Reviews with content warning for Murder - Motel Styx

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Motel Styx by Jonathan Butcher, Michelle von Eschen, Michelle von Eschen

11 reviews

flashbulbelf's review against another edition

4.0

Content Warnings

h0use0fwind's review against another edition

5.0

dark tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

5 stars because that ending was 🤌🏻💋
Bloody. Gory. F*cked up in so many ways. But I read this whole book in one sitting. Check the triggers before diving into it. If you don’t have any, I recommend this 100%!!!

Content Warnings

littl3spr0ut's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

ashleighlafford's review against another edition

5.0

dark tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

sinsandscares's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75

To the authors: What the f***?

This book was so much darker and more disgusting than I expected, but in the best way. Motel Styx follows Ellis Mercer as he checks into a necrotel—a motel where people legally indulge in the "recreational use" of corpses—to recover his wife’s remains. The story is twisted, explicit, and unsettling, but the writing is sharp, and the humor (much-needed, trust me) was perfectly placed.

I have to say, there’s only one likeable character in the whole book—and it’s not Ellis. But in a story about necrophiles, does there need to be? That’s the only thing keeping me from a full 5 stars.

I’m not a splatterpunk expert, but this went beyond what I was expecting in terms of shock value. That said, it never felt like it was gross just to be gross. The story itself was unique and so well-executed that I couldn’t look away. The fake hotel reviews and political statements scattered throughout were hilarious and added just the right amount of absurdity to balance the darkness. Oh, and the authors went all out with a real website for the motel (motelstyx.com), which is just as insane as the book itself.

Motel Styx is disturbing, thought-provoking, and unlike anything I’ve ever read. I’m giving it 4.75 stars, and now I need something fluffy to cleanse my brain.

Content Warnings

hippieonsteroids's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

brutallybookish's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have been a fan of Jonathan Butcher's previous work, so when I heard he was co-writing Motel Styx with Michelle Von Eschen, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy, and it did not disappoint. I loved the cognitive dissonance that arose from being in the "necrotel" environment and enjoying many of the characters as people despite their questionable tastes. The fact that I could never decide who the "good guys" were was interesting and added a layer of mystery fueled by moral ambiguity. I also appreciated the unfolding of the plot answering multiple different questions about different characters, and the ending was definitely poetic, but also quite disgusting, which is perfect when I'm reaching for an extreme horror title. I would highly recommend this to extreme horror fans new and experienced, and also to anyone interested in giving the genre a try. There's plenty of action in the storyline to go alongside some of the more graphic scenes, and everything about the book is creative from the concept, to the website, to the characters. It's a page turner that's going on my list of favorites!

Content Warnings