WE LOVE QUEER HORROR, but holy fuggin shiz, Alison Rumfitt has completely outdone herself after the body-horror possession that Tell Me I'm Worthless was. Brainwyrms is profoundly sad and dystopically terrifying especially as the government and certain political parties continue to rip bodily autonomy from us. I SCREAMED when Macmillan Audio gave me audiobook access to this highly anticipated horror, and I'm additionally thankful to Tor Nightfire, Netgalley, and Alison Rumfitt for granting me advanced digital access as well.

There's a parasite plaguing the sex-curious LGBTQ+ community and people are both equally terrified and turned on. Because the media and politicians are always eager to input their opinions where they aren't needed, they flock to this night scene, transforming mothers and other family members into murderous conspiracy theorists looking to eradicate the anomalies.

Rumfitt's symbolism runs deep, for I'm sure all of the bigoted people view the LGBTQ+ community as a parasite and stop at nothing to point, mock, and discriminate those individuals. What may have read as gross horror is unfortunately distantly close to normal for so many trans-persons facing hate and danger from those who have no place distributing such actions.

Brainwyrms is set to hit shelves on October 10, 2023, and I cannot wait.

I’m calling it now, but Brainwyrms is gonna be one of those “either you love it or you hate it” kind of book except it’ll be more like ‘if you’ve never read extreme horror, let alone trans horror, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into’ and it’ll probably leave a few people NOT liking it because it’s brand new territory for them.

To me, Brainwyrms isn’t just extreme horror with a bit of grossness and kink, it’s also at its core queer horror — trans horror, specifically — and I think if that’s the genre of horror you like, you’ll absolutely love this. I love it. I thought it was disgusting and gross so many times, but I also couldn’t put it down. Alison Rumfitt literally does NOT hold back when it comes to the extremes nor does she hold back when it comes to being political (and I could probably go on a tangent here, but to be short, how can you not be political when you are living as a trans person in the UK). There’s so many layers of horror in this but to me the horror that stood out the most was the horrible truth of living as a trans or queer person in the UK and the fear you face daily and Rumfitt really managed to write it so well, that even I, a cis person, could feel the fear and anger deep within. I can’t pretend to know what trans people go through, especially not the extent of what body dysmorphia can be like, but I do think Brainwyrms managed to make that feeling a bit more tangible to me. It might not have been the intention, but I do think it says a lot about Rumfitt’s writing that you can resonate with her characters and their fears, wants, and needs.

I’m rambling, but I absolutely loved every part of this (in a I want to vomit/I want to look away/I need to continue reading kind of way) and I’m looking forward to buying a physical copy I can place next to my copy of Tell Me I’m Worthless.

Alison Rumfitt is the moment y’all and Brainwyrms is for anyone who loves messed up kinks, broken characters, interconnected stories that fuck with you, and not so subtle nods to certain kinds of TERFs in british society (no spoilers, but again, Rumfitt does NOT hold back). If you’re unsure that Brainwyrms is for you, go to a bookstore and read Rumfitt’s introduction when it’s out, it’s magic, and ask yourself if you’re the kind of person that already prefers trans/queer (and/or extreme) horror.

I suppose this would be perfect for you if you liked Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca and Maggot Girl: Episode 1: A Maggoty Metamorphosis by Otis Bateman, but always wanted to know what would happen if both books fucked and had a a very messed up, but well written, child.

// Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the ARC.

I mean this in the most positive way possible - what a disgusting, horrifying book. I absolutely loved Tell Me I'm Worthless and was SO excited when I was accepted to received this from Tor.

Frankie meets Vanya, who is gorgeous and mysterious, and the two develop an intense relationship. As it develops, though, Frankie becomes suspicious of Vanya, and uncovers something absolutely horrifying.

This is absolutely not for the feint of heart. I love horror and gore and I had to put this down a few times just to shudder at the things I was reading. I loved it. Rumfitt has such a unique way of writing about the current "political" environment threatening the trans community.

A gross-out and topical contemporary horror that will push extremes readers may not even know they can stand. More of a character study than plot-driven.

Major thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts:

"𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶

𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶"

Incredibly disappointed by this. Rumfitt was radical in the way that she was able to combine horror, socio-political critique on modern UK, while exploring the trans body through 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴. Here, she explores similar themes with strong commentaries on underground kinks and online spaces. Some interesting questions arose throughout my reading:

What do we actually control inside of us? How is it exorcised in a world of constant violence? Is it meant to be exorcised? How does the interior ultimately affect the exterior? How do we control all the rot inside of us? Get it out? Kill it?

But this comes off as a pandemic book with too many hours spent on Twitter. Twitter isn't even called Twitter anymore. It is hard to fictionalize social media in literary fiction without it feeling cheap. Because the online world moves too fast for the slow way fiction works. Cramming both online writing and literary fiction bloats the book, cheapening even the language. It seems that being on Twitter for too long watered down the terror found in Tell Me I'm Worthless.

But here, you get sentences like:

"…𝘮𝘪𝘹𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮"

This. Is. Lazy!

!!!

There were multiple instances of this, and I was even more disappointed to find that there is really only one scene that delves into the body horror element, a book marketed as such. I mean, I didn't mind all of the depraved kinky stuff, but this is not body horror!!! This is just weird sex stuff that reminded me of the furry convention I accidentally attended in 2008!

"𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥.."

It's hard to write about kinks without it being too camp or cheap. To combine this with elements of the body, in horror and terror, made me believe that Rumfitt was onto something here, but she distracts herself with all the online writing that was too surface-leveled to mean anything.

Regardless, it's fun and gross and there's actually a lot of humor to make light of all the yucky bits:

“𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥. 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥.”

But it's a letdown to her debut, an incredible modern horror that should be deemed a classic.

Not for the squeamish. A shamelessly refreshing — and compulsive — exploration of political terrorism through the lens of deeply unorthodox lifestyles. This book oozes with a parasitic quality that is sure to linger after you’ve finished.

"Brainwyrms" by Alison Rumfitt is a searing and transgressive body horror novel that delves into themes of obsession, violence, and pleasure. This book pushes the boundaries of horror and explores the darker aspects of the human psyche in an unflinching manner.

The story revolves around Frankie, whose life is upended when her workplace is bombed by a transphobic assailant. As Frankie struggles to cope with the aftermath, including media attention and personal trauma, she finds herself drawn into a new relationship with the enigmatic Vanya. However, as their connection deepens, Frankie becomes increasingly aware of Vanya's hidden and unsettling secrets. The tension between their growing intimacy and the ominous secrets at play forms the core of the narrative.

Alison Rumfitt's writing is intense and visceral, aiming to evoke strong emotions and reactions from the reader. The book doesn't shy away from confronting difficult themes, including violence, identity struggles, and the impact of traumatic events. The author's ability to create a sense of unease and discomfort is a testament to her mastery of the horror genre.

"Brainwyrms" offers a unique blend of horror, psychological exploration, and social commentary. It engages with the complexities of identity, trauma, and the lengths people will go to protect their secrets. The story's shocking and grotesque elements are intertwined with a narrative that delves into deeper emotional and psychological layers.

The book's unapologetic approach to horror and its willingness to tackle uncomfortable subjects may not be suitable for all readers. However, for those who appreciate dark and transgressive fiction that pushes the boundaries of traditional horror, "Brainwyrms" delivers an intimate and chilling exploration of the human condition in all its disturbing facets.

4.5. I start a lot of reviews with just "wow," but this book is particularly deserving of it. I don't read a whole lot of extreme horror, but when I do I like it to be queer and purposeful. What is happening? What is the reason a story needs to be so intense? Brainwyrms is a perfect example of extreme horror with a purpose. The graphic, disgusting trauma happening on-page is impactful and serves a greater cause. In this case, we get to be up close and personal with the current-day tragedies and oppression of trans people in the UK. Sometimes you need to be forced into staring gruesome facts in the face, and Rumfitt is more than up to the challenge. I loved the feelings of horror and rage I felt while reading this book. Following Frankie and Vanya was painful but remarkably captivating, and I was totally blown away by the climax. Also, really clever use of cosmic horror elements mixed with taboo sex stuff. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!

I’ve given myself a week or so thinking that enough time would let my brain marinate to produce some cohesive thoughts…

Brainwyrms is a loose follow up to Tell Me I’m Worthless, centred around Frankie and Vanya.

Frankie works at a company that sifts through all reported media to see if it really should be banned. Vanya has a complicated relationship with their family that leads them to live with a person that has a harrowing hidden agenda.

F & V begin a really intense relationship with the backdrop of transphobia, media and conspiracy theories.

This book was so horrifying, I truly thought I couldn’t be phased with literature anymore but I was almost unable to finish this one. That being said, I absolutely loved it. I laughed at the beginning, I squirmed, I couldn’t help but say he he to the famous TERF author reference.. Rumfitt does it yet again with this incredibly powerful and disturbing novel.

There is humor. There is originality.
There is depravity and some really gross sh!t that I don't want to think about again.

Absolutely love what Alison Rumfitt did with this story and I think she's definitely one to watch in the horror realm! It was a little much for me at times, but it really got it's point across clearly. It's about time trans rights are discussed in a way that isn't pretty.

People who like to describe things as "elevated horror" talk a lot about the difference between horror and terror. "The difference between Terror and Horror is the difference between awful apprehension and sickening realization: between the smell of death and stumbling against a corpse," as they say (or, ok, as Devendra Varma said, according to the "Horror and Terror" Wikipedia page...). What people often fail to mention is that a lot of so-called horror media is not really about horror, or about terror, but about disgust. More <i> ick </i> than <i>eek<i/>. No more frightening than spoiled milk, no less upsetting.

Folks, this is prime example of what I'm talking about. Brainwyrms is gross. Brainwyrms is disgusting. Brainwyrms should not be read in times and places where it would be inappropriate to become violently ill. Very icky. Whatever the opposite of elevated is. Neither the smell of death nor the stumbled upon corpse but the maggots and piles of vomit left behind for the crime scene clean-up crew. I often asked myself, <i> why am I reading this? why am I doing this to myself?<i/> It is the stinkingest turd of a novel I have ever read.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, as they say! And as turds go, this one was pretty polished. Rumfitt does a really fine job here of crafting a compelling narrative that neither under nor overplays its (unwashed) hand. The characters are well-formed, distinct, plausibly motivated to behave as they do. And the more straight-forward horror elements lurk persistently in the background, waiting patiently to be born. It has none of the flaws of Rumfitt's first novel, Tell Me I'm Worthless (which I found to be poorly structured, derivative, philosophically confused, etc.), or of Eric LaRocca's similarly premised Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke (which was rushed, pointless, unbelievable, etc.). I doubt I will recommend it to anyone -- I try to avoid rendering my friends and loved ones nauseous -- nor can I say honestly that I enjoyed it. But if you're looking to have a bad time reading a good book: this is for you.

P.S. Thanks NetGalley! This book should come with an anti-emetic!

This was WEIRD and NASTY. Okay let me start off with saying that the parts in Vanya’s perspective were written in these chunks and oh my god it felt so long I literally had to skip parts because they were so chunky (I was not reading all of that.) Other than that this book was interesting—although it got a bit boring at parts—and that ending. THAT ENDING. Wow. I was debating on giving it a 2 star but after that ending I bumped it up to a 3. Probably won’t be picking up anything else from this author, just don’t think she’s for me.

brainwyrms follows a trans woman called frankie after her workplace is bombed by a terf, and the relationship she forms with vanya in the wake of the incident. it’s both absurd and palpable, interweaving the underground existence of fetish communities with the publicity of social media discourse and transphobia. it’s easily one of the most disgusting books i’ve ever read, but rumfitt employs that disgust for a purpose, aligning vanya’s parasite fetish with the rampant transphobia that infests minds in the exact same way.

the chapters are short but provocative, and those that followed vanya’s stream of consciousness were my favourites. brainwyrms won’t be for everyone, but rumfitt undeniably succeeds in her commentary of modern society and the impact social media has had on it all. one of the characters bears a striking resemblance to JKR and the way her social media presence is idolised by so many is certainly reflective of the persistent bias against trans people. frankie’s job as a social media content moderator also reminded me a lot of the concept of we had to remove this post, and worked well alongside the experiences frankie herself has as a trans woman.

i’m really looking forward to this book’s release in october to discuss it more with others - thank you netgalley and tor publishing group for allowing me to read this early!! (check the cws thoroughly before reading this, there are a lot)

Alison Rumfitt's books are some of the very few that I can read in a sitting or two. I'm a very VERY slow reader, but Rumfitt's work engages and horrifies me in equal measure. Brainwyrms is a book that's going to stick with me for a very long time. I apologize for a shorter review, but I recently broke my elbow and typing with one hand isn't my strong suit. I think I prefer her first book, but I adored this nasty little book. TERFS really do have brainworms.

This was a difficult book for me to read, not just because of the body horror and elements of parasitism, which are a personal fear of mine, but due to the blunt addressing of transphobia, especially in the UK. There were moments I had to put this book down, but I always was drawn back to it, fascinated.

Thank you to the publisher for offering me an advance reader's copy in return for an honest review.