Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite

14 reviews

chersonese's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.75

At time of writing this review I still need to finish Poppy's other work but after reading Exquisite Corpse I doubt anything else will have the same impact on me. 

It's brutal, realistically so, certainly not for anyone who struggles with graphic and sexual violence, but it works within the confines of the story. I'd already made peace with Tran not making it out alive as soon as he stumbled into Jay and Andrews grasp, but I didn't think I'd feel the sense of loss I did when reading the passage leading to his demise.

 
  This book is beautifully grotesque and will stick with anyone who reads it, for better or for worse.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt

waverlyloyd's review

dark medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

thesawyerbean's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I have never had a book cause such a visceral reaction in me before, it literally made my stomach turn - I had to stop reading it in moving vehicles to settle the nausea.

This was absolutely repugnant to read, and frankly not enjoyable. The characters all sucked in their own ways, some more than others obviously - the discourse on HIV/AIDS was heinous and the grotesque descriptions of carrion and murder were horrifyingly indulgent. The love affair with abuse that all the characters (even the good ones) seemed to foster was gross as well. 

I’m not naïve in expecting this book to be pleasant reading, but it could’ve been done in such a better way. This was just literal torture porn. In addition one of the fundamental plot points is just… unbelievable? Andrew somehow managing to basically die without actually dying, getting the better of actual medical professionals and then coming back to consciousness at the exact right time? Sure. Made the whole book even more ridiculous.

I wouldn’t recommend this even if it was good, but it wasn’t. So what’s the point?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

rosesofthespring's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Outing, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Classism

Minor: Child abuse, Gun violence, Incest, and Infertility

Explicit descriptions and discussion of HIV/AIDS in the 80s gay scene. Significant anti-Asian racism. Granted it all comes from characters who are meant to be despicable, but it is still constant.