Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

16 reviews

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

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.

danipowl's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

biobeetle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Dysphoria

Minor: Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

catell's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

charlizardbookboi17's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

3.5

Very well written and engaging. Was a quick read. Very dark and violent. Rough in most spots but couldn't walk away without finishing it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

ronnir's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

hollieadaw's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gore, Sexism, and Transphobia

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

karaboureview's review against another edition

dark funny 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Incest, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

This might be just a me thing, but the chapter titled

"What Happened to Eric" really redefines body horror, in my book,

and deserves a content warning all its own. Also, this isn't a tag option, but:

mutilation of animals both dead and living, and the (implied and actual) mutilation of people.

lottieingham's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

4.25

‘Sometimes the thoughts and feelings I had didn't really agree with each other, so I decided I must be lots of different people inside my brain.’ 🐝

The Wasp Factory is an unsettling tale of a young psychopath: the thoughts, rituals and beliefs of the young Frank amid his unconventional upbringing. 

This novel is a hard-hitter of the horror genre and not for the faint of heart. It doesn’t shy away from the taboos of

animal torture, deaths of children or the devastating effects of human curiosity gone too far

. 

The writing of the intriguing yet grossly deranged protagonist forces the reader to distance themselves from any empathy on his part…until other figures appear bewilderingly worse. 

What Banks achieves so well is this juxtaposition of the innocence of teenage angst and naivety alongside the nauseating depictions of Frank’s sadistic hobbies. The dark humour and self-deprecating thoughts and insecurities of the young protagonist paradoxically keep the story optimistic, despite some of the most grotesque descriptions I’ve encountered within the genre. 

Whilst some claim this novel should be banned due to its raw and unashamedly twisted depictions of violence, I think it is a welcome addition to the horror genre and one that sends chills down the spine without the need to resort to any supernatural or outer-world monstrosities.

Banks’s horror comes from humankind and how traumatic experience can blur the line between right and wrong. By the end, even the reader finds themselves guilty for feeling empathetic towards a delusional psychopath. 🔪

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail