its_rosa_reading's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
geenahnola's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Vomit, Self harm, Ableism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Self harm, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Excrement, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage, Pedophilia, and Addiction
cursedreading's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
averymiller's review
5.0
This book gets under your skin and stays there even after you put it down. It goes into the reality of how real horror can be. The main protagonist is literally being haunted by her eating disorder and everyone surrounding her is feeding it (pun intended). This is definitely not for the faint of heart and will leave you feeling hollowed out.
hobbitselevenses's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
chramies's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hopefully this book will go some way to redress Chandler Morrison's reputation as the 'baby-eating' guy and as an author of extreme horror. It's certainly horrific in its way, but mainly because it depicts one long act of self-annihilation, as fashion model Louanne decides that she has to be the prettiest girl in any room and that 'pretty' means 'thin'.
Abandoning her earlier desire to be a film-maker and renaming herself Helen Troy, we follow her descent into mental illness, hallucination, and self-alienation. It gets that bad that the Devil figure from other CM books - a recurring figure - is himself horrified.
This is very far from the Matt Shaw-type extreme horror; indeed with its portrayal of surface-obsessed and shallow characters, drugs - lots of drugs, so much drugs that you no longer notice - and insincerity it is far closer to the work of Brett Easton Ellis. Not that I'm a fan of BEE, but that's the comparison which comes to mind.
Abandoning her earlier desire to be a film-maker and renaming herself Helen Troy, we follow her descent into mental illness, hallucination, and self-alienation. It gets that bad that the Devil figure from other CM books - a recurring figure - is himself horrified.
This is very far from the Matt Shaw-type extreme horror; indeed with its portrayal of surface-obsessed and shallow characters, drugs - lots of drugs, so much drugs that you no longer notice - and insincerity it is far closer to the work of Brett Easton Ellis. Not that I'm a fan of BEE, but that's the comparison which comes to mind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Self harm
sarahweiss's review
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
twinkling_cloud's review
4.0
Another exceptional book from, Chandler Morrison. Although, I do find this story more depressing and raw than I do "horrifying". The prose is excellent in his writing; part satirical, part poetic, and even tender.
Helen's (FMC) narration as she battles her body dysmorphia through the manifestations of the slug and corpse girl is straight body horror. While her inner monologues about loneliness and the vapidness of her life are truly poignant and stand out in the story. I was really rooting for Helen even though she is so twisted and arrogant about her physical beauty. Eating disorders are truly hell and it doesn't help when you're surrounded by people that reward you when you're at your lowest, Helen really didn't stand a chance.
I do question what kind of research he's made to write the book because the language and visualizations in the story is dead on. As a warning, if you've experienced some form of disordered eating this book will trigger you hard. I could feel myself being thrown back to a similar time in my life and it was eerie how much he got right: EC stacks, being exceptionally judgmental, your day being ruined from someone being smaller than you, wanting to be the tiniest person in every room, and being cold all the time.
Helen's (FMC) narration as she battles her body dysmorphia through the manifestations of the slug and corpse girl is straight body horror. While her inner monologues about loneliness and the vapidness of her life are truly poignant and stand out in the story. I was really rooting for Helen even though she is so twisted and arrogant about her physical beauty. Eating disorders are truly hell and it doesn't help when you're surrounded by people that reward you when you're at your lowest, Helen really didn't stand a chance.
I do question what kind of research he's made to write the book because the language and visualizations in the story is dead on. As a warning, if you've experienced some form of disordered eating this book will trigger you hard. I could feel myself being thrown back to a similar time in my life and it was eerie how much he got right: EC stacks, being exceptionally judgmental, your day being ruined from someone being smaller than you, wanting to be the tiniest person in every room, and being cold all the time.