keen's reviews
242 reviews

Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Physical abuse, and Abandonment

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Torture, Violence, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual assault, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Suicide, and Car accident

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

Body Shocks by Ellen Datlow
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.

Out of 26 stories, I read, from most liked to least:

1. The Truth That Lies Under Skin and Meat by Cassandra Khaw
2. Welcome to Mengele’s by Simon Bestwick
3. Cuckoo by Angela Slatter
4. The Travellers Stay by Ray Cluley
5. Spar by Kij Johnson
6. La beauté sans vertu by Genevieve Valentine

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism and Torture

Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks

medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Domestic abuse

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Gun violence and Alcohol

Minor: War

I noted the diversity as "complicated" because I'm unsure of the exact races of the characters, aside from one being British, but the main character is a lesbian. She does not get involved in any relationship and it's only mentioned briefly.

Eyes Guts Throat Bones by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Grief

Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Suicide

Maeve Fly by CJ Leede

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicide and Cannibalism