Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Beholder by Ryan La Sala

12 reviews

directorpurry's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Child death and Vomit

meminger's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

ryan la sala loves three things: gay people, surreal body horror transformations, and

gay people undergoing a surreal body horror transformation to save the people they love

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

i think arachnophobia should be a content tag on here because this book is a goldmine for it

caseythereader's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

scytheria's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gun violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Vomit

foramen_magnum's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This was a seriously strong start to 2024-- from a beginning that tells you just enough to intrigue you, La Sala doesn't let off the gas until an ending that had me trying to cry quietly at 2 am. The prose reminded me of Palahniuk, a favorite, except I didn't feel grimy for rooting for Athan and Dom. 

While this book strained my nerves and felt like I needed a flow chart to keep up with, the romance between the main characters read as very YA. It's sweet, but those looking for realism may have to adjust their expectations; these are definitely teens falling for each other as they face increasingly frightening circumstances. 

If you're looking for a deftly woven horror pick that ensnares you with a creeping sense of unease, narrated by a genuinely likable, funny, and reflective young person, give Beholder a try. I didn't expect to have a recommendation for everyone on the first day of the New Year, but this didn't leave me much choice. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent

Minor: Child death

christine_s's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Child death, Gore, Dementia, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

betweentheshelves'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

3.5

Leave it to Ryan La Sala for the weird and strange and dark horror. Not always my jam, but I'm always intrigued with what he comes up with! It's sure to keep you guessing until the end, which is definitely what Beholder does. Starts of with a bang, and doesn't really let up until the end of the book.

I will say, I appreciated the way that this book examines art, and the obsession with aesthetics. The creature lurking behind mirrors, manipulating what people see. It's such an engaging concept. The characters are also well developed; I especially enjoyed the way Athan and Dom's relationship changed throughout the book. 

Not a huge fan of the ending, but it is what it is! If you're a fan of weird, dark horror, Ryan La Sala is definitely for you.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Sexual content, Grief, and Toxic friendship

jazhandz's review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Sexual content

Spiders come up frequently

joensign's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

fictionaladventures's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

THIS BLEW MY MIND. We got the ARC into the Barnes and Noble where I worked, and I was in a horror mood, so I picked it up on a whim. From the very first chapter I was hooked—it was terrifying!! The entire book was stellar, even on the sentence level. Ryan La Sala is a genius and I need 80 more books just like this from him. By far the scariest YA horror I’ve ever read. I AM OBSESSED 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail