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alphabetseeds's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have very mixed feelings about this collection, which has everything to do with me and nothing to do with the quality of the writing. Quality of the writing is very good. However, I discovered while reading that body horror, for the most part, is not for me.
I preferred the stories that had to do with unexpected transformation and general weirdness and disliked the stories that relied on sexual violence, revenge porn, and general shittiness of the main characters.
Highlights for me were the following stories:
- Painlessness by Kirstyn McDermott - a woman relocates and tries to befriend her next door neighbor, who has a troubling condition. I liked the unsure dynamic between them and the hesitancy of putting yourself out there after escaping from toxic relationships.
- Subsumption by Lucy Taylor - nature fights back after a cataclysmic event. Gave me 10 Cloverfield Lane vibes, but what happens after.
- The Lake by Tananarive Due - a teacher moves into a lakehouse in Florida and no one warns her about the dangers of swimming in the lake. I love stories where local superstitions end up being true, and everyone who lives there just holds on to this knowledge.
- The Old Women who were Skinned by CArmen Maria Machado - creepy fairy tale about two sisters who live in solitude until one day, the king comes calling. It was weird and gruesome and just worked for me.
- Spores by Seanan McGuire - a bio lab tech with extreme OCD realizes that there's something seriously wrong with the mold on the peaches. Seriously, fungus is scary.
The whole point of bingo is to challenge yourself, and I sure did.
I preferred the stories that had to do with unexpected transformation and general weirdness and disliked the stories that relied on sexual violence, revenge porn, and general shittiness of the main characters.
Highlights for me were the following stories:
- Painlessness by Kirstyn McDermott - a woman relocates and tries to befriend her next door neighbor, who has a troubling condition. I liked the unsure dynamic between them and the hesitancy of putting yourself out there after escaping from toxic relationships.
- Subsumption by Lucy Taylor - nature fights back after a cataclysmic event. Gave me 10 Cloverfield Lane vibes, but what happens after.
- The Lake by Tananarive Due - a teacher moves into a lakehouse in Florida and no one warns her about the dangers of swimming in the lake. I love stories where local superstitions end up being true, and everyone who lives there just holds on to this knowledge.
- The Old Women who were Skinned by CArmen Maria Machado - creepy fairy tale about two sisters who live in solitude until one day, the king comes calling. It was weird and gruesome and just worked for me.
- Spores by Seanan McGuire - a bio lab tech with extreme OCD realizes that there's something seriously wrong with the mold on the peaches. Seriously, fungus is scary.
The whole point of bingo is to challenge yourself, and I sure did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
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