Scan barcode
woodsybookworm's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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
2.0
The Deading begins with body horror - a truly terrifying experience with snails that has made me a little fearful of the slimy creatures, but after the first few chapters the story took a complete turn.
The cover and blurb for the book sucked me in, thinking this would be science fiction body horror a combination of Annihilation and The Birds. Instead the book focused mainly on birding and the scientific descriptions of birds and aquatic animals. I'd hoped the book would go into more detail on the body horror it teased from the first chapter but we never really got back to it.
With six different perspectives - four in third person and two in first person (with one of those perspectives being an unnamed character) - it was hard to keep up with what was happening in the story. I wanted to learn more about Bernhard and Chango's transformations and the entity but we barely got any time with the most interesting characters.
As much as I hoped to like The Deading, it wasn't for me. Received as an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington/Erewhon Books.
The cover and blurb for the book sucked me in, thinking this would be science fiction body horror a combination of Annihilation and The Birds. Instead the book focused mainly on birding and the scientific descriptions of birds and aquatic animals. I'd hoped the book would go into more detail on the body horror it teased from the first chapter but we never really got back to it.
With six different perspectives - four in third person and two in first person (with one of those perspectives being an unnamed character) - it was hard to keep up with what was happening in the story. I wanted to learn more about Bernhard and Chango's transformations and the entity but we barely got any time with the most interesting characters.
As much as I hoped to like The Deading, it wasn't for me. Received as an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington/Erewhon Books.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Torture, Animal death, Murder, Animal cruelty, Suicide, Violence, Death, and Self harm
More...