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akira_outofthegravity's reviews
175 reviews
The Ruins by Scott Smith
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I wanted to like this book way more than I actually did, the premise is good but the execution is shockingly bad. I didn’t care about ANYONE, so I had no stakes in how the book went. All the characters are paper thin and two dimensional, and I just don’t find plants scary.
Maybe I would, but this book doesn’t sell it at all. Also, there’s NO RUINS. That just makes me annoyed, they’re mentioned but never actually a plot point in the book at all.
I did cringe (positively) at some of the stuff that happened, but even the body horror wasn’t that good. It wasn’t convincing or compelling enough for me to be grossed out- I can’t feel/enjoy the main attraction of this book. I would rate it lower but I enjoyed parts of it.
Maybe I would, but this book doesn’t sell it at all. Also, there’s NO RUINS. That just makes me annoyed, they’re mentioned but never actually a plot point in the book at all.
I did cringe (positively) at some of the stuff that happened, but even the body horror wasn’t that good. It wasn’t convincing or compelling enough for me to be grossed out- I can’t feel/enjoy the main attraction of this book. I would rate it lower but I enjoyed parts of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Excrement, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Bullying
Cell by Stephen King
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Honestly really good, I’ll have more thoughts later maybe but until then know that I really enjoyed this. I would have loved to see the aftermath of the final act, but I understand why it was left the way it was. Exciting, sad, 4 stars!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Gore, Blood, and Grief
Dawn of the Dead by Simon Pegg, George A. Romero, Susanna Sparrow
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Not great but not terrible. I had parts I loved and parts that dragged. But I liked the themes of hope.
Also I love the fact that the dog is okay.
Also I love the fact that the dog is okay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Racism and Violence
Minor: Vomit
There is no sexual assault.
There is no major animal death.
An antagonist wears a swastika near the end of the book.
Feed by Mira Grant
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I think 3 1/2 is suitable. This book feels very 2014, it’s riddled with Not Like Other Girls Vibes from Georgia, and I don’t think there’s a single woman in the book she talks positively about. Whereas 90% of the men she’s fawning over. Because of this the emotional beats that concerned her didn’t hit as hard, and I enjoyed the book more when she wasn’t there…oops. Also the problem with the plot being stretched over such a long period of time (as it has to be) is that it feels very exposition-y and like Grant is just throwing words at you. Also I didn’t remember who the antagonist was when they revealed it.
That being said, I enjoyed the ride this took me on. I think Grant mixes comedy, word building and tragedy well together. I think George makes an interesting character (even if I don’t like her), and her dynamic with the group was a bit I liked a lot. That being said…her relationship with Shaun got a little too weird for me sometimes. As someone with step siblings galore I understand my situation is different but sometimes they gave me the ick. But I enjoyed their banter too. I loved the Masons. They seem like a very complicated family, and I love how they serve as secondary antagonists from the get-go! I hope they appear in the second and third novels.
More Buffy plz thank you!
I think I’ll enjoy the second book more.
That being said, I enjoyed the ride this took me on. I think Grant mixes comedy, word building and tragedy well together. I think George makes an interesting character (even if I don’t like her), and her dynamic with the group was a bit I liked a lot. That being said…her relationship with Shaun got a little too weird for me sometimes. As someone with step siblings galore I understand my situation is different but sometimes they gave me the ick. But I enjoyed their banter too. I loved the Masons. They seem like a very complicated family, and I love how they serve as secondary antagonists from the get-go! I hope they appear in the second and third novels.
More Buffy plz thank you!
I think I’ll enjoy the second book more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, and Medical content
Minor: Vomit and Murder
Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
Unlike Dangers of Smoking in Bed, this collection is a lot more political- which is not a bad thing!! But I feel like I am missing context for the stories due to not understanding the political landscape they’re set in.
That being said, all of the stories have merit. There were none that I disliked- which is rare. I’ll add my top 3 later. Also unlike DOSIB the titular story is one of the best. Beautifully written, gloriously gory, a good time all round!!
That being said, all of the stories have merit. There were none that I disliked- which is rare. I’ll add my top 3 later. Also unlike DOSIB the titular story is one of the best. Beautifully written, gloriously gory, a good time all round!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Blood, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Classism
Minor: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I feel like I should rate this higher, but I can’t do it just because it’s a classic, because I enjoyed this a medium amount. I can understand why it’s so influential, I imagine it was quite groundbreaking and I do like the concept- but it’s too much telling and not enough showing.
There’s just not enough meat on this book, there’s nothing to compel readers to keep going in my opinion. The concept is interesting and terrifying as someone who has a womb, and is slightly scared of pregnancy, but there’s never any stakes. When the action does happen it’s very detached and matter of fact, why should I care about any of these characters?
Disappointed but I may try his other books.
There’s just not enough meat on this book, there’s nothing to compel readers to keep going in my opinion. The concept is interesting and terrifying as someone who has a womb, and is slightly scared of pregnancy, but there’s never any stakes. When the action does happen it’s very detached and matter of fact, why should I care about any of these characters?
Disappointed but I may try his other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Car accident
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Suicide
Fungi by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Orrin Grey
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Really good! Some stories were better than others but I loved the body horror. This quenched my thirst for gore and good times, and mushrooms of course.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Vomit
Minor: Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thoughts to come
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Zombie Apocalypse! by Stephen Jones
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
I’m unsure where to rate this. On one hand I really enjoyed the stories, all intertwined and connected. They felt human, the best were the diary entries by far. Unfortunately a lot of them were quite formulaic:
Oh what this can’t be happening?
Oh wait it is.
I’m going to die.
No wait I’m alive!
Big twist.
Downer ending/wham line.
So while i enjoyed them it felt like reading a lot of the same stuff over and over. Also I love the whole fleas thing- nightmare scenario I tell you- but the science wasn’t consistent on whether it was fleas or magic or a virus.
I’ll probably read it again, but the ending makes me wonder if I’m going to continue the series. I find the idea of sentient zombies actually ruling the world to be kind of plausible but also kind of stupid. To me, the horror is that they’re mindless, maybe slightly capable of making decisions- I like the idea that they have a homing instinct and that they can talk, but like, being the president? I don’t know how I feel about that
Overall I didn’t hate it, and I’ll probably read it again in due course, and it is a good zombie book, it’s not great, but if you’re looking for blood, guts, and gore this is the right novel.
Oh what this can’t be happening?
Oh wait it is.
I’m going to die.
No wait I’m alive!
Big twist.
Downer ending/wham line.
So while i enjoyed them it felt like reading a lot of the same stuff over and over. Also I love the whole fleas thing- nightmare scenario I tell you- but the science wasn’t consistent on whether it was fleas or magic or a virus.
I’ll probably read it again, but the ending makes me wonder if I’m going to continue the series. I find the idea of
Overall I didn’t hate it, and I’ll probably read it again in due course, and it is a good zombie book, it’s not great, but if you’re looking for blood, guts, and gore this is the right novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, Car accident, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Confinement, Suicide, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Excrement
Ghost Virus by Graham Masterton
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Went abroad and couldn’t take it