Absolutely repulsive, deeply strange, and all too real. I adored it.

Oddbody is a strong short story collection, and though I finished it months before its release, it took me an inordinate amount of time to get around to reviewing it, mostly because every time I tried writing my review, I got carried away writing insanely long diatribes about my thoughts on each story and the themes. There are too many stories in here for that.

Thematically as well as with the writing style, I felt there were a lot of similarities between this and Her Body and Other Parties: Stories—a popular feminist body-themed horror short story collection which I personally thought was just okay—, except Oddbody worked better for me at almost every turn. There’s something much more visceral about Oddbody, and a very interesting and clear variety to the stories that Her Body didn’t have.

I enjoyed almost every story in this collection. A few were certainly weaker than others, as is the case with any collection, but overall, this is just the kind of book that works for me. I really don't mind on-the-nose metaphors as long as the writing is good enough. Several stories left me sad, several made me extremely uncomfortable the entire time, some had a little humor, and all were at least a little disturbing, often because of how real they truly are despite the horror angle on the issues. This book is on my favorites shelf for 2025.

The actual story titled “Oddbody” is also one of the only uses of a second-person POV that hasn’t made me want to throw whatever book I’m reading out the window, so that was honestly kind of impressive to me. Rose Keating is definitely an author I’m going to keep an eye on; it does impress me that this is a debut.

Raw and visceral, if you want a weird unsettling book then this is for you. I love a short story collection as it gives you the ability to see the author's different writing styles, and delve into more than one story. Some of these stories crossing the line a bit for me and made me squirm in my seat, but that is what was fun about it. If you are a fan of the strange/weird and literary horror, then this is for you.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

Enjoyed is a hard word to connect to this book. This book made me think profoundly. These stories are horrific, but when you look deeper, they are just laying bare all the horrible things that women experience in our daily lives. This book reminded me of Carmen Maria Machado's book Her Body and Other Parties in the way that it looks to speak on the female experience through a truly horrific lens. If you have a strong stomach, love horror, and are interested in the female experience, check this book out.

I’m going to have to reread this when I’m in a better headspace but I mostly liked these weird little stories, even if I didn’t totally “get” them. I struggled a bit to understand what was happening sometimes and that led to some disengagement but I really liked the characters and I’m interested to see more of what this author comes up with!

Weird Girl Final Boss

Rose Keating did a really good job making a the weirdest speculative story about a common theme/experience a lot of us (specifically women) experience throughout there life. There were stories I really enjoyed (the titular story was my favorite) and I think a lot of people will pick it up because of the cover (which accurately expresses how weird and offputting these stories are). However, sometimes it felt like it was just weird for the sake of being as weird as possible (looking at you golden shower).

Oddbody by Rose Keating is a daring and unforgettable debut that plunges headfirst into the surreal terrain of womanhood, bodily autonomy, and emotional estrangement. As my first read by Keating, I was immediately struck by her fearless storytelling and visceral imagination. Each of the ten short stories in this collection is a standalone marvel strange, grotesque, and deeply empathetic. From a woman who births an egg during a breakfast shift to another who surgically attaches feathered wings to her back, Keating invites readers to confront the absurdities and vulnerabilities of existence with unflinching honesty.

What sets Oddbody apart is its commitment to exploring the lives of social outsiders women who defy convention, endure transformation, and embrace the grotesque as a form of liberation. In “Squirm,” a daughter cares for her father who has morphed into a giant tapeworm, while “Oddbody” follows a woman in a codependent relationship with a ghost who urges her toward death. These stories aren’t just bizarre for the sake of shock they’re emotionally resonant, layered with themes of shame, desire, and the quiet violence of everyday life. Keating’s prose is lyrical yet raw, and her characters linger long after the final page.

As a newcomer to Keating’s work, I found Oddbody to be a bold literary experience equal parts horror, satire, and psychological depth. It’s a collection that challenges the reader to rethink what it means to inhabit a body, especially one that doesn’t conform to societal expectations. Keating’s voice is original and uncompromising, and I’m eager to see where she goes next. If this debut is any indication, she’s a writer unafraid to push boundaries and illuminate the strange beauty in our darkest corners.

oddbody by rose keating is a strange, unsettling debut that blends the grotesque with sharp empathy. full of ghosts, worms, and uncanny transformations. these stories are about cutting into shame, desire, and the pressures on women’s bodies. keating’s prose is confident and a bit dry, and her weirdness is rooted in real emotions that leave a lingering unease. while the tone can blur if read all at once, the collection as a whole is disturbing, magnetic, and deeply humane. really vibed with this one!
4/5 stars

thank you netgalley and simon & schuester for an early copy of this in exchange for my honest review

Actual Rating 3.5

This collection of ten stories is perfectly titled. These stories explore themes relating to the intricacies of being a woman, especially relating to sex, guilt, and control. They were all odd, some much more so than others. The ones I enjoyed most were the ones where I could identify and connect with a deeper meaning beyond the weird presentation of the story.

My favorites were stories that worked well as standalone stories on the surface, but then when I got to thinking about it, I could come up with a few different interpretations. My three favorites were probably Oddbody, Bela Lugosi Isn’t Dead, and Notes on Performance. (I lost my notes for this read so I can’t provide summaries for my favorite stories, sorry!).

If you enjoy odd and weird short stories that include body horror, then you should check this one out. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I enjoyed all of these stories. Every single one. That's rare for a short story collection, but this one worked. I'm writing this review ~6 months after reading (sorry!) and just skimming through the titles, I remember them all.

Did I *get* them all? Uh, no. But I *felt* them all.

Some of these stories were pretty gross, ngl. And although each story was unique, the protagonists were all approximately the same: shrunken young women who are exhausted, unheard, and have exactly zero healthy relationships. Things never really get better for any of them, either. Worse, sometimes. Weirder, always. But never actually better. Maybe that's the point though, huh? Even the stories that I didn't "like" in the traditional sense, I appreciated. I had a hard time looking away - both because it's weird and because it's familiar. It's hard to explain, but that's feminist body horror for you.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a sneak peek.

Oddbody is a collection of weird girl body horror short stories, some bordering on bizarro. Lots of relatable themes. This collection makes a strong start with its title story, Oddbody. Anyone with their own ghost will easily recognize the metaphor. My favorites, of course, are the weirder stories. Stories like Squirm, where a woman is taking care of her father who is a worm living in a bathtub. So bizarre, I loved it! Stories like Pineapple, an interesting take on the "would you still love me if I was a worm" trope where a woman (surgically) tries on body parts from different animals and discovers that maybe her partner would not, in fact, still love her if she was something else.

Some might find the feminist messaging a bit heavy handed and underdeveloped, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Some things are worthy of repetition. I really enjoyed this book and I think my bizarro body horror loving friends would like it too.

Oddbody is a collection of fem centered stories that very much live up to the title. From mental uncomfortableness that bleeds into physical manifestations, Rose Keating has managed to craft stories that made me feel very seen. Now, these stories are very strange and at first blush, you may wonder how the hell some of these weird premises match up to relatability.

However, my favorite thing about this collection is ultimately how it made me FEEL. I was grossed out, I was sad, I felt relatable, I felt angry. And most of all, I feel comforted that it's not just me feeling this way. Keating uses lots of body horror to get this point across, and the uncomfortableness of this is so well implemented.

I really adore this collection of strange tales, weirdness, grotesqueness, and all.

Wow this was incredible! I don't usually love short stories but this one has something special. The writing was so evocative. I love that the collection had a central theme throughout. Highly recommend!

Such a great compilation of what it means to struggle in a woman’s body and intricacies surrounding relationships. The writing was really beautiful.

Thank you S&S and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. HOLY SH*T! WHAT A DEBUT! I’m afraid I haven’t stopped thinking about this book since I’ve put it down. It has definitely become an all time favorite of mine, and I am going to be waiting for the next book impatiently. Needing Keating’s next book expeditiously. I devoured every single story, and finished it in one sitting, then proceeded to bother my friends to read it, too. I did wish there was a bit less simplicity to the writing style, but it didn’t impact my love for the stories at all.

I want to preface that my lower star rating is moreso because of my own preference opposed to the actual writing! I just didn't realize, until this book, that body horror might not be the genre for me.

Overall, I think Rose Keating is a really strong writer—her prose is very vivid, blunt, and sharp. The stories, I thought, were a nice length too—they were long enough to get the point across, but short enough to leave it impactful.

But as I mentioned, I just don't think this genre is for me. I think if you are into this genre, this is a fantastic read!

2.5 stars but rounded up to 3 stars.

Oddbody is a short story collection mostly focused on women’s bodies and the way they are seen as property rather than shelter for an individual soul. The stories leaned into magical realism or even science fiction while maintaining a grounded narrative. Although Oddbody centers around the lengths women feel pressured to both conform and standout physically it could also be delightful in the ways Keating wrote about women getting pleasure and/or satisfaction on their own terms. Certain stories I’ll probably be thinking about forever, like “Bela Lugosi Isn’t Dead,” the unending body horror of “Pineapple,” “Next to Cleanliness,” and “Eggshells” as well as the Ari Aster like dread permeating the more abstract sci fi in “The Vegetable.”

Wow! This collection was so fun and kept me entertained the entire time that I could not put it down. I cant pick a favorite but Oddbody was absolutely amazing!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Oddbody is a debut story collection that tackle sex, shame, and womanhood through strange and provocative stories.

I'm always a fan of a weird story, and while there's some pretty gnarly body horror here that toed the line of what I could deal with without taking a breather, Rose Keating ultimately had me pretty enthralled with these freaky thriller snippets. There's something about the experience of being in a female body that really is best understood through a story about a wing transplant or a world where a woman has to birth an actual, physical hard shelled egg every day. This collection certainly is not for the faint of heart, but I do think it's a worthy read, and it will keep me coming back to Rose Keating's writing for the foreseeable future.

It's a solid collection of short weird girl lit fic stories. Some are stronger than others but that will always be the case with collections.

This short story collection is intriguing and disgusting. It made me giggle and shudder and grossed me out, which caused me to take pause and contemplate what was grossing me out and why. I love when a work does that, incites such a visceral reaction that you feel the need to investigate the reaction.

I’ve never read a voice like Keating’s before. Her imagery is unique and spot on, and oftentimes juxtaposes the description and the thing being described, developing this interesting additional layer to the discomfort of the stories.

I've seen some reviews describe this as a "weird" girl book, but I don't think that is the right word. This is "unsettling girl" literature. "Weird girl" is forward it in her oddity, "unsettling girl" smiles while something dark and ominous shines behind her teeth, and you're not sure if she is smiling to show you or smiling to feign normalcy.