Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

Leech by Hiron Ennes

76 reviews

abbymawhinney's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

I really loved the uniqueness of this book and the world building that went into it. It set up some really interesting characters and themes but I'm not sure it quite stuck the landing with most of them. I finished the book feeling a little unsatisfied with how many of the plotlines had been left, not because it was ambiguous, but because a lot of things just felt forgotten about. 

If you're into gothic horror, or just horror in general and after something truly unique to get sucked into, then I do highly recommend the book. There's a lot of cool body horror and truly creepy scenes to enjoy along the way, even if the ending isn't perfect.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Rape

charlatte_lee'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Infertility

bea_reads_books's review against another edition

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Vomit, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism

liltakeawaygirl's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Vomit, Grief, and Colonisation

madzsmiled's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Ennes’ debut novel is a grotesquely beautiful, apocalyptic saga of disease, human hubris, and reclaiming identity. While it took awhile for me to ground myself in the reality of the story, Ennes unveils the secrets of this world layer by layer, building out the lore with every turn of the page. The more you learn about the Institute and Pseudomycota, the more tangled their reality becomes. Humanity has to survive not only invasive parasites, but its own ego and destruction. Every reveal hits you harder than the last. 

 

Definitely would recommend, but please read the content warnings. This one is a doozie, but oh so good. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

nadiajohnsonbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

thecriticalreader's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.0

 

Context:

I added Leech by Hiron Ennes to my TBR after hearing Kayla from BooksandLala recommend it. I borrowed it from my library through the Libby app.

 

Review:

I approached Leech with some trepidation based on the reviews I’ve encountered. However, I am immensely impressed by the book’s originality—in fact, Leech is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. I mean that as a compliment. Ennes crafts a world completely unlike anything I’ve ever read before with the precision of a surgeon. Everything feels deliberate and focused, from the French-inspired dialect spoken by some of the characters to the peculiarities of the setting. They use this specific setting and cast of characters to explore parasitism in many different forms, from the supernatural to the everyday.  I am also impressed with the book’s writing style, which is powerful and effective without being flowery. 

 

Despite my fascination with the world and my appreciation for Ennes’s writing, I did find myself somewhat reluctant to pick up the book at times. The book does not provide a strong “hook” for the reader to latch onto, either narratively or through its characters. Even well into the book, it is unclear which characters, if any, deserve our sympathy. Additionally, the narrative style of the book is inherently confusing due to the protagonist’s situation (I’m being intentionally vague here to avoid spoilers), and the murky positions of the side characters. If you’re looking for a book that prioritizes clarity and accessibility, you might want to look elsewhere.

 

There are a couple of other minor aspects of this book that didn’t quite work for me. The first is that it uses two characters that are twins in a very stereotypical and dehumanizing manner common to horror books that, in my opinion, did not add much to the story. The second is that the ending appears to abandon the character journey of the protagonist for another character; I would have liked a little bit more closure for the protagonist.

 

Leech will not be for everyone, but I loved its thematic explorations, writing style, and unique premise and worldbuilding. These elements were strong enough to overcome some problems I had with the narrative. 

 

The Run-Down: 

You might like Leech if . . . 

·      You are looking for a book with a very unique premise and world

·      You prefer deliberately crafted settings and characters to sweeping, epic fantasy/sci-fi tales

·      You are interested in a thematic exploration of parasitism

·      You like eerie, gory horror stories that do not deign to explain everything to the reader

 

You might not like Leech if . . . 

·      You are sensitive to the book’s triggers (please look at them before reading; they won’t spoil anything!)

·      You dislike experimental narrative premises

·      You like a story with a strong narrative driving force

·      You dislike complex plotlines that leave many questions unanswered

 

 

 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infertility, and Vomit

Minor: Ableism, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, and Classism

bumblebeefarts's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Infertility, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Classism

Minor: Chronic illness, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury

kauliflower's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

stars ,, 5.0
cawpile ,, 9.14

this book was outstanding from the completely unique plot, fantastically fleshed out characters and mesmerising writing. it became so much more than i ever expected it to be, i'm still in awe. i will admit that at times i was confused, but by the end of the book i believe i pieced together everything,, even if i haven't, i still loved the experience - the last 25% or so of this book was a rollercoaster of emotions and i couldn't put it down. wow.

i have so many thoughts about this book, 99% of which are positive, but my brain is so frazzled. simply, i'd recommend this book to anyone and everyone who's even remotely interested, but please check the trigger warnings first.

wow. wow? wow. wow. wow.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

ghost_of_a_car's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, and Rape