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zeus_strider's review against another edition
- 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
1.0
I'll just say it first and foremost I am unapologetically a Parasite apologist!
I found the beginning of this book to be utterly delightful and so charming, I love the Institute they were such a captivating character and I adored them as a protagonist, watching a hive mind unknowingly creep further into danger in this uncanny winter tundra was gold it would have been five Stars⭐ if they had remained the protagonist.
As for the world building I found it to be rather delightful again in the beginning, it was all very odd and sprinkled in gingerly and just a touch of lovecraftian flair but then the book has a crisis of identity to be a to be horror or mystery, with most mysteries you want an answer but when it comes to horror answers can be a fatal. As for this book it chose to answer every question I didn't want answered.
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Police brutality
bea_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Vomit, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism
50shadesofrae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Incest, Self harm, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, and Injury/Injury detail
athenian_frog's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
BUT think there’s some really interesting reflection from the perspective of such a complex organism that Hiron Ennes includes! That and the character of Émile in general were highlights. The story went in a direction I was really not expecting—in a good way—and the ending was pretty rewarding.
Some of the ideas that strengthen the conclusion that I found in the book—like the value of one’s bodily autonomy—could have been better weaved throughout the book but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
PLEASE READ the content warnings below. Thanks! <3
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
-the baron’s family (whose mansion is where the majority of the book takes place) generally holds pretty misogynistic beliefs of a woman’s role in the family, specifically that they are “responsible” for having children/a son in particular -a female character has a history of miscarrying, makes one or two dark jokes about it -descriptions of medical procedures that might upset readers including: several instances of needle insertion in various places, sedated/paralyzed patients during a procedure, often without consent, the removal of a parasite fragment from the optic nerve post mortem, descriptions of childbirth - suicide is examined as a possible and very plausible reason that a character dies (via scalpel to the throat) -In the latter half of the book it is implied that a character ends up in an emotionally abusive relationship with a member of the barony. The sex they have (very vague) reads very much as coercive/non consensual because of the power the barony holds over the rest of the people living in the chateau. There are moments of physical abuse as well. - at least two characters vomit, and a couple more have something crawl out of their mouthcadence99's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
apiecalypsejen's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
annir's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
catwhisperer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
readundancies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The synopsis is kinda perfect. It sets the story up without giving much away and yet everything it contains is truth. And there is still so much more to wade through within the plot, so many questions I still have that will never get answered. And I’m totally fine with it it despite my endless curiosity.
The narrator collective - the (initially) nameless representative of The Institute who was connected across the globe through a host of human bodies which they simultaneously inhabited and had networked into their consciousness so that it was very hive mind-like in nature but still solitary enough that you could still perceive them as a single entity - was entirely fascinating.
And the writing! I was so incredibly enamoured by the beauty and atmosphere that Ennes cultivated. There was this general reverence for anatomy that shined through but it was also dark and domineering and clinical and yet also moving all at the same time. This is a heck of a debut. It was littered with a ton of sensitive topics and issues and I beg you to search for content warnings before picking this one but rest assured it was fucking stellar all the same.
The audiobook is a fine choice to consume the story - the narrator Abigail Thorn really captures the world and the people with her accents and it’s very smoothly delivered. I loved listening to this right before bed because it had this powerful dichotomy of Thorn’s lulling voice as she read aloud that paired so well with such the strange and bizarre narration of a creature that does not seem wholly human and perceives humanity as needing to be kept alive but also revelled in the dependency of humans and how they had a seemingly large amount of superiority over them. The Institute aided not out of kindness, they aided because that is what they were born to do and they do it best so there was no need for alternatives.
The second person perspective that cropped up from time to time was interwoven into the first person perspective a bit clonkely - I didn’t have an issue with it, I rather liked it truth be told - but it was a tad bumpy at times and I could see some people disliking the reading experience because of how confusing it could get. I do think the bumpiness could be by design however; an (un)intentional means to make the reader feel much like the narrator and how disjointed the whole ordeal that she’s going through actually is.
The themes of this novel were posited in such a satisfying manner, from those of bodily autonomy, biology versus the psyche, the human connection, trauma and abuse, rebellion of the mind from body, gender and gender identity, etc. All of them were wrapped in this creepy and darkly disturbing setting where nothing was as it seemed, vitriol was either spewed violently from the mouths of the rich and powerful or toxically in the silences that lay behind every closed door. The hopeful glimpse of freedom at the end was such a breath of fresh air after having delved into the many horrors that the novel touched upon and for a shorter novel, it really did pack a punch.
This was menacing and thought-provoking and atmospheric in a way that felt claustrophobic and suffocating and I was in my element wading through it. Truly, this was such a fantastic gothic sci-fi that lives up to both genres and I loved how unsettled the ending leaves the reader because there were so many loose ends that were not knotted but everything still seeped with this feeling of resolution. It’s a hard line to toe and I think Ennes did so beautifully.
I need a physical copy of this. I also urge anyone interested in picking it up to check out the audiobook. It was bloody brilliant and the story was truly brought to life in a way that simply reading it cannot capture. If you can, make it a hybrid read, you won’t regret it.
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
lexi17d's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Leech is a dark sci-if following a doctor who travels to a remote town to research a mysterious illness that has killed the previous doctor of the town. I can’t say much more about the plot without spoiling anything, but trust me when I tell you this book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
The beginning of this book has a dense scientific prose which took me a little while to get used to, but once the technical terminology settled down, this book was such a tense and exciting read. As the debut novel of Hiron Ennes, consider me impressed.
I did feel as though the ending was a little too abrupt. It could have benefited from having an extra 20 or so pages to close the book out, and I still feel as though there are some questions that are left unanswered. Besides these critiques, this was an incredible debut novel and I cannot wait to read more novels by this author.
TWs included in review
Received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Self harm, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail