Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock

11 reviews

mxpringle's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

2.75

One day maybe I will find a horror novel that doesn't include queer people and women without demonizing and/or victimizing them. I thought it was solidly enjoyable in terms of the writing, but I feel like a lot of the plot and topics explored are tropes that have been overdone, such as Southern small town murders, hitchhikers, etc., though these were intermingled with a few really cool new ideas. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pregnancy and Abandonment

Minor: Vomit

reggiethebird's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

I cannot imagine someone reading this book and thinking "You know what, I want people to experience all this on the big screen." This is one of the most grimy books I've ever read, like "I want to take a shower after reading it" type filthy. I'm not sure there is a good person in all 261 pages who isn't either raped, killed, raped then killed, or killed then raped. This is a book where a bunch of bad people do bad things to other bad people for a whole 3 or 4 intersecting plot arcs. If that's the type of story you like, go for it. If you have any triggers at all, probably skip this one. It's a very ugly tale.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Slavery, Vomit, Dementia, Stalking, Car accident, Gaslighting, and War

bumblebroxbeeblebooks's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

My favorite book of September 2022. Everything about this book was so messed up and wrong but it was so entertaining to read. I haven't listened to an audiobook or read something this fast in a long time. I'm really excited to watch this movie on Netflix.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

There is a ton of trigger warners for this novel so take that into consideration before reading this.

hopeslittlelibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying and Vomit

marisabenn's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I highly suggest this book to anyone who likes Cormac McCarthy. More quotation marks, less adjectives. I flew through this book and was constantly wondering what was coming next. It follows several people, but blends them so well and ties their stories together with a grisly red bow. They are (mostly all) flawed, awful, horrible people and yet I found myself wanting to know what despicable thing they would do next. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Homophobia and Incest

sharbison's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Vomit, and Pregnancy

chandle5's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

cmarks'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Blood, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit

sphealrical's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Transphobia and Abortion

zoewrath's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Vomit, and Abortion