Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

Straight by Chuck Tingle

11 reviews

annathechaoticreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Dr Tingle did it again! This was one of the best novellas I have ever read. Straight was creative, terrifying, disturbing, heartwarming (at the end), cathartic and incredibly impactful. This should be mandatory reading for all people who consider themselves allies to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Books very rarely genuinely scare me but this one did, I have been thinking about it consistently and it has changed the way I think about ally ship and queer solidarity. No notes. I do not have a single criticism for Straight. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

callidoralblack's review against another edition

emotional tense

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Death, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Grief, and Car accident

Minor: Gun violence, Hate crime, Cannibalism, Outing, Abandonment, and Alcohol

aingealwroth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

Set up is slower at the beginning and then it hits the peak and snowballs

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Genocide

Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Car accident, Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail

kshertz's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-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? No

4.0

Wow. It feels like it is trying to be dystopian but it’s wild in the fact that you can absolutely imagine it happening. The idea that straight  people will be affected by something in the universe and need a vaccine but queer people will remain sane but now targets. As with most things chuck tingle it has really deep messages hidden in wild and out there antics. It was dark and as a queer person, full of triggers. But I found it poignant and at the end, I was so glad I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Biphobia, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

chase0w0's review

emotional funny inspiring tense fast-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Religious bigotry and Outing

nixieba25f's review against another edition

dark hopeful tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Car accident, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

throwback682's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This is a great twist on the usual zombie apocalypse stories. It touches on so many LGBTQIA+ issues (right wing politicians being outed as queer, biphobia and transphobia within the community, fair weather allies) and also nods to pandemic attitudes. Definitely gory and sometimes pretty emotional but overall kind of a romp. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

The book is about a phenomenon that causes allocishet people to attack LGBTQIA+ people once a year. A twist on zombie apocalypse stories. So obviously there’s a lot of queerphobia/violence towards queer folks but it’s not glorified. The author is queer and trans.

ceeess's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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? No

4.0

Calls out "allies" who leave when it gets tough. Also calls out anti-vaxxer COVID deniers under the guise of a zombie outbreak. Deserved.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

ashielovestoread's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

A satirical survival horror-thriller written by Chuck Tingle of all people is not something I expected to be my fourth read of 2024 and for it to be this good (????!) is something that I didn't expect at all. Straight deals with a lot of heavy topics and does it really well, it's quite scary to think of such a prospect irl. The slasher parts were super good and got me on the edge of my seat. Overall am I happy that I stumbled upon the name of this book on a youtube video's comments, damn right I am. Go pick this up rn folks (if you can handle the satire, woke parts with your horror). Added bonus that the cast is super diverse!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Biphobia and Transphobia

eggboy397's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Biphobia, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Outing