Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder

7 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. 

---

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

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.

---

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

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

---

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

sarah984's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

I really liked about the first third of this book - Erin's story has some interpersonal drama, compelling pandemic fiction, and an interesting point of view character. Unfortunately once the POV switches the book just fell apart for me. I get that Savannah is a bad person but she uses such cringy language and a lot of the narrative choices felt a little iffy to me (using the full first and last name of a real child victim of a sex crime, the bizarre scene where a ghost castigates her for killing the only Black woman in the book). While Mareva's story at least felt like it had a point, the King in Yellow stuff felt very silly, the thee/thou dialogue was terrible, and I felt like it just didn't match up to the expectations that Erin's chapters had set for me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Cancer, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Body horror, Gore, Pregnancy, Medical content, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Violence, Vomit, Colonisation, Death, Self harm, Blood, Confinement, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, and Racism

Minor: Abortion, Ableism, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Police brutality, Trafficking, Genocide, Child death, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Excrement

madelinequinne's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

Well that was disgusting…

This book had my stomach churning and my eyes filling with tears at the same time, all whilst making me think how awfully the world deals with pandemics and people who don’t fit into our capitalist ideas of how society should run. There were a lot of metaphors for how chronically ill people are treated, how messed up the government is when it comes to global catastrophes, and honestly that may have been the most sickening thing about this book. 

I definitely need to read something lighthearted after this to recover 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Body horror, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Cursing, and Gore

Minor: Abortion, Alcohol, Bullying, Cancer, Drug use, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Dysphoria, Rape, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

laurenbookwitchbitch'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I don’t know what I was expecting out of this book but it was…not this. I thought “Sister Maiden Monster,” would be a terrifying cosmic horror with great queer rep. This was a body/medical horror nightmare with barely any good characters or plot. Even the medical horror part wasn’t thought out that well. “What if it was live covid…but worse?” That was the big revelation? Covid mixed with mad cow disease? I kept reading because it was a short book and I was waiting for it to get better. The plot went from ye olde “oh no I’ve been diagnosed with [insert weird gorey plague here]” to religious extremism and then to secret government agency real fast, all with little purpose or tact. As for the queer rep, it was…fine? I guess? I didn’t find anyone super interesting and every relationship in this book was just smeared with nasty over the top bodily fluids and tortured agony. I was not a fan and honestly ended up skim-reading the last half of this story because I just wanted it to be over.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Body horror, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Vomit

There’s a line between body-horror and just…gratuitous violence and horror for the “thrill” of it. This book crosses that line. Not a fan. Would not recommend .

kneec's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Omg. The fever dream. Its gruesome. Its terraforming aliens. Its pandemic. Its vampires, zombies and somehow also banshee/ghouls? Its romantic in a very strang way. There's so much gross. The shock is still real.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Misogyny, Death, Gore, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Child death, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Cannibalism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Racism, Violence, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, and Toxic friendship