Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

42 reviews

jadey_c23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

This book has the biggest twist I have ever read. At no point did I see it coming. But it is integral to the story. I found this book incredibly disturbing but also could not put it down and needed to know what would happen at the end. Full of triggering content but an interesting and different read.

lolovg__'s review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

limina's review against another edition

dark tense slow-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

This was... something. I was interested enough to read the whole thing but it took me well over a month, despite being 250 pages. At times I just found it dull just reading descriptions of Frank patrolling the island, but then I was also fascinated at his compulsions and rituals.  There was a lot of plain old humdrummery peppered with kernels of plot to keep you hooked. I don't think it really paid off, considering how you think it's going to end and then how it actually ends. 

It really makes me think of the horror movie Sleepaway Camp. Also, Esmeralda's death was CRAZY

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Mental illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

lordofdisorder's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Ableism and Racism

deathmetalheron's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious slow-paced

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Sexism, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Pregnancy

The TW is in itself a spoiler, so click this TW/Spoiler first

Gender Dysphoria

. Then you can read the explanation here:

The twist in this book is that the main character, Frank, is undergoing a forced gender transition without their consent. If you have experienced gender dysphoria, it may feel uncomfortable reading the end of this book.

sheeprustler's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

kilianisreading's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, and Medical trauma

autarch's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

leiaslizzy's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Medical content, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Misogyny

This book is utterly insane from start to finish.

thesaltiestlibrarian's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

 I thought for sure this would be way more intense than it actually was. People talk about this like it's some paramount tale of psychological twisting and horror, but I thought it was mid. Yeah, the animal death is messed up, but all of the other stuff? Saw some of it coming, and some of it was weird folks who live in a small town. As someone who lives in a small town (under 7,000 people), it wouldn't surprise me to have this happen close by. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Alcohol and Dysphoria