Reviews tagging 'War'

Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder

10 reviews

riotgrrrl92's review against another edition

dark tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

What starts as a creepy, gory pandemic adventure slowly evolves into an eldritch, lovecraftian Handmaid’s Tale. I wasn’t sure if I liked or loved this book until the last quarter of the novel, and I didn’t know it would be a must-read until the very, very end. The book spends a lot of time setting the stage for us, which is something I struggle with, but can’t fault the book for that when the payoff was so rewarding. The messages are loud and clear, which is sometimes necessary, and it helps that I agree with all of them. Amazing female leads, great queer representation, and some of the most disgusting horror I’ve ever read. I’ll be recommending this to ever queer horror fan I know. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Blood, Cursing, Chronic illness, Excrement, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, War, and Vomit

smolhandsdan's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Torture, Body horror, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, and War

blackheart's review against another edition

dark funny 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

4.5

This was a disturbingly, delicious read. Incredible body horror and outrageous story. The feminine rage and sassy were top notch.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Cancer, Cannibalism, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexism, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, and War

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, and Child death

shereadytoread's review against another edition

challenging dark

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

3.75

I think this is overall well-written, and something I would never want to reread. It definitely pulls off queer, lovecraftian, cosmic horror. However, the book is split into parts that make me feel like I'm watching random scenes of a film, but the connective tissue is missing. The scenes are striking and there is lots of social commentary to go around. I think there are some missteps in a few characters, but overall the choices do enhance the horror and depravity of the world the characters exist in. 
If you can't stomach gore and body horror, this might be one to skip.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Death

Moderate: Suicide attempt, War, and Infertility

Minor: Trafficking

kelisabeth's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Police brutality, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, War, Alcohol, Cancer, Rape, Infertility, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Animal death, Cannibalism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Pandemic/Epidemic, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Death, Medical content, Trafficking, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Animal cruelty, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Violence

missymaus's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Body horror, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Medical content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Vomit, Blood, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and War

swashbuckling_mathematician's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Basically every trigger warning.  It's a good story but...graphic...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Genocide, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Vomit, Abortion, Self harm, Body horror, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, Slavery, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Gore, Sexism, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Violence, Sexual content, Terminal illness, War, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

It's graphic. Very graphic. Really, if violent imagery gets in your head and bothers you, don't read this book.

karalafleur's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Colonisation, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Gore, War, Torture, Cannibalism, Excrement, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Medical content, Blood, Forced institutionalization, and Violence

Moderate: Cancer and Infertility

Minor: Suicide attempt

jkpiowa's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: War

sarrie's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

2.0

 

Plot: All over the place
Characters: Women being othered, who all end up feeling very similar
Setting: Not important in the least
Magic: I mean, it's a eldritch horror apocalypse but as far as 'magic' goes it's vague and predictable in style. 

CWs: Pretty much all of them - just be okay with that going in. 

Thoughts: 

 Sister, Maiden, Monster is an apocalypse story told from three points of view - the three views changing between the three title Roles in different ways. Sister, maiden, and monster. Each woman gives us the next step in the apocalypse as it is brought about by a virus that spreads and transforms those it infects. This virus evolves the women, preparing them for each of their roles to the ultimate doom of the earth. Fantastic idea right? 

 The structure on this is fantastic. I loved how it was setup, I loved the pace of the book. The division between character viewpoints was well place and handled for me. This book, for the most part was paced fantastically. I gobbled it up over the course of a day and barely noticed the time I spent in it in fact. This was added by the atmosphere which felt appropriately heavy and dark. It was grim and tense but not in a strangling fashion that these stories often have. Some of the moments and ideas here were pure gold, and I loved those. 

 Rather unfortunately though those were few and far between. For the most part the characters felt a bit flat, only taking on their distinct shapes when outside the view point. Everyone's internal monologue felt very similar (as each view is first person). Added to this very same-ness of view point was the heavy handedness of the themes and messages here. While I definitely agree with so much the author was saying, there comes a point at which even I have to say 'calm down'. I can enjoy ice cream but when you shovel it at me non-stop I'm gonna not want to eat it. What should have been nuanced moments, things that the reader should have sat back and said 'wow' were instead big paragraphs of teaching moments as the character tells you exactly why what she did was impactful and why we should feel uncomfortable. 

 There were a couple of lines and moments referencing childbirth and birth control that from personal experience I know are very incorrect. This made those moments feel very off and honestly off-putting, and threw me out of the story. With the complete unraveling of the story by the end, and the reliance on the very predictable 'octopus/eldritch horror' path I didn't really enjoy my time with this one. Some readers are definitely going to get the bang for their buck but I definitely do not think this is for everyone. 

As a note - there was a particular character, Gregory, that I felt was handled badly. I am still organizing my thoughts on that. But as someone who does relate to what Gregory seemed to be dealing with I feel… not upset but disappointed by their use in the story? It just felt like they were used as a checkbox and then disposed off. The longer it sits with me the more uncomfortable I am. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Blood, Confinement, Death, Grief, Body horror, Chronic illness, Gore, Abandonment, Violence, Torture, and War

Moderate: Abandonment, Cancer, Pregnancy, Rape, Torture, and Physical abuse

Minor: Excrement, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization