Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Leech by Hiron Ennes

6 reviews

zeus_strider's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

1.0

I'll just say it first and foremost I am unapologetically a Parasite apologist! 

I found the beginning of this book to be utterly delightful and so charming, I love the Institute they were such a captivating character and I adored them as a protagonist, watching a hive mind unknowingly creep further into danger in this uncanny winter tundra was gold it would have been five Stars⭐ if they had remained the protagonist.

Somewhere in the middle of this dreadfully long track are poor Institute is sidelined as the antagonist before they are completely dropped as the POV character all together, while there is some merit to telling your story from antagonist perspective I believe there are much better works that showcase it.

As for the world building I found it to be rather delightful again in the beginning, it was all very odd and sprinkled in gingerly and just a touch of lovecraftian flair but then the book has a crisis of identity to be a to be horror or mystery, with most mysteries you want an answer but when it comes to horror answers can be a fatal. As for this book it chose to answer every question I didn't want answered.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Police brutality

liltakeawaygirl's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Vomit, Grief, and Colonisation

cadence99's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.25

A twisty turny fever dream like read. Liked this overall, though the ending felt a bit lackluster and not in keeping with the rest of the book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

gilroi's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

 I feel strange for not having more to say about this book, other than it's genuinely some of the best speculative fiction / fantasy / scifi / horror (pick one) I've read in years. It's a smooth, sleek little novel that knows exactly what it's doing and does it. While it's not perfect, I can't think of any flaw great enough to bring up in this review.

I think what I appreciate most about this novel is how much it trusts its readers, how confident it is with what it's trying to do. The twists aren't mindfucks, all reveals are telegraphed well in advance. Every change seems earned, all the dread is meaningful, and in the last sliver of the novel it goes from genre to literary, elegantly straddling both qualifiers to say something interesting, detailed, new, and worthwhile about identity, colonialism, gender, and medicine.

I cannot recommend it enough if you like a story bright with darkness, full of intention, inventive prose, lush worldbuilding, and smart narration. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Colonisation

Minor: Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Dysphoria, and War

annir's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

catwhisperer's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail