Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder

75 reviews

submerge's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No

1.5

really disliked how this was written. i never want to read the phrase "all the things" in a book again!
the characters were largely unlikeable, and their voices all seemed to be written in a similar way. i also felt like each section ended in sort of an incoherent rush? this needed to be slower paced, the ideas were there but the execution felt very amateurish. didn't particularly enjoy this at all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Sexual content and Pandemic/Epidemic

thekazm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Violence, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Cannibalism, Cursing, Death, Pregnancy, Vomit, Cancer, Death of parent, Child death, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Infertility, Sexual content, Murder, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Kidnapping

csmoke85's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Gore, Violence, Sexual content, Medical content, Death, Self harm, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Cannibalism, and Infidelity

cnmartin's review against another edition

dark funny 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Body horror, Blood, Murder, Violence, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Cursing

Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Sexual content

Minor: Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, Confinement, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

g_xandra's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Cannibalism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Body horror, Blood, Violence, Sexual content, Gore, and Death

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Cancer, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping

Minor: Domestic abuse and Medical content

keraturner20's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, and Pandemic/Epidemic

chasingpages1's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Torture, Cancer, Body horror, Mental illness, Murder, Suicide attempt, Violence, Pregnancy, Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexual content, Kidnapping, Confinement, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cursing, Gaslighting, and Genocide

Minor: Trafficking, Gun violence, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Infertility, Rape, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

tifftastic87's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Three women loosely related to each other experience the effects of a viral infection that has devastating consequences for humanity. It is so hard to give a synopsis for this book, so maybe just words: queer, apocalypse, eldritch horror, Catholic imagery, biblical angels, feminine rage, cannibalism. 

This definitely made me squirm a couple of times! The descriptions are vivid and full of gore and viscera, including descriptions of taste. So, there's a warning. But what the book has to say about the roles of women in society, their expectations and how they're viewed is so well done. I loved the use of the three POVs from women who were all so strong and all so different. I loved how science was used, the explanation of the virus was so so good. It is hard to say much more without spoiling. The only thing was the ending was a little bit disappointing. But only because I think I wanted just a little bit more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Body horror, Murder, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Medical content, Sexual content, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death of parent, Vomit, and Stalking

Minor: Sexism

heliopteryx's review against another edition

5.0

This book is based on the short story Magdala Amygdala, available free here: https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/magdala-amygdala/

I became interested in the novel version when I heard it described as, "desecration of the feminine, but in a feminist way." And it really is. Some might think the feminist messages are too ham-fisted, but I thought they made sense in the story even if it was a character directly telling the reader what we are supposed to understand from a scene. Such as in part 1, where Erin is telling the reader about going with her friend who was getting an IUD,

and how the friend went into shock during the attempted insertion. The boyfriend didn't go with her, but Erin thinks he should have, so he could see the cost of sex for his girlfriend. Later on in this section, Erin goes with Betty to get an operation to remove the top of her skull so Erin can lick up her cerebrospinal fluid.

The reader is meant to understand these two scenes are the same, and Erin is doing for her girlfriend what the unnamed boyfriend should have done for Erin's friend: be there and hold her hand, witnessing the suffering and devotion. 

When first reading the short story, I was expecting it to be sci fi, but you will enjoy these better if you are expecting fantasy cosmic horror. Compared to the short story, the book does a better job of blending realistic sci fi exposition with the fantastic.

Despite the incredibly gross and disturbing imagery throughout, upon finishing this book, my first thought was, "that was beautiful." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Blood, Cancer, Medical content, Murder, and Gun violence

Moderate: Infertility and Forced institutionalization

brysonsmommie84's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Sexual content, Cannibalism, and Blood