Bodies: A Romantic Bloodbath

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book but it was actually a really great book. The idea that we can create the perfect person is eerie. I highly recommend this one

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Holy trigger warnings. I'm not going to lie, but, Bodies: A Romantic Bloodbath definitely has a bunch of them. Other than that, this isn't my first book to introduce clones and such.. but it was definitely the darkest/creepiest one. Which is probably why I devoured this book so freaking quickly. Because of all the darkness within it.

The characters? Well they were entertaining in their own little ways but I definitely cringed at some of the parts. Plus seeing their inner demons was interesting to a point but definitely made me sad in others. I honestly wasn't expecting to go through such an emotional ride when it came to this book. Mostly because I got no warnings of what to expect that would make me feel these emotions.

I will say, that if you can get past all the trigger warnings and find the interesting parts of the book - like all the scientific shit and clones - you could enjoy it somewhat. I also think if I knew what to expect beforehand, well, then I would've been better prepared for what was about to come my way instead of being blindsided.

All I'm going to say is that it's interesting and you might want a bottle of wine open next to you. No glass needed. You're welcome.

I really wanted to read something completely different and this book certainly delivered on that. It’s not for the faint hearted or a sensitive reader and I was warned before reading which intrigued me all the more. It really opens your mind to the possibility of cloning and how far could it be taken in the future to creating that ‘perfect’ (if there is such a thing) being. I would highly recommend if you want you want to take a step into the future and the possibilities it can hold but if you are someone that doesn’t like violence then it’s probably not for you.

The story takes place in the not-so-distant future where we meet Vince Nilsson, a young prodigy of science with a sociopathic streak. After being scorned by his girlfriend Melissa, he comes up with a solution: kill Melissa, harvest her DNA and create a “better” version of her that will love and respect him.

Soon enough Vince finds himself running his own company, Emergence Inc. which promises everything from a “younger, newer model” of a partner to the eradication of a life-threatening illness from someone’s genetics. As a result, Vince falls deeper into the rabbit hole of striving for perfection, manipulating people’s genes and developing a God complex whilst constantly battling his own negative thoughts…

Fast-forward almost 20 years and we are introduced to Leo Oaks and Sara Hawking. In a world where cloning has occurred yet still has its taboos, they find they both have their own ties to Emergence Inc and not everything (or everyone) is as it seems.

Well, what a puzzling ride that was! So my interest was totally piqued after reading the blurb. From the offset, I was getting vibes of Tarantino meets Weird Science with a Black Mirror twist and could see the potential. However I did feel the story didn’t quite scratch the itch and I found it quite confusing to follow at times. The story flits between different character’s in a way that’s a little erratic and I found it hard to connect with the characters. As a result, it made it difficult to keep up with where we were in the timeline of events. I like chaotic, but at times it did feel a bit confusing, even for me!

There are some interesting aspects in this book: the striving for the impossible “perfection” (arguably relevant in today’s world) and also the age old questions of science vs religion. It also raised some interesting questions on the ethics behind cloning which I would’ve loved to have seen more developed in the story.
Also there are a number of triggers that come with this book; to name a few there’s violence, drug use, suicide, mass shootings and rape.

On the whole I think there was something lacking for me with this book, but I would say if you like the idea of a darker/sexier version of Altered Carbon laced with a little of The Shining, give this one a go.

This was an interesting and intriguing book but at the same time it was also eerie and creepy AF. To think someone can request the perfect mate all because of gene harvesting and kill off the host... gives me the heebee jeebies. This idea comes to fruition by Vince when he is dumped by his sorta girlfriend, Melissa. Later he makes a business out of this for people around the world called Emergence seeking his help. Is it ethical? Is it murder? You will have to read yourself to find out!

DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED!! Not your usual thriller and getting this at publishing to own!

Thanks to Netgalley, Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev and Emergence Inc for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/25/21

Book Review for Bodies: A Romantic Bloodbath
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

This is definitely a unique read. It is not for everyone and has a lot of triggers in it. When you read it you need to have an open mind and not compare it to anything else as it is a unique read. It moves along at a good pace, has characters that you want to know more about and you want to know what makes them click. The story will either grab you or not. But give it a chance you never know.

It took a bit for me to get into this book and at first I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about it. It jumped around a bit but about halfway through I got more into the story and by the end I really enjoyed it. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart as it does get pretty violent and graphic at times, but the commentary on the nature of humans especially today is really compelling (even though it takes place in a hypothetical future).

Vince, an obsessed genius teenager fabricates a clone to replace the girlfriend that dumped him, but has to kill the original first. With gene manipulation he builds a better Melissa, then realizing the potential creates an underground cloning empire. Then we meet Leo Oaks, who decades later receives a body at his door, his own!

Starting with an ominous and shock-worthy prologue this presents a narrative that is intense, unconventionally intimate and sometimes eerie. With a melancholic vibe it gifts you a WTF just happened mentality, is gruesome in many instances but utterly engaging. Just embrace the weird.

It is so blunt, a lot of people will find quite a few scenes offensive or hard to swallow, but I think it is done to show the brutality of the character/situation and makes you think about morality — that sometimes elusive line between right and wrong. Presenting gut-punching revelations, it is more emotional and personal than you'd expect. The parts with Leo are esoteric, even endearing and a complex mystery with conspiracy tidbits thrown in the mix. All these stories do intertwine at some point.

Ambitious though flawed and uneven with sparks of genius. It is a bit whiplashy and the back and forth can be jarring, especially between different POVs, a lot of them seemingly coming out of nowhere. In my opinion, the story would have benefited from a more straightforward type of storytelling with fewer characters thrown into the forefront.

Some of the themes it explores are obsession, identity and equality, and what exactly is humanity.

It's a tough as nails, compelling mystery cloning conspiracy-thriller with philosophical interludes and surprisingly romance!