Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Leech by Hiron Ennes

75 reviews

sky_maris's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Pros:
Beautifully written - the prose feels ripped from a Gothic novel but maintains its own modern twist. The narrative style shifts throughout, but in a wonderfully subtle way that you don't really notice until you're In It (TM). I was expecting a good old body horror romp when I started, but this is much more existential than that and I adored it. Leech is a perfect example of how horror can be used to explore difficult  concepts and make a point without losing the fundamental elements of the genre. I was creeped out the whole time while simultaneously pondering my own existence.

Cons:
The pacing is a tad slow, though never slow enough to become boring. The narrative style, particularly at the beginning, can be a tad hard to follow, but the author did an excellent job of orienting the reader.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

dani_wasia's review

adventurous 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

dellybear's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

5.0

A stunning piece of literature that had me guessing till the very end. Loved every second of it. A fantastically unique main character, one entitity spread out over hundreds of bodies. Very gorey and tense. I enjoyed this book immensely. Lots of medical themes, wouldn't recommend if you can't handle parasites and medical scenarios.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Medical content, and Pregnancy

ellius's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Wow. This was amazing. 

This is probably one of the most unique, atmospheric, beautifully plotted books, I have ever read. It was absolutely addictive.

The world was so gorgeous and well built, the characters where so smartly written and easy to get attached to or completely loath. And the set up of the book plays out absolutely wonderfully. I really loved the setting for the château. I could feel the environment leaping off the page. 

However, I struggled so much with wanting to pick it up and read it. Something about it was just a bit much to cope with in large doses. I think there were a lot of things that could’ve been done differently. It definitely could’ve used some technical polishing but it was still so good. 

Ultimately, very unfortunately, this is not a 5 stars. But still, a VERY positive 4 stars. I would definitely read from this author again, ESPECIALLY if it includes this world they’ve set up. 

9/10. Really solid debut.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

one of the plot twists of this book is that the mute servant is being raped and sexually abused by the son

barometz's review

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

circadroid's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility and Medical trauma

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child death

justatrinket's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Alcohol

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

wordswritinstarlight's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

This book fucks supremely as a horror story. The Institute is a twisted knot of self-justifications and self-righteousness, the residents of the chateau are all compelling disasters, I really do think the twins were dead all along, and the newfound parasite is just [chef kiss] horrifying, 10/10 monster, will keep me up at night. 

The move of making Pseudomycota essentially heat-activated is a fantastic twist, especially after half the book resting on the Institute’s confidence and general genre tropes that “kill it with fire” is always the right answer.  The moment of realization that this battle was always over, from the moment they threw the first body into the furnace, really worked for me.

 Highly recommended if you have the stomach for truly buckwild levels of body horror.  Would especially recommend to anyone who really loved the Animorphs as a kid: the situations are wildly different and yet the vibes are very much the same.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Torture, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

bazer63's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

The book started off very strong but towards the end because confusing and hard to keep track of, though that maybe have been intentional.

I found the lead way more compelling when they still under the control of a parasite than when they were themselves again. And their relationship with Emile to be kindof boring.

The worldbuilding was compelling, I like the slight amorality, or orange and blue morality of the parasite especially.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Dysphoria