves her, and a skill in fiber crafting that the part of herself she'd considered a deformity makes her exceptional at. I wish Maureen the world and then some. She's a wonderful character throughout the novel, but to know that she came to the professor beautiful and unscarred, and then stayed to raise Coralie after professor threw acid in her face makes her all the stronger mother figure, regardless of whether or not Coralie is biologically hers. I am glad for the implications in the epilogue that Eddie reconnected with his father and to some extent his religion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Minor: Genocide

joensign's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

meg_elyse's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Antisemitism, and Alcohol

Minor: Pedophilia, Kidnapping, and Murder

wildestdreams's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty