Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Troop by Nick Cutter

184 reviews

ikillsunflowers's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• 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

2.75

I had high hopes for this book as I had heard a lot about it. It was a cool concept but it didn't really do it for me. It felt like a Stephen King book. And by that I mean the writing style felt so similar that if you had told me it was Stephen king I would have whole heartedly believed it. And I think that's one of the main reasons I didn't enjoy it. I love horror but I want to expand past King and this didn't do that at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Self harm, Medical trauma, Body horror, and Blood

Moderate: Vomit, Fatphobia, and Excrement

gatsbyonabudget's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A round of applause for this incredible body horror book. It’s a creepy mix of Stand by me and The Thing. Camping trip with the boy scouts on a remote island? Check! Horrible science project gone wrong? Check! Lord of the Flies type chaos ensues? Check! If you’re in the mood to be slightly nauseous and saying “aw hell no” all the time, this is a book for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Medical content, Blood, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Cursing, Bullying, and Fatphobia

bellestallard's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Torture, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Gore, Violence, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, and Vomit

Moderate: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Body shaming, and Cursing

Minor: Police brutality

hollyeabner's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide attempt, Cursing, Gore, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Violence, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Self harm, and Toxic friendship

mechtimber's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Vomit, Eating disorder, and Self harm

Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, and Excrement

afinalgirl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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

“how could you hide from a murderer who lives under your skin?”

the troop • nick cutter 

rating: 🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱

this book?! this book!? i read half of it with my hand over my mouth in abject horror. and obviously, this is one of my favourite books i’ve read in 2023.

it’s included in so many lists with a few warnings of how gross it was but no one mentioned WORMS?! not worms in the grounds, my mates… 

and everyone is right, this book is filth, but holy hell i LOVED it. it’s an easy read, and i don’t know why that’s a word i use for this book when it all boils down to it - but it is? it’s also gross, beautifully written, and just GOOD. the imagery from those wonderful words - this doesn’t need to be a movie because i feel like i watched the whole thing in my head.

it’s set on a little island where a scoutmaster is showing five fourteen-year-olds some survival skills. they’re staying there for a few days - but shit hits the fan so very quickly. it’s lord of the flies-esque but the ending is giving me stranger things 💀

it’s written in a mixed media sort of way, the chapters are interspersed with newspaper articles, interviews, journal entries. i love it. 

please read this book, if you can stomach it. and don’t eat while reading? i can deal with a lot but this made me queasy and i kept snacking?! 🤮

(i hate having to add these trigger warnings to a book i just gushed about, but there is vivid depictions of animal cruelty & death. as well as weird mentions of a 14 year old getting a boner. i get the point of it, but i feel there’s other ways to convey this idea ಥ‿ಥ)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

caro_mac's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, Animal death, and Gore

Moderate: Bullying, Cannibalism, Confinement, Body shaming, Medical content, Physical abuse, Death, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

Minor: Vomit, Excrement, and Suicide

autumnrevisited's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This is one of the worst books I’ve ever read. Not because it was bad but because it was so gross and detailed in a way that is just viscerally unnerving. Impressive writing but fucking hell. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Child death, Gore, Animal death, Excrement, Murder, Abandonment, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Blood, Death, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Police brutality, Suicide, Violence, Cursing, Medical trauma, Grief, and Classism

Minor: Torture and Sexual content

poop_scoop's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Murder, Vomit, Suicide, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Self harm, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Bullying

theassofiron's review against another edition

4.0

this book is so nasty and disturbing at times, if you're not used to that read with caution lol

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Animal death, Self harm, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying and Murder