ensorcele's review against another edition
3.0
that offhand comment about some smell being like the onrush of a disease in an african village was so unnecessary and didn't even make any sense. the attraction between al and luke was also so unnecessary. and the ending was very plain
jesshorn10's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so good! The way the author built tension throughout the story was very well done, and there were lots of scenes that genuinely creeped me out. The twists were unexpected, and the imagery was horrifying at times. Parts of the story reminded me of IT and The Shining in the best possible ways. I loved this!
Check content warnings though!
Check content warnings though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Violence, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Confinement, Gore, Injury/injury detail, Fatphobia, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child death, and Eating disorder
draculara's review against another edition
4.0
i really enjoyed the first two thirds but the ending bit just really lost me
skylarround's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
niknewx's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
gabepants's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this is the horror that messes me up for years to come.
haileyldavidson's review against another edition
3.0
My co-worker heard I’m on a book ban and wanted to do a book swap, so she traded this for Tender Is The Flesh. This was like. It was really good, written very well. At a certain point for me personally, the body horror and the imagery was just awful and I feel like I am going to throw up. Also don’t read this if you don’t like reading about animals being hurt, there are multiple scenes where animals are hurt and some I had to skip because they were that bad and that drawn out. It's difficult for me to enjoy content with really gory visceral body horror. I actually enjoy it, I love horror. But I find it so much easier to stomach watching body horror onscreen rather than reading it on the page. My imagination is simply, too much for me. And to say this book's very talented horrific writing traumatized me, is the bare minimum of what transpired here.
That being said, I thought this was written really well and I can’t believe this guy also wrote Saturday night ghost club. They are so completely different.
Im in shock rn I honestly can’t write a good review so bye
That being said, I thought this was written really well and I can’t believe this guy also wrote Saturday night ghost club. They are so completely different.
Im in shock rn I honestly can’t write a good review so bye
michaellouisdixon's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this new novel from Nick Cutter and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a good frightening horror novel.
I do want to address a number of complaints that I've seen in the reviews:
1. It's not about The Gets. No, it's not. It isn't just some other plague apocalypse like so many other novels out there today. If you picked it up and were disappointed that it didn't fit your expectations then that's a shame, because it's a damned fine horror story in spite of not being just another cookie cutter end of world by disease story.
2. It's a knock-off of The Abyss, Alien, and The Thing. Well, no it is not. See above. It is surprising the number of people who wanted it to be like something else they've already read in their favorite sub-genre and then they go and complain that it's similar to other popular films. First of all, this is not a film. Second, it isn't anything like those films other than it plays with similar themes and locations which are common staples of the horror genre in general. Just because there was a film that took place at the bottom of the ocean means that we can never have books that take place at the bottom of the ocean? Preposterous. Same for creatures that infect hosts and cause the host to morph. Whatever!
3. It's too gory and has very little story. Really? There was plenty of story. It was dark, but that's in perfect fit with the story overall. The gore built up over time until it became quite intense, but there was no sacrifice of the depth of the story whatsoever.
4. Animals were hurt. No, no animals were actually hurt in the making of this novel. If you found the hurting of the animals too disturbing and that made you quit, then the story was too vivid for your senses. It does not make the novel bad. It makes the novel not right for you. Those are two separate issues. I personally find the injury of animals very disturbing and it makes the story that much more powerful to me, but I also find the injury to humans and their children very disturbing as well.
But to each their own.
I do want to address a number of complaints that I've seen in the reviews:
1. It's not about The Gets. No, it's not. It isn't just some other plague apocalypse like so many other novels out there today. If you picked it up and were disappointed that it didn't fit your expectations then that's a shame, because it's a damned fine horror story in spite of not being just another cookie cutter end of world by disease story.
2. It's a knock-off of The Abyss, Alien, and The Thing. Well, no it is not. See above. It is surprising the number of people who wanted it to be like something else they've already read in their favorite sub-genre and then they go and complain that it's similar to other popular films. First of all, this is not a film. Second, it isn't anything like those films other than it plays with similar themes and locations which are common staples of the horror genre in general. Just because there was a film that took place at the bottom of the ocean means that we can never have books that take place at the bottom of the ocean? Preposterous. Same for creatures that infect hosts and cause the host to morph. Whatever!
3. It's too gory and has very little story. Really? There was plenty of story. It was dark, but that's in perfect fit with the story overall. The gore built up over time until it became quite intense, but there was no sacrifice of the depth of the story whatsoever.
4. Animals were hurt. No, no animals were actually hurt in the making of this novel. If you found the hurting of the animals too disturbing and that made you quit, then the story was too vivid for your senses. It does not make the novel bad. It makes the novel not right for you. Those are two separate issues. I personally find the injury of animals very disturbing and it makes the story that much more powerful to me, but I also find the injury to humans and their children very disturbing as well.
But to each their own.
melody_vl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cyberbolt's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Chapter 1: in the deep, 8 miles under water, your mind plays tricks. Look, it’s an old thing from my room when I was a child.
Chapter 2: here is a lot of detail about that thing from my room when I was a child.
Chapter 3: it was not the thing from my room as a child. Just an ordinary thing you would expect to find on a station 8 miles under water. But here in the deep, your mind plays tricks. Look, it’s an old thing from my son’s room when he was a child…
Repeat for 300 pages.
Chapter 2: here is a lot of detail about that thing from my room when I was a child.
Chapter 3: it was not the thing from my room as a child. Just an ordinary thing you would expect to find on a station 8 miles under water. But here in the deep, your mind plays tricks. Look, it’s an old thing from my son’s room when he was a child…
Repeat for 300 pages.