Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Leech by Hiron Ennes

56 reviews

barometz's review against another edition

• 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

zeus_strider's review

challenging dark mysterious sad 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? Yes

1.0

I'll just say it first and foremost I am unapologetically a Parasite apologist! 

I found the beginning of this book to be utterly delightful and so charming, I love the Institute they were such a captivating character and I adored them as a protagonist, watching a hive mind unknowingly creep further into danger in this uncanny winter tundra was gold it would have been five Stars⭐ if they had remained the protagonist.

Somewhere in the middle of this dreadfully long track are poor Institute is sidelined as the antagonist before they are completely dropped as the POV character all together, while there is some merit to telling your story from antagonist perspective I believe there are much better works that showcase it.

As for the world building I found it to be rather delightful again in the beginning, it was all very odd and sprinkled in gingerly and just a touch of lovecraftian flair but then the book has a crisis of identity to be a to be horror or mystery, with most mysteries you want an answer but when it comes to horror answers can be a fatal. As for this book it chose to answer every question I didn't want answered.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Police brutality

racl's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.25

Very cool, love a hivemind, love a fictional doctor. How about a hivemind that's a doctor? Easy win for me. So far post apocalyptic we're in fantasy territory.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Vomit

Minor: Animal death and Domestic abuse

jully_bean's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

ablanket42's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Suicide

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

kupids'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

whatthesquids's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Medical trauma