Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Mâchoires by Mónica Ojeda

15 reviews

gia0203's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

3.75

I need time to process this one. Dark reflection on womanhood and adolescence. The writing style was unique - perhaps not a style I prefer, but it was interesting, and  I appreciated it. Fascinating motifs and metaphors. Very Freudian. The relationship between the protagonists was the most interesting part. Full review to come later.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Violence, Child abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Torture, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, and Animal death

Minor: Pedophilia, Racism, and Alcohol

readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

The writing itself was good but the book felt too hinged on Freudian and pseudo intellectual points that while given the instability and irrationality of the character due to both traumas and age made sense, I think bogged down the book itself because I think it accidentally undermined any attempted theme 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Torture, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, and Rape

rebeccafarren's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Body horror, Animal death, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Blood

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Sexual content

caracabe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Self harm, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Body horror, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Child death, Animal cruelty, Lesbophobia, Animal death, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

hi_im_tate's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

3.75

I loved the formatting of this book. The few reviews I skimmed over didn't mention it. There are chapters that are like regular chapter books, full of text, and then there are chapters that are formatted more like interviews. The chapters, also, jump between characters and past and present. If that isn't something you like, I suggest not reading this book. There were times were it was hard to read because it felt like the sentences just went on and on and on with several words that confused me and were hard to pronounce.

Now, onto the contents of this book. I can see why people call this book "gross". It does explore some intense kinks (biting, blood, guns) with minors, but I thought it was done in a good way when they were CONSENSUAL! Reading about minors doing some of these things did gross me out, but I also have to remember that this stuff in real life already. That was another this that made me enjoy this book. The things that happened in this book have happened and will happen in real life. It makes it much more harder to swallow. Looking at the relationships between the girls reminded me of my relationships with friends growing up (though, not as intense). Having a friendship with a group like this, where two are deemed the "leaders" and one an "outcast" really describes adolescent female friendships well in my experience. Growing up with one person all your life makes the two of you merge together in a way you wouldn't have thought possible before. 

The descent into psychosis felt real to me, even though I have never experienced it. The repetitive movements, the noticing small details, and the panic that is ever encompassing a person made ME feel like I was in her shoes. I could hold empathy for her because of what had happened to her and how she "learned" to deal with it.

The dealing of the religious trauma was probably my favorite part. Denying your sexuality, forming something you can actually believe in, questioning everything you've learned about the religion you were raised as. It definitely sheds light on how religion can fuck someone up.

The imagery from this book was wonderfully grotesque. It was a book I didn't want to put down; not necessarily because it was so good, but because I wanted the answers hidden in the pages. And I still don't feel satisfied with what I got 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Excrement, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Classism, Stalking, Murder, Outing, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Torture, Cannibalism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Death, Incest, Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship

caitlynes91's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

WHEW. wickedly good prose (shoutout to the translator omg?). also wickedly f-ed up. will be thinking about this one for a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness

Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Homophobia, Excrement, and Self harm

morebedsidebooks's review against another edition

challenging dark

3.5

She always imagined violence as a crashing of waves that engulfed the rocks until bursting against the flesh of something living, but never as this theatre of shadows, nor as the stillness interrupted by the steps of a hunched silhouette. 

 

Jawbone by Ecuadorian author Mónica Ojeda is a story of a traumatized literature teacher at a High-School-for-Girls losing her grip and horror obsessed teenage girls who find their pastimes are not all fun and games. 

Ojeda’s third novel but first appearing in English is a title that certainly has received a lot of attention. Among this the English translated edition by Sarah Booker being a finalist for the 2022 National Book Award in Translated Literature. While also available as an audiobook, with a lovely narration by Victoria Villarreal, the reading of the text oneself reveals more of its quirks. (Further the important four-page translator's note is omitted.) As well a little overarching as poetic literary fiction segues itself into thrilling horror while incorporating well-known works of others from the genre, even modern elements like creepypastas. Challenging, chilling, disturbing, and like many products of the genre, a medium to examine real life awfulness. Jawbone is a book that is really trying to say something among anxiety and violence about purity, feminine experiences and relationships from the cradle to the grave. Mothers and daughters, teachers and students, best friends and maybe more. I feel like it’s a sort of love/hate book as much as the characters are caught in that dichotomy themselves. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Lesbophobia, Violence, Murder, Self harm, Torture, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Death of parent, Animal death, Sexual content, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Rape, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Child death, Death, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Abortion, Racism, and Chronic illness

thebooksanctuary's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Torture, Child death, and Kidnapping

Minor: Animal death

bunbobabe's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Animal death, Self harm, Sexual content, Child death, Death, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, and Violence

cantfindmybookmark's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

The degree with which I loved this book has be wondering if I’m ok. Like emotionally. 

If I had to quickly summarize this book I’d say it’s Heathers meets the Craft meets Psycho. It’s about mean girls and toxic friendships and obsession and madness. 

This book places queer, female desire at its center as it explores the horrors of adolescence and aging, the thin line between pleasure and pain, and the many dualities of womanhood. It combines angst and madness in a way that cautions (strongly) against uncontrolled desire. 

Jawbone is a truly disturbing book. Not just with its imagery (which can be downright gross) but also with the very composition of the prose. With each subordinate clause and parenthetical remark within parenthetical remark, the reader grows more and more uncomfortable and the foreboding and claustrophobic atmosphere intensifies. 

This is Ojeda’s first book to be translated into English and all I can say is man, I can’t wait for more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Bullying, Kidnapping, Body horror, Confinement, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Excrement, and Sexism

Minor: Animal death