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tewilliams27's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, and Murder
kara_lynn's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Gore, Incest, Rape, Torture, and Murder
trashgobby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.25
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
junebug97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
souleater99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
CONTENT WARNING: The book contains explicit sexual fantasies, sexual assault, murder, torture, incest, necrophilia, and other sensitive topics.
I enjoyed the epilogue by Judith Sonnet; however, despite my appreciation for splatterpunk and other extreme horror subgenres, I find stories that primarily focus on themes like rape and incest to be unappealing. If such elements are part of a larger, well-developed narrative, I can tolerate them with a purpose beyond shock value. Unfortunately, in this case, it felt like an excessive exploration of disturbing themes without sufficient plot and character development, missing the mark entirely. Although Judith Sonnet is typically a talented author whose works I enjoy, I cannot recommend this particular story.
Jodi and her children, Poppy and Ralph, embark on a cross-country road trip before the siblings head to college. Their journey takes an unexpected turn during a pit stop at a desert gas station, leading to a tragic outcome. The narrative, unfortunately, lacks the necessary depth in plot and characters and relies heavily on explicit violence, making it unsuitable for casual horror readers. While I appreciate stories that provoke a visceral reaction, this one falls short in terms of purpose and substance.
This book is tailored for readers who appreciate extreme horror, splatterpunk, and boundary-pushing narratives. However, if you are easily disturbed, I advise against reading this book. The story evokes a blend of "House of 1000 Corpses" and "The Last House on the Left (1972)," catering to those seeking intense and unsettling experiences in their horror literature.
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Gore, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, and Excrement
aleen_elizabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
sjscho95's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
sarah_mcmullan_nz's review
It would be easy to dismiss this as disgusting and out it down and not finish it. I nearly did.
But then I wondered why, as a film critic who has made a living off watching & reviewing films that often show violence against women and graphic injuries, why do books seem so more offensive than films?
Horror, and the portrayal of women in horror has long been a specialty of mine. From victims and tools of the occult to the graphic exploitation and the rise of the rape revenge (LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, THRILLER: THEY CALL HER ONE EYE, BAISE MOI) to the new extreme cinema Irreversible, Inside, Martyrs, Ils.
The torture porn movement opened the saw to new detail of injury and more grotesquely detailed plots of depravity (SAW, HOSTEL, WRONG TURN) and of course the rise of the truly psycho crime thriller/horror gave us films like SE7EN, & SILENCE OF THE LAMBS where depravity was wrapped in sexual undertones and served on a silver platter.
The fact is, NO ONE RIDES FOR FREE is as much about movies and their role in peoples lives (the surrogate parent when Mom is working a lot, the aspirational dream for a couple of siblings raised on films, the family bonding exercise that becomes a shorthand) as it is about being a woman: being a mother, still being sexual juggling a job & kids ("switching from slut more to mom mode"), crone mode (the ideal is being elderly & in love like Andy & Brenda).
I thought it was interesting that Ralph was the kid who did the stuff, Poppy was the one who thought things up.
When The Man gets in the car and demands things to happen, Poppy shuts down, Ralph just does it. Poppy saw the potential for all the awful coming, Ralph was in the now. And look who survived.
The author says her other books aren't like this.
Jeez I hope not.
I'm curious as to what they're like.
I hope I haven't given her the benefit of the doubt and that she's as clever as I think she is.
I also hope that this is her only dalliance in taking things as dark as this.
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
creatureof_nature's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
As a long time horror fan, I’ve read or watched almost all of the “worst of the worst” horrors, I don’t say this lightly, this is disgusting and horrible.
I only completed this gross garbage because it was 75 pages and became abhorrent at the half way mark.
I will be checking content warnings on every horror book from now on, thanks to this trash.
I’d give this 0 stars if I could.
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
king_kai's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I’ve read some fucked up shit and this one is not one I’m going to forget for a while. It was a challenge but one I would recommend to people into extreme horror!
Graphic: Gore, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder