A review by badbitchwithabook
Dead Inside by Chandler Morrison
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“And even with your fucked-up face—especially with your fucked-up face—you’ll still be beautiful to me.”
Don’t mistake this quote as being a part of a beautiful, romantic love story. It’s not. But underneath the shocking, distressing and disturbing story that this is, there is a twisted love story of sorts.
I’ve been mulling over this review for about a week and am still unsure of what to even write. This story really traumatised me, I don’t even know if I can recommend this book purely out of guilt for potentially upsetting someone deeply.
I’m going to begin by saying this book is highly, highly disturbing, not like anything I’ve ever read or even heard of.
I cannot stress enough to read with caution, this will severely upset the majority of people. I found myself struggling to finish it but also not being able to put it down, which was a the first time I’ve had a conflict like that when reading. At one point I felt guilty for reading this and enjoying it as much as I did. but I also hated it soooo… idk?
Moving on to what I enjoyed about this, the writing in this book is stunning, like absolutely incredible and I cannot help but give my respect to the author, Chandler, for having the balls to write something like this and then publish it and show the world. If you read this, you’ll understand the guts it must have took to put this story out, knowing it would upset so many people.
Chandler is an expert at building an atmosphere that makes you feel connected and immersed. This is a skill I really admire in all authors. There were points whilst reading when I found myself inside the main characters mind and was lost in his darkness and could feel the depravity of his existence, and although I hated every minute of feeling like that, I was blown away by the fact that the author succeeded in that while having the characters and their lives be SO unrelatable.
I want to recommend going into this story blind but at the same time part of me feels responsible to tell you everything that happens (haha), so as a happy medium, I’m going to try and give as many detailed content warnings as I can so you are as prepared as you can be picking this up.
CONTENT WARNINGS: (just assume that every warning is considered to be quite severe and detailed)
in no particular order
Death, child death, gore, necrophilia, body horror, rape, gang rape, abuse, drug use, abortion, mistreatment of a corpse, pedophilia, cannibalism, death of an animal (mentioned once but quite graphic), car accident, cheating, stillborn, miscarriage, murder, suicide, mental illness, mental disturbances.
I may have missed some warnings but the safe bet is to assume that whatever you’re thinking there’s a high possibility it’s in this book
Don’t mistake this quote as being a part of a beautiful, romantic love story. It’s not. But underneath the shocking, distressing and disturbing story that this is, there is a twisted love story of sorts.
I’ve been mulling over this review for about a week and am still unsure of what to even write. This story really traumatised me, I don’t even know if I can recommend this book purely out of guilt for potentially upsetting someone deeply.
I’m going to begin by saying this book is highly, highly disturbing, not like anything I’ve ever read or even heard of.
I cannot stress enough to read with caution, this will severely upset the majority of people. I found myself struggling to finish it but also not being able to put it down, which was a the first time I’ve had a conflict like that when reading. At one point I felt guilty for reading this and enjoying it as much as I did. but I also hated it soooo… idk?
Moving on to what I enjoyed about this, the writing in this book is stunning, like absolutely incredible and I cannot help but give my respect to the author, Chandler, for having the balls to write something like this and then publish it and show the world. If you read this, you’ll understand the guts it must have took to put this story out, knowing it would upset so many people.
Chandler is an expert at building an atmosphere that makes you feel connected and immersed. This is a skill I really admire in all authors. There were points whilst reading when I found myself inside the main characters mind and was lost in his darkness and could feel the depravity of his existence, and although I hated every minute of feeling like that, I was blown away by the fact that the author succeeded in that while having the characters and their lives be SO unrelatable.
I want to recommend going into this story blind but at the same time part of me feels responsible to tell you everything that happens (haha), so as a happy medium, I’m going to try and give as many detailed content warnings as I can so you are as prepared as you can be picking this up.
CONTENT WARNINGS: (just assume that every warning is considered to be quite severe and detailed)
in no particular order
Death, child death, gore, necrophilia, body horror, rape, gang rape, abuse, drug use, abortion, mistreatment of a corpse, pedophilia, cannibalism, death of an animal (mentioned once but quite graphic), car accident, cheating, stillborn, miscarriage, murder, suicide, mental illness, mental disturbances.
I may have missed some warnings but the safe bet is to assume that whatever you’re thinking there’s a high possibility it’s in this book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Animal death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship