This horror book is pretty out there, it does not hold back, it’s not for the pearl-clutchers, not for the faint of heart. Right from the first few pages you will find explicit sexual content and realize you will be reading a book about a pregnant transgender male who is a part of a hive.
In some places it is going to compare an unplanned pregnancy to a tapeworm- this is an outstanding metaphor. I think this book is highly highly symbolic…. And I think I’m missing a lot of the symbolism.
The horror aspects are, well, horrifying, as is the concept that having an abortion is a murder charge in 10 states. The cerebral cortex is unambiguous- animals eat their young.
The main character. Crane (a Crane flies away from its nest of origin) is a part of a mind hive with something to do with worms, hosts, bugs inside of you? Also Crane is autistic, late diagnosed. And pregnancy for trans men is a forced detransition, which most would prefer to be un-alive.
I think it’s a powerfully personal book and it’s important to read stories by trans authors who are helping us to be more empathetic to how violent our off handed comments may be.
For me this book was too raw and real but I absolutely can see it being a favorite for others. I will continue to test the limits of my capacity for the horror stories.
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC. Book to be published Sept 9, 2025.
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