Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson

6 reviews

mikeroderique's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Bullying, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Homophobia

Minor: Vomit, Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Self harm, Outing, Murder, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Police brutality

enyltiak's review

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I read this book fast. It was fairly gripping, and I wanted the mystery to unravel and reveal the truth. That being said, it also frustrated me. Nearly all the characters, save for Tripp and Astrid, behaved in ways that drove me crazy; I hated Virgil's family, and the way that he chose to continue interacting with Jarrett and Finn despite everything was mind boggling. If I were Tripp or Astrid I wouldn't have continued putting up with that. I did love those too though.

The plot, too, felt pretty bloated and unnecessary, and I love a book with not a whole lot going on. I didn't love the school play plot, but whatever. I wish there was more of the horror aspect,

Spoiler

we didn't get any sort of transformation from Virgil until the very end

. The use of werewolves as a metaphor in the text was definitely interesting, but didn't fully hit the mark for me. It's just not what I was looking for/expecting. Oh well. Still a decent read that kept me entertained during a long day at work. I'll keep searching for my perfect gay werewolf novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Gore, Vomit, Body horror, Bullying, Kidnapping, Blood, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Religious bigotry

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Sexual assault

cjdbooks1's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Body horror, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, and Vomit

supersol375's review

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual assault, Dysphoria, Sexual content, and Rape

rachelditty's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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

Another good read from Hutchinson. Definitely not up to the level of Love Story Set in Space or We Are the Ants, but I think I feel the same way about this that I do about Elena Mendoza: glad I read it, but not sure I'd pick it up again soon. The message was pretty clear and well done, and the ending 30 or so pages had me very engaged. Honestly, I would've loved to see Finn turn a new leaf in the spring, maybe even cultivating a friendship with Virgil and his friends. Also would have loved to see Reba appear at the end again. Good read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Self harm, Alcoholism, Blood, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

readwithanne's review

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Bullying, and Body horror

Moderate: Sexual assault, Vomit, Eating disorder, and Homophobia

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis