Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Alice Isn't Dead by Joseph Fink

13 reviews

disauci's review

The first part of Alice Isn't Dead is intriguing.  I was always wondering what would happen next and was hoping that we might find out who the Thistle Man was.  It was beautifully ugly and odd and dark.  Then the first part ended, and the second part came along.  It was frankly boring.  I didn't care now that Keisha knew about Alice being alive for certain.  Maybe it got better, I don't know.  Ultimately, I wasn't interested to find out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Cannibalism, and Stalking

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Cursing, Blood, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

stories's review against another edition

dark hopeful fast-paced

4.0

This would perfect for a long drive. 

Horror/mystery intertwined with hope. 

Still very much relevant today, but it has gorgeous roots in the social justice movements of its time that resonate powerfully. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Cannibalism, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Fatphobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and War

calamitydane's review

adventurous emotional hopeful

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Loved this book! The characters were fantastic, descriptions were visceral, and the theme was relatable. I kept sending quotes to my partner because they were so iconic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Murder, and War

joensign's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Antisemitism, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Death of parent

kailovesfrogs333's review

adventurous mysterious reflective sad 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

4.0

I think this book works so much better as a podcast, as somebody who adores the podcast and finished it in 4 days. However, I'm still giving this book a 4-star because it has a special place in my heart, and because there were some very quotable moments in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Stalking

Minor: Cursing, Antisemitism, and Colonisation

kaiyakaiyo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad 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? No

3.5

3.5 rounded up! i was in a bit of a slump when i started this, and it didn’t fully pull me out of it tbh. i think switching from podcast to book dulled some of the overall excitement for me, but I really liked Keisha as a protagonist! 

worldbuilding is a bit handwavy but fun nonetheless! this would be a good low stakes Halloween read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Murder

Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Grief, and War

24carrotgay's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This is not the kind of book that I usually read.

I usually put down books that have somebody taking a bite out of somebody else's neck in the first chapter (R.I.P. Earl).

But Alice Isn't Dead had me hooked. This book was a lot in terms of violence and heavy themes, so it took a bit of time and space for me to truly appreciate it. Right after finishing, I honestly felt drained. A couple weeks later though, I was raving about it. Definitely won't reread, but I'm glad I read it :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

haileyhardcover's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.0

I used to be big into podcasts but I haven’t listened to one in ages. I had no idea about Alice Isn’t Dead (in podcast OR book form) until I happened to notice it at B&N, read half of the description on the back and decided to buy it on a whim. 

The premise is cool - Keisha’s wife goes missing, is presumed dead, and then Keisha sees her repeatedly popping up in the background of the news, so she goes looking for her and discovers way more than she bargained for. The story was well written and easy to read fast (short chapters!) but there were several points where I was just… bored. I wonder if I might’ve felt more emotionally invested if I’d listened to the podcast.

My favorite bit was the most relatable to me - Keisha, having resolved to remain single, sees Alice for the first time and thinks, “Well, shit.” And ain’t that just how it goes… lol Best laid plans. 

For someone who LOVES horror, I didn’t read enough of it this year. I’m looking forward to reading more of it in 2024. Maybe I’ll find something actually scary for a change lol 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Racism, Stalking, and War

Minor: Sexism and Gaslighting

seventhswan's review

I can't finish this because the love between Keisha and Alice is so wonderfully portrayed that I started sobbing about 5% in and didn't stop lmao. I'm disappointed in myself because I loved the audio drama when it came out, but I feel like I understand a bit better now people who can't read stories where children go missing after they have children of their own. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood

nhewitt99's review

adventurous 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? Yes

3.0

A story about hate, horror, and hope. Something about the pace made it difficult to be particularly scared by the scary parts or moved by the moving parts, but overall I enjoyed this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, and Abandonment