Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Return by Rachel Harrison

12 reviews

jillaay_h's review

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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

aparker89's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

dale1997's review

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

empressnessa's review

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

3.5

If I hadn’t listened to the audiobook, I probably would’ve put this down because of the slow pacing. The plot was okay but pretty predictable. It was a very gruesome and gross book though. Definitely a lot of body horror involved and one instance of animal death which was upsetting. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Eating disorder, and Vomit

shaunashares's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Grief

kate_monster93's review

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I love how dark and funny Rachel Harrison's books are. The fact that she can make me laugh and then immediately terrify me is astounding. This book definitely feels more "horror" than her other books, which are a bit more fantastical. However, I couldn't put it down. I read it in just a few days and didn't do much else. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Eating disorder and Vomit

kt2e56's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

3.0

Unlike most of the other reviews, I actually didn’t mind the buildup before shot hits the fan. I think it adds a lot to the story and makes the characters feel real, still a little annoying, but real. Some of their questionable decisions make sense because we spent so much time with them. The horror elements really work once shit kicks off. The tension is thick. The creature design is great. I really dug it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Toxic friendship

uhhlexiconic's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

The Return wonderfully balances horror with human grief and the right to move on.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer

smahlcat's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I liked the friendships in this book. It felt like a group of close women who hadn’t seen each other in a long time but didn’t need to see each other to remain best friends. One of my biggest problems was the wasted potential of the setting. There were so many cool things that could’ve happened in the messily assembled themed hotel. But there was nothing. Not a thing. The story could’ve been transplanted anywhere and it would’ve stayed the same. Also, Elise’s major character flaw point was a personal NopeTrope of mine, but that’s my problem, not a problem of the book’s.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, and Alcohol

Minor: Addiction and Cancer

student/teacher relationship

sarahholliday's review

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

I've only recently realized how much I enjoy horror stories, and novels like The Return are a huge part of that. 

Harrison manages to make the fears and anxieties that plague all twenty-something women--evolving friendships, the search for identity, financial insecurity--into tangible, terrifying horrors. 

I would have loved to catch more glimpses of the girls' group dynamic before Julie disappeared, and I wish there had been more explanation regarding the strange incidents at the hotel, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this feminist horror and will be recommending it to anyone looking for a good jump scare!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol