Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

229 reviews

catorureads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Drug use and Drug abuse

Minor: Sexual content

tarawade17's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Drug abuse, Blood, Body horror, and Gun violence

hnicole01's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Addiction, Grief, Sexism, Rape, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Violence, and Cursing

Moderate: Classism

lizzymorang's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

It's a slightly slow start, but if you stick with it it's an incredible read. Masterfully written, so many plot twists, and it manages to feel real and relevant even though it's fantasy. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Gore, Violence, and Body horror

Minor: Racism

prairieraven's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, and Violence

fox_thorne's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Gore, Excrement, Blood, Violence, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Drug use

Moderate: Drug use, Vomit, Cursing, and Grief

Minor: Sexual content

justineaxelle's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

I don’t know if it’s the slump I’m in or if it’s the book that put me in the slump, but I STRUGGLED with Ninth House. 

First of all, that book needs a trigger warning list! I was wholly unprepared for some scenes and it didn’t sit well with me. 
Secondly, the first 60% of the book was boring and the alternating chapters on different timelines were really confusing to start with and gave the book a weird pace. Then it got really interesting but it also gave me whiplash with the number of plot twists Leigh threw in there.
Finally, I only liked Alex in that second half of the book. I wished we’d had more actual interactions with Darlington because otherwise it felt like a pretty lonely book. I enjoyed the begrudging alliance/friendship between Turner, Dawes and Alex but that’s a flimsy cast of main characters. I needed more character interactions/development and less confusing storyline. I was too focused on trying to understand what was happening and did not get attached to the characters because of that.
However, those last few chapters were intriguing enough to make me want to read Hell Bent.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Body horror, Rape, Murder, and Physical abuse

dododenise's review against another edition

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

3.0

This book leaves me conflicted about how to feel about it. There are fantastic ideas, character elements and world building in this. However, I was never hooked. Something about the way this story was written left me feel detached from it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Body horror, Murder, Gore, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Classism, and Blood

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Vomit

kgc8's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

While I was reading the book I wasn't sure how I felt, but when I finished I couldn't stop thinking about the world Leigh Bardugo had built and I desperately wanted the next book to come out immediately! The world is immersive and how she integrated the magic with Yale's societies was so fascinating. The beginning of the book is a little confusing as you are dumped very suddenly into a magical ritual (and it's a rather gory one too...) but the time-jumps device worked for me as we unravel what's happening. Alex is a great character - everyone has low expectations of her and she's often forced to choose between crappy options, but she still outsmarts everyone. I loved this book, but if you are squeamish about dead bodies, ghosts, or drug use, this book might not be for you.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Murder, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Body horror, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Addiction and Animal death

peaceloveandmeow's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Vomit, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Physical abuse