mfrisk's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was a great read - short story collections can be hit or miss but I would say this one rises above the rest for me. All of the short stories and poems were chilling in their discussion of bodily autonomy, fear, body politics, and I felt like the stories all had a good balance where the ideas and information they were trying to convey didn’t feel forced. This is a gory horrific read and all trigger warnings for individual stories are listed at the end of the book. Highly recommend this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Violence, Medical content, Animal death, Deadnaming, Body horror, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, Self harm, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Abortion, Gore, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, and Blood
davemusson85's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
Published in response to the overturning of Roe vs Wade in the US last year, this is a powerful and timely collection of horror stories about body autonomy that is well worth checking out.
While not every tale here did it for me, I enjoyed plenty of them. Stephanie Rabig’s There Is No Subtlety, Only Rage was a supernatural revenge story that was on the nose but very strong, The Magician On His Deathbed by J M Sedlock was a highly original story of losing control of your body, and Anne Gresham’s Pre-Baby Bodies was a creepy look at postnatal psychosis that was full of scarily accurate depictions of life as a new parent and was probably my favourite of the bunch. Oh, and Feed Us by Zack Zagranis was nasty in the best kind of way.
Nestled along the stories are poems, a couple of which caught my eye - namely Kelly Brocklehurst’s Womb and the final verse of Marsheila Rockwell’s Child Bride, which was all kinds of ‘woah’.
This collection is being used to raise funds for charity, so is worth supporting for that reason alone. But the stories and the cover art are both great too, so you should definitely give it a try!
While not every tale here did it for me, I enjoyed plenty of them. Stephanie Rabig’s There Is No Subtlety, Only Rage was a supernatural revenge story that was on the nose but very strong, The Magician On His Deathbed by J M Sedlock was a highly original story of losing control of your body, and Anne Gresham’s Pre-Baby Bodies was a creepy look at postnatal psychosis that was full of scarily accurate depictions of life as a new parent and was probably my favourite of the bunch. Oh, and Feed Us by Zack Zagranis was nasty in the best kind of way.
Nestled along the stories are poems, a couple of which caught my eye - namely Kelly Brocklehurst’s Womb and the final verse of Marsheila Rockwell’s Child Bride, which was all kinds of ‘woah’.
This collection is being used to raise funds for charity, so is worth supporting for that reason alone. But the stories and the cover art are both great too, so you should definitely give it a try!
serenity_'s review
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This is an excellent anthology that explores the loss of bodily autonomy through horror. It is a mix of short stories and poetry. The settings of the stories range from taking place in our world after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade to futuristic technologically advanced societies, and everywhere around and in between. Some stories center reproductive health, while others do not. Overall, it is a wonderful collection that delivers on the horror and political commentary for a very satisfying read.
sdsmith80's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I received an ARC of this book, after hearing about it from an acquaintance that's in a forum I frequent. This book deals with the loss of control over our own bodies that many of us are dealing with, now that Roe v. Wade was overturned. With every entry, I could feel the writer's pain, frustration, anger, and fear, over what this decision means. The allegorical tales and powerful prose do an excellent job of imparting on the reader just what has been lost.
Out of all of the poems and short stories in this anthology, I think my favorite is "There Is No Subtlety, Only Rage" by Stephanie Rabig. This short story deals not just with the overturning of Roe, but the effect of parents who are caught up in their beliefs and ideals, with no regard for how their actions truly affect others, including their child. When their consequences finally come, the stories that came with them had me in tears. I saw lives that so easily could have been my own, or of those I have loved, and it brought up my own story, and how I may not have survived if it had happened today, and not when medical care was a given.
Overall this book is a must read for those who are angry, scared, or grieving for the rights we've lost, those who want to understand more of what it feels like, and honestly, those who did this to our country.
Out of all of the poems and short stories in this anthology, I think my favorite is "There Is No Subtlety, Only Rage" by Stephanie Rabig. This short story deals not just with the overturning of Roe, but the effect of parents who are caught up in their beliefs and ideals, with no regard for how their actions truly affect others, including their child. When their consequences finally come, the stories that came with them had me in tears. I saw lives that so easily could have been my own, or of those I have loved, and it brought up my own story, and how I may not have survived if it had happened today, and not when medical care was a given.
Overall this book is a must read for those who are angry, scared, or grieving for the rights we've lost, those who want to understand more of what it feels like, and honestly, those who did this to our country.
Content Warnings
There are trigger warnings listed at the back of the book that should definitely be heeded if you are worried about any issues.
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