This book was requested by a previous Lesbrary reviewer who did not finish or review it. In order to keep my Netgalley feedback up to date, I am submitting this review marking it as a DNF, though it was another reviewer who requested this.

Organ Meats by K-Ming Chang is a visceral and haunting exploration of friendship, identity, and the rawness of being human. The poetic, almost dreamy narrative is woven with surreal elements like talking dogs and shape-shifting bodies, making it feel like stepping into a fever dream. The bond between Anita and Rainie is both tender and terrifying, and the story’s focus on intimacy, decay, and transformation leaves a lasting impact.

While the prose is undeniably beautiful and hits its mark, this was not an easy read. It demanded my full attention, and the intensity of the imagery was overwhelming at times, but welcome nonetheless. If you're looking for a story that challenges you and lingers long after you’ve finished, Organ Meats delivers. K-Ming Chang has a way of blending horror with beauty, making this a truly unique and unforgettable read. I look forward to reading more from this author for sure.

K-Ming Chang's blend of poetry and prose will never fail to amaze me—she has a knack for dragging readers into the surreal and fantastical world of her larger-than-life characters. These stories have haunted me long after finishing this collection, and I couldn't recommend it more.

I like a good absurd, weird book every once in a while and this book seemed right up my alley. But I just couldn't get into it. The way this book was written just left me feeling like there was no emotion behind any of the characters, and I was constantly left wanting more.

Organ Meats has the most beautiful prose about the most disgusting ideas. Abstruse at times, it's a very interesting read.

Representation: Queer Asian MCs

Two girls learn that they descend from bloodlines of dog-headed women and women-headed dogs that tie them together. One asks the other to become a dog with her, and ties them together with red string. They get separated, and the first girl sinks into her dreams so far, only the other can bring her back by rebuilding her body.

Rating: 4/5 Chang’s writing is so visceral and very vivid. I’ve also read Bestiary, and this is in a similar vein. A lot of strange happenings, in our world, but off set just enough that it feels almost mythical. This is very much about woman companionship and loyalty, familial ties to those who aren’t blood, intimacy. There are several portions that I don’t fully understand what’s happening, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. It’s very poetic and macabre, but I did enjoy reading it.

Organ Meats is a story of two young girls, who one summer decide to be dogs. But really it is about the type of friendship you can only have when you are young together. This is a book that will take some time to digest and I’m still not sure what was real and what was the remnants of a child’s imagination. This is an unusual little book, one that is not for everyone, to be honest it’s probably not for most. It’s extremely surreal and strange, reading it was often a task of untangling a string of dreamlike stories. Organ Meats contained some of the best writing I think I’ve ever read, and in its own weird, gory, gross way, it told a story of girlhood that I could relate to.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC!

Chang's grasp over language is truly astonishing. The way they craft sentences and manipulate structure and word usage to create tone and atmosphere is masterful, and it reverberates through Organ Meats as Chang creates a heady, claustrophobic, bloody character dynamic. Girlhood, especially lesbian girlhood, is expertly represented.

In my second experience with K-Ming Chang, I was similarly challenged! Gods of Want stretched what I thought a short story could be, and the power of curation in the bounds of a short story collection. Organ Meats stretched me even further, a mixture of the real, dreaming, and absurd, the friendship between young girl-dogs is told in a novel unlike I've ever explored. I found myself struggling to get through this novel, despite sinking into it when I picked it up. Chang is virtuosic and writes fluttering and meandering prose with extreme skill, however, this was not the right time for me to read this book. I will revisit it in future when my brain can handle and craves the experimental.

A surreal and visceral love letter to the evolution from girl to woman, and the ties that bind us inextricably together.

Full of bizarre imagery and sapphic yearning, I felt the poetic passages pulling me under into a trance. I love weird lit, but I must admit I felt confused through much of this novel. The characters and their relationships were compelling, but the line between reality and imagination was so blurred I found myself losing the thread of the narrative. This is beautifully written, but I’m not sure I understood what Chang was trying to convey.

I’d like to read more of K-Ming Chang’s work, if only for the gorgeous prose and surreal, dreamlike quality, though I must admit I find myself hoping that Chang’s future work is slightly more accessible!

“Her laughter is a season you want to stand in forever, golden leaves relinking with the trees, springtime fizzing out of a bottle. She has a dimple on either side of her smile, one lower than the other, and the asymmetry describes joy perfectly. Her smile is so radiant it makes me ashamed.” Page 17

Trigger/Content Warnings: child abuse, infant murder, institutionalizations, blood, gore, body horror, violence, corporal punishment, animal death, feces

It took me a long time to get through this book. Not because it was bad - K-Ming Chang is a stunning writer who creates beauty with her words while writing a story that isn’t at all pretty. Organ Meats is layered and complex, looking at girlhood and friendship in a very dreamlike way. Don’t try to rush through this as I did (I spent a lot of time rereading). If you like weird girl books you’ll love this one!

‘Organ Meats’ is a book unlike any other I’ve read before. It is told from various perspectives and does not quite follow a linear process. The story switches from past to present, connecting everything together much like the red thread that connects the fate of the two main characters. Anita and Rainie, who are childhood friends, go on various adventures together and interact with the stray dogs near their houses. It is a narrative that at times feels overwhelming, as if each sentence has its own personality. Though the story felt surreal, it had common themes throughout it such as friendship, romance, motherhood, and family history. I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a book that is dreamlike, but I would like to note that there are some disturbing scenes in the book that may make some uncomfortable. Overall,
I enjoyed this book a lot, and it was definitely a unique read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy.

Visceral and grotesque and surreal, I can very much admire the prose here though the book itself just wasn’t for me.

Organ Meats was another great novel from K-Ming Chang. It was a little bit grotesque, but I'm not squeamish and enjoyed being engrossed in this novel.

i just don't think that this was for me. the writing style wasn't quite something that hooked me and i tried to latch on somewhere but it never quite happened. still open to trying chang's other works in the future, though.

"Organ Meats" is a bold and divisive read that left a lasting impression. K-ming Chang's unique blend of folklore, mythology, and magic explores the complexities of girlhood with visceral prose that is both violent and astoundingly beautiful. While not an easy read, the language used in this book is captivating, even at its most ghastly moments. The story delves into themes of relationships and identity, weaving a narrative that resonates long after the final page. While some readers may find it challenging, those who appreciate evocative writing and unconventional storytelling will find "Organ Meats" to be a captivating and memorable experience.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC! This is a divisive one for sure, but I loved it--truly a "the girls who get it, get it" affair. Visceral and lyrical, ORGAN MEATS paints a picture of the simultaneous beauty, brutality, and ambiguity of relationships between young women. My compliments to the chef!

K-ming Chang is an icon. Completely obsessed with her fever dream style prose. Organ Meats blends folklore, mythology, and magic all while exploring the very real experience of girlhood.

not 100 percent sure what i was expecting but it was not that... thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc for an exchange of an honest review <3

Violent, astounding, and horribly meaty, I really found myself captivated by the language used in this book. It's really pretty, gorgeous even, to read , even at its most ghastly.