Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

6 reviews

theespressoedition's review against another edition

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Body horror

Moderate: Murder, Blood, and Gore

midgereads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

This is such a good book. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. It’s scary, funny, and really easy to get through. It was impossible to put it down. I hope the Netflix series does it justice (I know it was cancelled after the first season, which I’m really mad about).

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, and Murder

starsnstitchin's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.5

What i enjoyed: the mystery is tied into the plot quite nicely and the transitions flow very smoothly, making it easy to want to keep reading and play along with the characters. Twists and surprises aren't jarring and can be figured out, but its still subtle enough to be enjoyed.
What I didn't enjoy: the characters didn't always seem like real people and it's a bit obvious that Lockwood is supposed to be like Sherlock Holmes. Despite the set up for the setting and age of characters it wasn't quite played right to feel like it was actually an alternative world where children were the heroes. Some events that should have had consequences didn't and vice versa. One major thing that granted on me the more it kept happening was how one main character has different strengths and weaknesses than the other 2, but is always described as incompetent and fat and it's outright stated as well as implied that him being fat is part of why he's incompetent and inferior to his peers. The other characters get plenty of descriptors and traits, but all he gets is various ways of saying he's fat and inferior. 
Overall though, it was an enjoyable read! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Murder, Body shaming, Classism, Fatphobia, Death, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, and Sexism

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Confinement, Animal death, Medical trauma, Body horror, Bullying, Colonisation, Grief, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, and Physical abuse

saffire_sky's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Violence and Murder

alicecrumbs's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Medical content, Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Fatphobia, Violence, Body horror, Body shaming, and Grief

Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia

claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

50 years ago, the Problem started: the dead no longer stay dead, but come back as “visitors” whose touch results in injury and even death. Only children have the ability to perceive these ghosts, so many choose to train as operatives for psychic detection and removal agencies. Lucy Carlyle comes to London looking for a job after a traumatic experience in the field, and is hired by the charming and charismatic Anthony Lockwood of Lockwood & Co. After a few crucial mistakes during a job, the Lockwood agency is in danger of being shut down. In a last ditch effort to come up with the money they need, Lockwood agrees to take a case in the most haunted house in England: Combe Carey Hall. 

This book felt like what you might get if you took Enola Holmes and added paranormal activity (and also made it even better). I loved the characters: smart, intuitive Lucy, selfless, charismatic Lockwood, and stubborn, curmudgeonly George. The mystery was fun and engaging, and I’ve always liked stories that placed importance on youth in connection with the fantastical (in this case, only young people can see or sense visitors).

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the general vibe of the ending):

Spoiler

Happy!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexism, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts