Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

56 reviews

rororow's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad 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

Could not put it down

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Death, and Medical content

itsjustgrumpy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.5

The name of the book and the cover made me think Zombies. No zombies. But it was a good sapphic sci-fi story. Probably could've been trimmed a little, to avoid some of the repetition found later in the book. It was an alright read, might not recommend it to those into actual horror.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, and Grief

Moderate: Death, Body horror, and Gore

nittiotvaan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Medical trauma, Medical content, and Drug use

royalraspberry's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Confinement, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Moderate: Gore and Vomit

danimacuk's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Death

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Death of parent

Minor: Blood and Medical content

hzamrzla's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

3.0

I loved the premise and voice of this book, but the pacing and actual plot were so hard to stick with. There is only one REAL conflict: whether or not Gyre trusts Em, and we revisit it about 8 times with no real resolution. Reluctant trust, big betrayal, insistence on doing it alone, horrible failure due to the decision to do it alone, rinse, repeat. 

Specifically, I got so frustrated with Gyre by the end because of her

constantly refusing to let Em guide/medicate/STOP her, doing something stupid, and then being in a rage that Em didn’t guide/medicate/STOP her

. This happening once or twice seemed reasonable, and then for it to KEEP happening, as the only source of action in the book, felt contrived. 

Also, I hate

“turns out it was all in your head”

books. 

It got old, which is sad. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, and Abandonment

dogearedbooks's review

dark reflective 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Grief, and Confinement

Moderate: Vomit and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Toxic relationship

iam's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-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

5.0

SciFi cave exploration horror featuring lesbians tied up in a web of lies, what could you possibly want more?

 Content warnings include: amputation, manipulation, unconsensual administration of drugs, claustrophobia, medical failure, abandonement, gore and graphic description of corpses and causes of death; mentions of death of parents, absent parents.

I personally would have preferred the cave monster to appear more, and a lot of the plot went in circles (literally.) It didn't actively terrify me, but I think that's fine, more low-key/subtle horror more there due to the surrounding situation than what actually happens (and a lot happens!) suits me more than the outright can't sleep one.

Very atmospheric, with a great cast of two characters, and the audiobook narration is done absolutely incredibly by Adenrele Ojo.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Medical content, Abandonment, and Gore

amputation

disnelyse's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Confinement, and Body horror

Moderate: Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

marleens's review

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I enjoyed the setting of the story. Despite the detailed descriptions of the spaces, I did have some trouble properly picturing everything, but I liked the overall sense of darkness and isolation and small spaces to squeeze through. The survival element of dwindling resources was well done. The tension was high throughout, mainly because of all the emotions of main character Gyre. I was let down by the end though. In the second half the scary creepy vibes increased, and that got my hopes up for a satisfying ending but I didn’t really feel like we got that. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Body horror, Vomit, Death, Gore, Death of parent, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail