Reviews tagging 'Death'

Off Season by Jack Ketchum

35 reviews

jessplate's review against another edition

dark 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Blood, and Cannibalism

johanh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Pretty intense.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

mystericliterature's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

1.5

I wasn't sure if I'd like this book because I'm not a big fan of the "cannibalistic hillbilly" trope (despite loving the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), and it seems as though I was correct. Off Season is the first novel I have read from Jack Ketchum, and I am underwhelmed. 

Despite being left with them for Parts I and II, the characters are uninteresting and one-dimensional. We spend so much of the novel with them, yet I did not feel attached to any of them. It is almost like the "Final Destination" franchise, where you are just waiting for the characters to meet a gruesome end. But when you have no attachment to the characters, their eventual end means nothing to you.

I must also say that Ketchum is terrible at writing women. If I were to take a shot every time a woman's breasts were mentioned for no reason, I would not have written this. There is a peculiar sexualization to the women of Off Season; I suppose I should not be surprised given the sexualization of women is often prevalent in horror media, yet it still made me sigh. We will be here all day if I get into that, however, so I will not. 

Overall, Ketchum's Off Season was disappointing for me. If you are someone who just wants to see cannibals kill and eat, you may have a good time. But if you're searching for more substance, you will not find it here. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Cannibalism, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

agentklingston's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Rape, and Cannibalism

runnybabbit's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

cheziknowles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

kkalicky94's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

ohyayitsapril's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

catiecoop's review

dark tense slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

2.0

Kept losing me starting at the halfway mark. Felt like it was rambling. 2 stars because it was very detailed and descriptive.

So. Much. Gore.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Murder

rikathestrange's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, and Pregnancy