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mack_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
I’ve been struggling to find the words to describe the gnawing that this book has left me with. It is not horror, but it is horrifying. Definitely a book I used tabs on. I get why many people favorite it (I would say ‘enjoy it’, but I’m not sure how true that is). But it does help that Katherine Dunn has a way with making sure the words that need to hit home, do.
Would definitely recommend.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Abortion, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
michaelion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Sick and twisted! But the book isn't bad. The best part is the creative writing. Extremely, vividly, wildly creative.
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Dysphoria
Minor: Racism, Transphobia, Abortion, and Abandonment
zhort's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After finishing Crime & Punishment, I was looking to relax and read something easy and fun so I picked up Geek Love thinking it would be some dumb romcom between geeks. Well it turns out geeks in this book has a very different definition:
Geek [noun, slang]. A carnival performer whose act usually consists of biting the head off a live chicken or snake.
Geek Love is about the Binewskis, a family of circus performers, where the children are all freaks of some kind; born with flippers instead of limbs (Arty), an albino dwarf with a hunchback (Olympia), conjoined twins (Elly and Iphy), and a telekinetic baby (Chick). The caveat here being they were all deliberately "made" by the parents, Al and Lily, by having Lily consume various alchemical concoctions while she was pregnant. This is all for the sole purpose of having the freakiest children possible to make their traveling circus a success. If this grosses you out, please cross out this book forever from your reading list because it gets much, much worse.
What follows is a tale of jealousy, unhinged egos, and unquestioning devotion that made me hate every single character in the book. Arty is the oldest and most charismatic, and believes that being freaks are what makes life special, so he does the most sensible thing and starts a cult that demands their followers cut their limbs off. The twins have wildly different personalities but their main problems begin, as with most girls, when they hit puberty. Chick is the youngest and most powerful, but is also the most empathetic and naive. We follow this story through the eyes of Olympia, and for someone with a hunchback she somehow manages to be the most spineless creature in the family. She loves Arty and stands beside him while he commits mass mutilation, familial abuse, murder, all for the minuscule hope that Arty will love her back.
Overall this has been the most grotesque, tragic, and twisted stories I have read, and I hated everyone and everything that was happening in the book. There are themes of betrayal, manipulation, murder, abuse, mutilation, grooming, incest, and basically anytime you think the story has reached a new low Dunn surprises you with her limbo skills. Throughout the entire process of reading it my soul has felt unclean but I couldn't tear myself away.
8/10, would not recommend.
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Rape, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
ann17young's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
gondorgirl's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
mayapapaya55's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction and Body horror
Minor: Sexual assault
mondovertigo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
emily_weiss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
maekay's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
granasys's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
I never had any attraction to gore and horror, so it might be that, but I had a hard time understanding what is the reason for all the horrible and ugly things happening. It was shocking for sure, but felt as if only for the shock value.
I personally cannot relate to such weak main characters, who let others abuse and exploit them and loves them for it. It is also not that Oly is not aware, she knows and never questions it.
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol