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shiningshield's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I really need to stop reading horror books by male authors that have pages before the foreword dedicated to cringeworthy ass-kissing from other pretentious try-hards.
They’re always a disappointment.
They’re always a disappointment.
chrisam's review
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.
bynanners's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
sfarfalfa's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I wish the prose was prettier and more descriptive but as it is now really captures the way anorexics see the world and their cognitive capacity whilst restricting. I just much prefer flowery writing.
Content warning for extremely graphic eating disorder depictions and violent fatphobia (it unfortunately comes with the territory—to be anamia is to be fatphobic and we need to actively unlearn it every day). This book is very triggering. There were a couple distasteful jokes as well, but spoken by characters for whom it made sense to speak so.
The depiction of restrictive ED thoughts and uncontrollable starvation-induced binges was spot on.
Content warning for extremely graphic eating disorder depictions and violent fatphobia (it unfortunately comes with the territory—to be anamia is to be fatphobic and we need to actively unlearn it every day). This book is very triggering. There were a couple distasteful jokes as well, but spoken by characters for whom it made sense to speak so.
The depiction of restrictive ED thoughts and uncontrollable starvation-induced binges was spot on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Self harm, and Vomit
libraryofalibrarian's review
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
queen_tassy's review
4.0
It is beautiful. Beautiful in a what the fuck did I just read kind of way. As someone who has struggled with ED, this has reminded me so much of myself (however poetic).
poetsaredepressed's review
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Eating disorder
Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, and Vomit
rach666's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ohbabyitsalli's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.0
kellireadsstuff's review
challenging
dark
sad
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
This was a tough read only due to subject matter and not Morrison's writing (which I'm finding I'm into). At times you sympathize with Helen then it takes a turn, twists that sympathy into "oh fuck". It's a book that'll stick with me, but I'll never read again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia