This is the hardest piece of literature to review that I’ve ever read. I didn’t enjoy reading it, and yet it is brilliant and I will be forever changed by it. This book is so fucking dark, but I think that’s the point. And when you get to the root of it all, it’s a commentary on all the mistakes we’ve collectively made in humanity. It’s about how hatred, distrust of difference, and most straightforwardly, fascism takes root in all of us. It’s about the choice to assimilate or push against a world that is lighting people on fire while we turn our heads away in hopes of feeling safer.
The gore was A LOT. Trigger warnings for just about everything. I may never sleep again, but I feel honored to have read this piece of art.

This was… so weird. Not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. This was just so much more than a horror novel. I’m not sure if I didn’t like it, or if I just didn’t understand what the author was trying to do. The book was filled with so much hate. It was pretty graphic, which I can usually stomach, but I found myself skimming sections because of how uneasy/queasy they made me.

<b>*Actual rating 4.5 stars*</b>

<b>TW: transphobia, homophobia, sexual assault, intense violence</b>

First off let me say that <i>Tell Me I'm Worthless</i> is, for the most part, brilliantly written. You can tell from the first chapter that this is simultaneoulsy a deeply personal and deeply universal work. Rage and confusion drip from every page, and the monstrously complex metaphor of the House/Albion bleeds into every part of the narrative. I think this is a truly important peace of literature that very well could be studied in a University setting in the future.

That being said, I think some parts, particularily the steam-of-conciousness chapters, will lose most of the audience. In these sections the metaphor ceases to be a metaphor and turns into a violent slap in the face. I don't know...to be honest that was probably the point, and I get it, but most won't, and will see it instead as ranting.

Like many works of social justice, this will likely never be read by the people who need to read it most, and again, that is iterated in the text. Fascism, racism, homophobia, transphobia and every type of hate on Earth is self-fulfilling and cyclical. People <i>need/i> hate as much as they need love, but they tell themselves they do not hate, because if they did, they couldn't face the mirror.

I couldn't finish this. It just really wasn't my cup of tea and I found myself getting bored of the constant descriptions. I do think that the story was interesting and touched on interesting topics but I just couldn't get into the writing style.

Tell Me I'm Worthless is unlike any book I've read before. It hooked me almost immediately, the writing is lush, and at times—it genuinely spooked me. I would suggest going in with little knowledge of the plot. Rumfitt explores topics like colonization, TERFs, gender dysphoria, race, and many other subjects that are very heavy—I suggest looking into trigger warnings, which the author kindly provides at the beginning of the book. More or less, there is a haunted house, which is haunted by centuries of fascism. The book as a whole is absolutely brutal, but in a way that I feel is necessary if we're going to talk about fascism in earnest. Some parts of the book went over my head, but I think that I could read this book multiple times and take more and more from it. It has moments that are too abstract and poetic for my sweet, simple brain. That being said, I wouldn't change a thing.

My favorite quote:

"Every spot on the planet has something in its past that is worth haunting about. Or if, miraculously, it does not, then there’s always the future, which holds far worse for everyone. It haunts backwards."

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

This one was hard to read. Not only because of the subject content, but it was hard to keep focus and know what was going on.

I really enjoyed the setup of this story, but by the end I felt like I missed a lot of the greater meaning behind the story. This feels like one of those books I would understand more upon a reread or with additional supplemental research. It wasn't the most accessible haunted house story, but I also acknowledge that this book tackled themes such as the trans experience that I do not have personal experience with as a cis woman, and books aren't obligated to be catered towards me.

I did enjoy the author's writing style and tone and would definitely pick up another book from them in the future.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley.

I loved this book so much and it was worth the hype. thank you so much for this arc. I bought this to go on my shelf.

I don't know exactly how to describe the experience of reading this book. It is a horror novel that wrestles directly with its central questions and does not claim any easy answers. If horror is found in unknowable, ever-present threats, then this book adheres to the concept of horror completely. Real and modern examples of fascism and its policies are placed right alongside the living metaphor of a home that welcomes and hates its occupants, and that forces them to adapt the rigid roles of uncomplicated victim and uncomplicated perpetrator simultaneously within its walls. Just as fascism flattens discussions of conflict, Albion, named after the giant who founded an empire, flattens the conflict itself by creating the absolute extremes of simultaneously experienced victimhood and harm. Beyond that, the (stated and foretold and still unexpected) body slam of an ending brought me to tears thinking about the ways that the past does not bury itself even when you live well and fully in its aftermath, and how fascism seeks to destroy its survivors so it can sustain itself. I will be churning Tell Me I'm Worthless around in my head for a very long time to come.

*Copies and pastes review for 'White is For Witching'.* (And I mean that in the absolute best way possible!) I can't believe I almost passed on this book. That's an alternate reality I don't want to even think about. Right away I just have to say if you pick up this book, look for the trigger warnings! And be advised, this will probably be one of those love it or hate it situations again. This is such a dark, gritty and disgusting book and I love it with my entire being. This book doesn't just sink it's teeth into you, it crawls under your skin and lives there, creating such an emotional and uncomfortable connection in the most unfathomable ways. Like Helen Oyeyemi's writing it is poetic and masterful. The imagery is vivid, nothing is just spoon-fed to you. The author not only creates a disturbing, terrifying atmosphere through fictional horrors but, even more scary, is the way she weaves those horrors with modern day, real life terrors. I feel like I lived through a whole lifetime and truly shared the experiences, in the book, with the characters and in turn the author herself. You will feel every possible emotion, you will hate and love the characters simultaneously, and I can't stress how raw and uncomfortable it will be, but it is so beyond worth it. This book is political, sexual, and completely unhinged. It will imprint itself onto your brain and continue to haunt you for days, weeks, months and beyond. So if you are looking to feel a lifetime of pain and love and horror in one sitting, you'll find it in these pages. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book hours ago and am still absolutely shook. What a book -- such a truly horrifying look at fascism's sticky tendrils and the ways in which white supremacy undergirds all other forms of hatred. Please take heed of the content warnings on this one, though -- the body horror is REAL, and the depictions of transphobia, misogyny, mutilation, and sexual assault are very difficult to read. Rumfitt is sharp in her deployment of such ghastly content, and she knows precisely what she's doing (and how hard it will be to read.). Oof -- I'm speechless.

First things first. When it was scary, this book was terrifying. A house with a personality that possesses and devours the people who come inside it’s doors. Cool, I’m in. Oh and the main characters are all part of the LGBTQIA group? Even better. We don’t have too many of these types of characters yet and I was on board.

This book would be fantastic for a college course. A lot to discuss and unpack but man, this was hard to read. The writing was competent but it was simultaneously academic and in great need of an editor.

This isn’t a typical horror, which is what I went in for. My biggest gripe was I grabbed this for a haunted house and what I got was dissecting the various issues involving the pull of different members of the LGBTQIA group, with a haunted house kinda in the background and pulling strings.

As I am not a member of the LGBTQIA, I can’t speak to its authenticity and I won’t. Definitely read reviews from members for their takes. Oh, and trigger warning galore for legit everything.

While reading this book I felt a little confused at first because there was so much bouncing around at first, and because the writing felt disjointed. Once the story actually started I felt like there was a lot of good things happening as far as developing why the two MC's were struggling with each other. This book did a great job of showing what it's like to be trans and how that can make some people feel when things don't go the way they want.

I was really looking forward to this one- but it wasn't my cup of tea,
I think the characters were interesting but I didn't feel connected to them. I love morally grey characters and the trans rep was excellent, but I just didn't connect with them.
The writing was good but a little clunky. I know a lot of folks enjoy this book but it just wasn't for me.

This is sad and moving and extreme. This is a chaotic and oftentimes disconnected book. It’s like a creative writing class with all works accepted and smashed together. It’s gritty and offensive—too harsh for my tastes but incredibly original and creative. This is a horror story on many, many levels. Thank you to NetGalley for a digital copy

“Ghosts are born from trauma and violence.”

Alice and Ila couldn’t be more opposites—Alice is a trans woman, while Ila is a TERF, actively writing articles about how trans women are the downfall of society. What they have in common is the House.

Tell Me I’m Worthless is a slow burn, and I didn’t know what was going on half of the time, but I was in for the vibes. The story is told in four different perspectives: Alice’s, Ila’s, Hannah’s (their third friend, who didn’t make it out of Albion), and the House. My favorite chapters were definitely the House’s. That’s when things really got weird.

The House shows how fully ingrained transphobia (and all the other phobias) are into not just our minds, but the very soil we live on. A seed that’s planted will be growing for centuries, if it’s planted correctly. While veiled in a haunted house story, it’s really a story about society as a whole.

“Tell me what you think of me, what you really think of me. Tell me I’m nothing. Tell me I’m worthless.”

There are plenty of trigger warnings for this novel, which Rumfitt generously gives at the beginning of the book, so read with caution. TW for dysphoria, blood, racism, antisemitism, rape (on page), sexual assault, violence, sexual violence, transphobia, toxic relationship/friendship, suicide attempt, self harm, drug use/abuse, domestic abuse, animal death, xenophobia, and an adult/minor relationship.

With that said, tread with caution. But if you are in a good headspace for this book, I definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the chance to read this advanced review copy. Tell Me I’m Worthless is on shelves now.

Unfortunately, I have DNFd this book, it just wasn't for me. I was so excited to get into it and I just couldn't. I did not enjoy the writing or the main character. Thank you for the opportunity.

I ended up not finishing this book. The synopsis is interesting and pulls you in but the writing is not for me. It's difficult to read and there are a lot of added words and phrases that make readability choppy and it takes me right out of the story. I may revisit it again but no promises.

I’ve been very into horror and have been looking forward to this book! Loved the haunted house, the trans experience in a different place. It’s dark, but it was a hell of a ride!!

Brutal, visceral, and haunting.

Tell Me I’m Worthless has been on my radar since it first published in the UK in 2021. This book… this wonderful, creepy, and unsettling book will stay with me for a long time. It’s so hard to get into what makes this haunted house story so much more than other haunted houses without giving away too many spoilers. This is a story that you have to experience for yourself, you have to live in The House, you have to let yourself be gently drawn in until it’s too late and like the main characters Alice, Ila and Hannah (poor poor Hannah) The House is inside you and it wants to consume you. It won’t leave your thoughts and even if you leave, you can feel its presence always lurking nearby.
Then we get into the more tangible and familiar terror, the horrors that people are capable of even when not being influenced by The House. Is it cliché to say that the real and most terrifying monsters are human? Because Rumfitt does an amazing job of tackling the real every day fear that a trans person deals with constantly. She doesn’t shy away from showing us the transphobia, the violence, the rampant homophobia, and how that also plays into racism and xenophobia .People will use any perceived difference between themselves and the “other” to justify their hate and brutality.
Alison Rumfitt is one to watch and I very much look forward to reading more from her.