Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Children of Paradise by Camilla Grudova

12 reviews

discocaptain's review

dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

GOD. WHAT A PICTURE. im saying this about a book but its so concerned with film and theatres that i think its apt. horrible, gross and yet so affecting and charming. its giving hollywood new wave. and each chapter title provides you with a free to watch list so get on it watch the red shoes (1948), the last picture show (1971), return to oz (1985) and all the rest. it'll make for an incredible re-read if youre not already as obsessed with film as i apparently am

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Body horror, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Blood, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Excrement, and Gore

its just a bit fucked up really but its a horror what do u expect

danibeetle's review

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

Children of Paradise is brimming with film references, and while I have far from seen all the ones mentioned, they really added to the tone of this book. By far my most loved character was The Paradise Cinema itself, and it’s whale mouth that swallows our protagonist -and us- whole. As the already fragile seams of the cinema come apart during the second half of the book, we see this destruction replicated in its cast of strange workers. This really drove home that there was a clostrophobic and even biological link between the space and its residents. There were moments this novella fell short for me, mostly in its most intense moments, which felt like they ended too quickly. I could see this being purposeful on Grudova’s part though, as each time a horrific incident occurs, it’s always seemingly too fast for the characters to act in time. Overall this was a certified weird, gross, fun little read. The setting brought me a lot of joy, and has me itching to sit in a (hopefully less filthy) cinema chair asap. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Vomit, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Abortion, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Excrement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Gore, Drug use, Death, Addiction, and Sexual content

aliceintheuk4's review

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.75

A truly revolting psychological parody into the world of pretentious film nerds, zero hour contracts and major corporations and the jobsworths that work for them. 
The narrating character at the start is pathetic, weak willed and sympathy inducing, surrounded by weird, acidic film buffs. As she is drawn into their world, and the world of the old fashioned cinema they work in, she appears to slowly lose her grip on reality and really start to fit in with the motley band of strange supporting characters.

When the cinema is bought by a huge company

things start to fall apart at a rapid pace and the narrators whole shakily built world comes falling down around her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Alcohol, Mental illness, Abortion, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, and Death

your_true_shelf's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Body horror, Blood, and Gore

mollydorward's review

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Death, and Body horror

Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol

katerina_l's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Vomit, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Excrement, Alcoholism, Blood, Abortion, Addiction, Body horror, and Death

blklagoon's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Maybe it’s the former disgusting-Edinburgh-cinema-employee in me speaking but this was the most visceral and vivid book I’ve ever read. It hit too close to my own experience, in the most eerie way, until about the last 30 pages. I’m not sure how wide the appeal is as my connection is so personal but the descriptions objectively are equally beautiful and horrific. I need to talk about this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Excrement, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Vomit, Sexual content, Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Abortion, and Blood

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Body horror

bocker_enligt_angelica's review

dark 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

4.0

Ja…. Vad ska man skriva? Det här är inte något för den svagmagade. Gränsen mellan verklighet och vad som är en del av de drogpåverkade karaktärerna är knappt synbar. 
Jag kan känna popcorndoften även då jag lagt boken ifrån mig och scener ur boken får mig att känna mig allmänt olustig. 
Jag är imponerad och jag är glad att jag läst den men jag vill nog inte uppleva den igen.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Alcoholism, Vomit, Drug use, Abortion, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Death, Blood, Alcohol, and Sexual content

katewhite77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I Think This Book Is Designed For Cinophiles 

Set in cinema this is also a satire on capitalism, corporatism of cinema and the day to day reality of the 9 to 5 grind.

This book is very grotesque throughout and is full of bodily fluid but I think that's in part due to the film references that were completely lost on me. 

I don't think think this book would be to everyone taste. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Drug use, Suicide, Death, Excrement, Self harm, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Gore, and Mental illness

lianne_rooney's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Excrement

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Infidelity, and Vomit