Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

26 reviews

ibjilln's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Blood

Moderate: Animal death, Alcohol, Body horror, Gore, Vomit, Death, Confinement, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Incest, Misogyny, Suicide, War, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, and Sexual assault

franticfreya's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Suicide, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Blood

Moderate: Pregnancy, Body horror, Alcohol, and Death

Minor: Child death, Grief, and Rape

nialiversuch's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, War, Child death, Confinement, and Domestic abuse

phantomgecko's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

Circe is my touchstone for mythological retellings, so I couldn't help but compare this novel to it. I was shocked to find this book was longer than Circe because it felt like less happened. One possible explanation is the splitting of the narrative between Ariadne and Phaedra. I just wasn't able to get to know either of them as well as I came to know Circe.

I enjoyed the feminist angle here, the emphasis on woman's suffering at the hands of the gods. Like, true. Men suffered too, but mostly it was their own fault?

This retelling felt softer. The buck wildness of Greek mythology was present but not as nitty gritty as in Circe. Importantly, I cried at the end because the theme of motherhood was strong, and I am but an emotional mother.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Gore, Body horror, Child death, Death, and Abandonment

sirenricobooks's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Child death, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Mental illness, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Pregnancy and Death of parent

Minor: Cannibalism, Classism, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Blood, and Body horror

lizsurber's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Animal cruelty, Blood, Murder, Animal death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Confinement, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Pregnancy, Body horror, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Rape, Sexual content, Child abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Infidelity, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Violence

dearheart's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Confinement, and Abandonment

Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, Blood, Violence, Suicide, Infidelity, and Body horror

Minor: Pregnancy, Animal death, and Vomit

angelkisses's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Inconsistent pacing, an overarching story that screams feminism 101, repetitive expository dialogue. The writing was enchanting and the descriptions were palpable, their power muted by the narrative they occupied. Part I was a bore and Part III was the novel at its best. The epilogue was interesting enough and Part IV interesting in the way that expectations of a specific character

(Dionysus)

were "subverted" but not so much that anyone who doesn't have a basic understanding of Greek mythology. There are better examples of 'mythological realism' out there, one being the very book it's being comped to in its description (Circe by Madeline Miller) where constant narrative questioning and tired repetitive exposition doesn't plague the story. I understand this is a debut story so I will not hold prejudice against the author -- they certainly have a talent for writing.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, and Murder

Moderate: Rape

lanid's review against another edition

reflective sad

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Grief, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Death, Incest, Gore, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Violence, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Rape

cviii's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

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

1.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Abandonment, Body horror, and Confinement

Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, and Suicide