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shirumoon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.25
Anyways, this is one of the first horror novels I read as an adult und the very first of this author. Everyone online seemed to be hyping this book up for its poetic prose and yup, it was well written. Deranged smut lovers will also get their fix here even though those scenes are kept rather short. Other than that, it was also interesting to see a book with an abundance of queerness, although it did contain some problematic tropes and languge regarding that.
Now onto the aspects that I really disliked unfortunately:
This book in general barely made me feel anything, there were a few cute moments between characters who are friends and about two genuinely scary ones that felt like well done
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Gore, Incest, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Vomit, Abortion, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Self harm, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Car accident
reaperreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
menderash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Mr Brite has a knack for writing books about horrible people doing horrible things, often for little to no reason, with minimal plot except to make the next horrible thing happen. His main characters are all murderers, rapists, cannibals, necrophiles, or the people who love them anyway. The prose is a means to an end; the end being the reader's hopeful erotic satisfaction of reading someone get nearly decapitated in vivid, lovingly described detail.
Brite's books (the two I've read) seem to hold no greater point than to either turn you on or gross you out, probably both. The violence is pointless, the plots are pointless, the morals are hopeless. But you know what? Brite is such an emotionally charged, evocative, talented writer, that I can't help but be hypnotized by his ability to make me sit down and devour a novel in one sitting. He makes me care about the few morally sound characters even though I know something unspeakable is about to happen to them. He explores the nuance of monstrosity in his uhh. Less morally sound characters.
I think my most sound, least hypocritical criticisms of Brite's work is a) his exploitation of real victims of real tragedies and b) his handling or lack thereof of characters of color. The few non-white characters in his work are relegated to the occasional dead body, future victim, or stereotyped backdrop. Then again, considering the kind of character Brite centers as his protagonists, do I really want him, as a white man, to portray a character of color that way? I'm fine with Brite's beloved monsters being mostly white men.
TL;DR: Absolutely disgusting. Awesome ride. Will read again.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug use, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Animal death, Self harm, and Toxic friendship
chersonese's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
There are themes in this book that are dark and while I don't agree with them and don't like reading about specific topics the book features, most were handled well, the depictions making you uncomfortable without feeling too gratuitous. The book has an interesting take on the vampire mythos that I commend it for and honestly wish there had been a sequel.
But would I recommend this book? I'm not sure, I don't know if the good outweighs the bad.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Gore, Incest, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, Miscarriage, Rape, Abortion, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Racial slurs, and Vomit
lap1n's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
theodenreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Stalking, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Car accident
I legitimately don't know if that covers everything tbh SO MUCH HAPPENEDgb24741's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- 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
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Incest and Sexual violence
kalira'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
1.75
I've seen a number of people say they might have liked this book if they'd read it as a teenager, or similar; someone else commented that 30 is too old to start reading Poppy Brite. I'm in my 30s and I can fairly confidently say that I wouldn't have enjoyed this as a teenager either . . . and the heavy content might have been enough to screw with my head more than it did reading it now.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Suicide, and Terminal illness
loz_ange's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
laluquev's review against another edition
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Toxic friendship