Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar

231 reviews

monstrouscosmos's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

Characters: 10/10
Relationships: 10/10
Atmosphere/Setting: 9.5/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Plot/Intrigue: 9.5/10
Internal Logic: 10/10
Entertainment: 10/10
Overall: 68/70, 5*

I love epistolary novels, quantum time travel plots, and messy star crossed sapphic romances, so I figured from the get that I'd be really into this. and I was! I especially loved the ways the characters spoke with one another across timelines, and gave context for themselves as individuals, within their respective collective experiences, and within their shared relationship over time(s). the writing about writing was also really fun! there are definitely moments that delve into disturbing themes and events, but for the most part I found the tone stayed hopeful in belief for better circumstances. 

it's definitely something I need to relisten to (I feel like I missed a lot in my first run thru due to the narrative bouncing around quite a lot), but I'm so excited to revisit it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Medical trauma, Torture, Abandonment, Colonisation, Animal death, Child abuse, Blood, Cannibalism, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, and Stalking

Minor: Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Cursing

Graphic: spiders

kajoreads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

It took me a while to get emotionally invested, which isn’t ideal when the book is only 200 pages long.

The last third was worth the wait though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Grief, Violence, and War

Moderate: Colonisation, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Torture

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, and Pandemic/Epidemic

24carrotgay's review against another edition

emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

5.0

i would give this book 10 stars if i could!! it is hands-down the most beautiful story i have ever heard. i am in awe of how the story was so beautifully woven (pun intended) together. the love between red and blue is palpable. it is so deep and so vast that my arms get goosebumps and my eyes threaten to cry. i am left speechless. this book is everything. it will forever be one of my favorites.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, Animal death, Death, Gore, Murder, and War

Moderate: Body horror and Confinement

Minor: Torture

josie1999's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Body horror, Self harm, and Blood

strewnsunlight's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, Death, and War

Moderate: Animal death, Stalking, Grief, Body horror, and Torture

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, War, Violence, and Body horror

Moderate: Torture and Blood

grace33's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Torture, and Body horror

snipinfool's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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

4.25

Enemy forces battled for the control of a world. Both sides had operatives with the ability to travel through time to change events, which could lead to success for their side. Two of these warriors, Red and Blue, had crossed paths many times working to get events in their favor. Each knew the pattern and style of the other when they came across their work. One day, Red found a hidden letter written to her by Blue. Blue wanted to congratulate her on the changes she made in the twists of time. Blue enjoyed her work more knowing she had a worthy rival. Red left her own message for Blue to find in the threads of time. The letters continued. Eventually, they revealed more and more about themselves and started to feel differently about their enemy. Unfortunately, they were still fighting in a war. Their relationship was forbidden and discovery would mean the end for either of them.

This was such an interesting story. Each of the two authors wrote a character. They made a general outline of how they wanted the storyline to flow. One wrote their character’s part and then passed it to the other for them to respond. I loved the creativity of the world the writers created. Red’s world was one of machines and was dark. Blue’s world was full of nature and light. Red and Blue found ingenious ways to hide their missives from others. Their letters showed the progression from taunts and admiration of skills to an eventual declaration of feeling. Their writings to each other were poetic and engaging. I enjoyed following them on their journey. It was an entertaining novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Torture

violerwolf's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective sad 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? No

3.5

This book wasn’t for me. The prose can be so purposefully opaque that it renders parts of the book barely understandable. And while I’m sure that some people enjoy that, personally I think that no matter how cerebral a book is, you should be able to imagine what the characters are doing when the author describes simple actions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, War, Blood, Death, Murder, Genocide, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Animal death, Child death, Torture, and Grief

taryn_g's review

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Gore

Moderate: Body horror and Suicide

Minor: Torture