Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Honor by Thrity Umrigar

7 reviews

butle2em's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Addiction, Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Ableism and Classism

ka_cam's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I listened to this on audiobook. I often struggle to finish audiobooks but I enjoyed this one- the reader did a great job of distinguishing characters and expressing complex emotions through tone and pauses. The book was pretty difficult subject matter (check content warnings) which I felt the author handled well while exposing Smita’s own biases and complicated reactions to gender based violence, religious violence, and state violence. I thought it odd that a gender based news international reporter wouldn’t tie this experience in more to her experiences reporting on GBV in other situations- the vague ‘bad things happen in the west/the us has police brutality’ references ended up feeling underdeveloped.  I was expecting her at some point to mention reporting she had done on issues like missing and murdered indigenous women, DV, etc and how she’s experiencing this situation differently (or similarly) but we never got that. Some of her backstory felt rushed or underdeveloped as well. All in all a solid read but I finished it feeling that the audience was underestimated and some characters underdeveloped. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Stalking, Pregnancy, Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol and Medical content

shesheshelby's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I learned so much about Indian culture in this book! It was focused on women’s rights and dealing with trauma through a journalist’s trip to India. I would have considered 5 stars if the main character didn’t bother me so much!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Violence, Misogyny, Gore, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Blood, Body horror, Death, Islamophobia, Medical content, Murder, and Xenophobia

laurataylor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Body horror, Child abuse, Grief, and Islamophobia

sarahsm_th's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Body horror, Blood, Gore, and Fire/Fire injury

mariedhut's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Racial slurs, Death, Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, Murder, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Violence

kiki870's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

 

Honor is a beautifully written book that will reside in my soul for a very long time. It was deeply emotional and felt deeply personal, even though it was written about a place and a culture that is not my own. It is an incredibly thought-provoking novel that makes the reader question what honor truly means. It looks at deeply-rooted tradition, and the toxicity that sometimes comes with that kind of tradition. There are themes of family, hatred, misogyny, sacrifice, betrayal, ignorance, religious bigotry, tradition, honor, and even hope. The author’s writing is lush and vibrant, drawing the reader into another world. It is not always an easy book to read, the subject matter often horrifying and gutwrenchingly sad, but it isn’t meant to be easy. The story is that of a social horror, so it should be uncomfortable.

Honor is really two parallel stories, that of Meena and that of Smitra. Both have experienced the traditional, patriarchal society of India. Their stories have their similarities, but far different outcomes. Mohan’s role in the book is equally important, representing both the entitled male privilege that is so present in India and the good that is also within the country. Through their stories, honor begins to take on multiple means. For some, honor means adhering to religious and cultural norms. Any step in a different direction can me shame and even death. For others, honor means honoring oneself, doing what is right in the face of personal sacrifice.

This is a truly beautiful book, and an important one. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Body horror, and Misogyny