Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Intercepts by T.J. Payne

40 reviews

claireandreese's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

First I'd like to say that this is nowhere near a horror novel. I would probably characterize it as a sci-fi thriller novel. Although it doesn't quite deliver on the "scary" it is creepy and delivers on the blood and gore. 

I do think the pacing is a bit slow in the beginning, but does pick up towards the end. The reader is also forced to be in the characters position of figuring out what is real and what is a hallucination. Of course, the characters are unlikeable in the sense of their actions in the novel, but their also very nuanced. It's up the interpretation of the readers to decide if the ending was right or not.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Infidelity and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

awaywiththefairies's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I didn't know much about this book before reading. I didn't read the back or a review and I'm glad I didn't. 

Go into this blind and you'll have a better experience. 4 stars! It was really good and the pace just kept going throughout 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Torture

Minor: Suicide

spiralinghallways's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Self harm, Torture, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Medical content and Death of parent

Minor: Miscarriage and Excrement

paf_'s review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicide, Torture, and Grief

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Very gory and disturbing, so if that’s what you’re looking for you’re in the right place. Certain parts felt a little predictable and I just don’t think I liked the angle of the experiment. It got confusing towards the end and maybe it was supposed to be like that? Intercepts was good but I probably wouldn’t recommend to my friends.

stormyday's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I wasn’t a huge fan of the facing in some parts but man everything else was done really well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Torture

cartergladu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

laurora's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Torture

emmalizzz's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Incredible. No notes. I loved the villain, I love the hero, and I loved the bystander. So horrendously messed up, incredible (and disgusting) imagery, phenomenal detail. It had me avoiding the dark corners of my house for days. Such a weird, fucked up concept that I feel is not out of the realm of possibility for the US Government. The ending had me almost in tears, the middle had me gagging, and I was so conflicted in feeling bad for certain characters. Also, I pictured Joe as Matthew McConaughey. I recommend that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

corriecorriecorrie's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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? No

5.0

Quick summary: Joe works at a facility that performs human experimentation. His work just followed him home. 

I read this booking in one sitting because every chapter left me wondering what would happen next (stressyyyyyy). There were jump scares, plenty of moments were I had no idea if the events were really happening or if they were all in the characters’ heads, and the epilogue was a perfect bow of answers to tie it all together. 

A great horror book that won’t leave me so terrified I need a nightlight to sleep. I’ll be recommending it to (aka forcing it upon) my mom and would definitely read again myself. 

TW: suicide, gore, human torture 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

theaceofpages's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I think this book can best be described as a horror in two (connected) parts: the horror Riley experiences with her grief and apparitions and the horror that the Antennas (dehumanised people that are part of a government experiment) face on a daily basis. And Joe, Riley's dad and a higher up in an antenna facility, is caught in the middle.

This book was... horrifying. Right from the start. And somehow it just managed to get worse and worse as it went on. The ways everyone's minds were being messed with and the ways that the line between reality and lies was blurred was done so well (okay, there was one scene where I was just confused about its inclusion (I literally started glancing around my room with my hands raised because it just came out of nowhere) but that's one of many). 

As the book went on and everything kept getting worse as everything ramped up again and again. I just kept feeling more and more for Riley who was innocent in it all and was just going through an all around bad time. Joes should have been there for her. She deserves so much live and therapy.  Everyone else? Yeah, they kind of sucked. Some understandably so, but I am still shocked by the amount of messed up things that happened in this book. Maybe some events were a little too convenient, but not so much that they veer into unbelievable territory. And the whole concept? Maybe the outcome of the experimentation isn't all that believable but the cruelty that lead to them actually happening is far too real.

And the ending... (not much of a spoiler but just in case)

As things started heading towards the conclusion my mind kept racing ahead due to a niggling little horrible thought in the back of my mind about where it could be going.

Overall it was so well executed. It's been a little while since I read this (I'm behind on reviews) and this one has definitely stuck with me. There are several ideas and moments that have stuck with me as if I read this yesterday. I'll be keeping an eye out for more books by this author!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Drug abuse and Sexual content