Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Los Elementales by Michael McDowell

22 reviews

crosberg's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Violence, Excrement, and Grief

cabeswaren's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, and Child death

Minor: Racism

readwithbells's review against another edition

dark funny sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This was so fun and creative and creepy and unsettling. If I think about it for longer than a couple seconds I find myself avoiding the shadowy parts of my apartment. The characters were really unique, I loved Luker and India, and although it certainly isn’t surprising that a white man wrote this in the 80s, I wouldn’t call it problematic. Really fun horror - would read again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Racism

mojavetent's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer and Racism

kazik's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Excrement and Vomit

weeta's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.75

To anyone who has witnessed the truth that sand and summer are the true horror in life, you’ll love the premise of this book! It starts out with a bang and then takes a long, excruciating slog to get to any suspense or intrigue. The characters are not particularly appealing or well-developed and it’s hard to keep track of the family tree at first. Once the scary bits start coming out towards the last third of the book, it’s quite an enjoyable read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, and Death

Moderate: Racism and Fire/Fire injury

jakobvongunten's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Body horror

Moderate: Child death and Cannibalism

adalgibson's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Blood, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Drug use and Gore

theoldestbennetsister's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, and Racism

archaicrobin's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The Elementals was such a peculiar story and I loved it. McDowell does a great job of setting the eerie scene and crafting an original story that you want to keep reading. Unfortunately, there are some strange, uncomfortable things you have to overlook..... 

For example, the relationship between Luker (Dad) and 13 year old India (daughter) is strange and unsettling. They call each other by their first names and act more like old friends than father and daughter. India is allowed to drink alcohol, is called an asshole and such by her father, and they swim naked together in the gulf? It’s very weird, very gross, and honestly it took everything in me to overlook this which is why I feel it needs to be mentioned. If you can get beyond this and also beyond the way McDowell constantly refers to the maid Odessa as “the black woman”  then there is a great horror story there. I kept reminding myself this was published in 1981, so some leeway needs to be considered but I know not everyone would want to overlook these things! 

If you can, the elementals is truly eerie. I found myself unable to sleep reading some of the scenes that occur inside the infamous third house at Beldame and I can’t wait to read more by this author. 

It starts off with a funeral and slows down a bit as the family is introduced but once they reach Beldame this novel becomes impossible to put down! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Gore, and Infidelity