I really liked this. The writing was sharp and memorable, and there’s a lot of emotional weight packed into a small space. Even the shortest stories felt complete. Keating’s style is restrained but still vivid, especially when it comes to bodies and the strange, uneasy relationships people have with them. I didn’t always know exactly where a story was going, but that worked in its favor most of the time. It felt intentional, not vague.

There’s this mix of discomfort and clarity in the way she writes, like you’re being asked to sit with something that isn’t quite right but is also weirdly familiar. That discomfort never felt forced or over the top, just honest.

There’s also a lot going on under the surface about shame, control, visibility, and the strange ways we live in our own bodies. It made me want to slow down and actually think about what I’d just read, which doesn’t always happen with short fiction.

Overall, this was impressive and surprisingly emotional. A solid debut that makes me want to see what she does next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

My new favorite short story collection!!

Normally with short story collections, I'm nervous because there are always some stories that are so much better than the others, but I can very happily announce that Oddbody starts off strong and maintains that quality throughout the entire collection.

Oddbody and Pineapple are my favorites, but I promise the others are fantastic as well. This is a great introduction to body horror literature, but I think established fans will also enjoy it. I never knew what the next page would bring; I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!

WEIRD GIRL STORIES FTW — loved these. I thiiiiink Squirm was my favorite story, but the titular Oddbody was a very close second. Highly recommend!

I DNF'd this book. I made it through the first story and then had to stop midway through "Squirm". I'm usually a fan of body horror but this was a lot. Three stars for the author's ability to convey the deep, overwhelming emotions in "Oddbody". I may revisit this at a later time. If you like body horror and things that would make most people uncomfortable, this would be a good read for you!

Great intriguing collection of short stories. Visceral, emotional, and strange, I was moved by them all, especially from a debut collection. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

A delightfully odd collection of stories that give the reader an insight into the lives of different women and their journey through bizarre situations.

I keep talking myself into and out of my emotions around this short story collection, and I'm not sure that wasn't the point. I will say, reading this was not an enjoyable experience. Though I love body horror (give me Titane and the Saw franchise any day!), especially as it relates to the femme body and sexuality, I felt Keating was testing me--how much can the reader endure? Where will they draw the line? For me, that line varied in each story. I felt as though each story went at least one step over my line--and sometimes many steps.

The collection is creative, wildly imaginative. I can't say it's well-executed because many of the stories just didn't work for me. I found myself wishing Keating would make a point other than Bodies are weird, sex is both disgusting and not, relationships are fraught, women are objectified and commodified against their will. But I did keep reading. I deeply enjoyed The Vegetable, mainly because I love the myth of the Vegetable Lamb and teach it in misinformation classes. I think what Keating did with that story was so evocative and so strange, I was fascinated by her mind. But Bela Lugosi isn’t dead and The Test prevented me from really loving this collection. I am interested to see what Keating does next. I'm sure I won't be able to look away.

A strange and wavering 2.75 out of 5 stars (though some stories are a 4.75!).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This book was released in the US on July 1st, 2025.

Rose Keating’s Oddbody is a strange, visceral little beast of a book—unapologetically fleshy and, at times, tender in its grotesquery. These stories exist in the liminal spaces between pain and pleasure, autonomy and distortion, shame and self-recognition. With unflinching prose that’s almost clinical in its attention to corporeal detail, Keating writes about bodies—women’s bodies, queer bodies, monstrous bodies—as sites of both horror and possibility.

There are ghosts and parasites, girls sewing fur onto their bodies, and a worm-dad who rots in the bathtub. In one standout, a woman spirals into consumption—eating phones, napkins, even her sister’s face—because being “too much” is safer than being seen. In another, an artist cuts and reattaches animal parts to human skin in a perverse but oddly affirming act of self-discovery. These stories ask: What does it mean to live in a body that’s been punished for wanting? What does it cost to stay?

Keating’s language is lush and unsettling, dancing between poetic longing and blunt horror. The early stories land hardest—they’re sharp, emotionally charged, and deliciously strange. While some of the later pieces lose momentum and coherence, the overall collection still thrums with a haunting, unforgettable energy. Oddbody doesn’t offer answers. Instead, it invites you to sit with your discomfort, cradle your contradictions, and maybe—just maybe—find a kind of raw, unpretty grace in the mess.

If you’ve ever felt like your skin didn’t fit right, or like your own desire might consume you, this collection might just hold a mirror up to your monstrous little heart. It won’t make you feel safe—but it might make you feel seen.

📖 Recommended for: Fans of body horror with a feminist bent, messy protagonists, and stories that feel like peeling a scab you shouldn’t touch.

🔑 Key Themes: Body and Transformation, Shame and Desire, Monstrosity and Liberation, Feminism and Becoming.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Suicidal Thoughts (minor), Sexual Content (severe), Physical Violence (minor), Gore (moderate), Blood (minor), Cannibalism (minor), Animal Death (minor), Torture (minor), Murder (moderate), Misogyny (minor).

Weird girl litfic horror about bodies? I’m so in.

This collection reminded me of my frustration with short stories: not because they’re bad, but because I wanted more from these universes! The stories would fully hook me, and then I’d turn the page, and they would end.

Rose Keating has done an incredible job of creating a collection of stories that are both disgusting and relatable. They are wrapped in a sticky haze of confusion, and I will admit that I didn’t understand some of them. But the writing was deeply immersive, and I couldn’t stop reading. More than once, I found myself saying “I need to reread that one” because I knew I was missing something, and… I just needed to get it.

The grotesquities in this collection are presented as entirely commonplace, forcing the reader to confront some horrifying bodies and procedures. The stories are steeped in magic realism, without explanation or context. Sometimes a word doesn’t have the same meaning. Sometimes a lamb isn’t just a lamb. The stories are vague and surreal, and they worked beautifully for me. I wouldn’t recommend this to just anyone, because I can see how it might not be universally popular. But

The stories that have stuck with me the most are Pineapple, Eggshells, The Vegetables. I also loved The Test (although The Test seems to live in a vastly different universe than the other stories, which may have been what made it stand out).

In all, I didn’t think I was going to give this 5 stars, honestly. But it was an excellent execution, and I will look forward to her future writing.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Rose Keating for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

i really loved each and every single short story- they all were different but were centered around bodily horror. i was shocked when i found out that this was a debut it was very well written. my one complaint was honestly that there wasn't more.

Such a good collection of short stories about bodies and all their complexities. I really enjoyed this one, and I think a lot of the stories will scratch that weirdgirl fiction itch if it's your thing!

oh my lord this was AMAZING. As weird, achy, and laugh out loud bizarre as I'd hoped. I read this over a few reading vlogs and had the best time [which is weird to say for some of them lol]. The story still sticking with me the most is Oddbody because it personally hurt my feelings [6/5 stars]. And then maybe Pineapple [also hurt my feelings in the best way]. Brava! 👏

Oddbody delivers strong "Would you still love me if I were a worm?" vibes-and I mean that in the best way. It’s delightfully strange, emotionally tender, and playfully grotesque in all the right ways. Two standout stories for me were "Squirm" and "Eggshells," which perfectly captured the book’s unique blend of weirdness and vulnerability.

After reading Oddbody, I'm definitely interested in exploring more of this author’s work. Overall, I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars.

God I loved this so much. Each of the 10 short stories was so weird (affectionate), gross (affectionate), bold, and so so so honest. For me personally, it explored the weirdness and rawness of existing in the world as a woman, of having a body that is constantly scrutinized and abused and minimized and so much more. It was darkly funny at times, uncomfortable, and sometimes tragic in its honesty.

These stories were a visceral experience, and a few times felt like the author was holding up a mirror to some of my own deep and dark insecurities/experiences. I will definitely be following this author and reading future stories.

Highly recommend for lovers of weird fiction/horror, and readers who seek out stories that make you feel uneasy and uncomfortable (in a good way)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of Oddbody. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own

i really enjoyed this initially, and a few of the stories were so surreal and unique and absurd i know they'll stay with me. i don't think this collection was more than the sum of its parts, as the voice and themes and purpose could remain very similar, but i would read more from this author!

If I’m going to read a horror anthology, I want it to be like this 😅 It’s bizarre, unhinged, visceral body horror that I could not pull myself away from. Nearly every story stayed in the realm of out-there, grotesque body horror. I had a quite a few favorites, but unlike a lot of anthologies, I did not find myself wanting to skip over any so I think that’s a huge win for me. I think all in all this was a solid, unique collection, totally shocking that it’s a debut, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think this is a must read for all body-horror lovers. Thanks to Simon and Schuster for my copy!

My Selling Pitch:
Another collection of angry sad girl short stories that gets artsy with magical realism to illustrate everyday femme horror. Some work better than others, but the ones that hit, hit.

Pre-reading:
This cover is everything.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Oddbody

Immediately Olivie Blake-y

Is the ghost just intrusive thoughts

Oh lord, it’s so fun being a woman who hates her body, isn’t it?

3/5 artsy but depressing and nothing new
———
Squirm

Would you still love me if I was a worm?

The story is making me squirm. It’s definitely turning my stomach.

Shark Heart and Eric LaRocca

4/5 gross and a little too artsy but I love degenerative disease horror.
———
Mouthful

That was such a blend of the first two with really gorgeous imagery
4/5
———
Bela

I'm not used to Bela being a man’s name.

Imagination is wild.

This would be a hell of a full book. Reminds me a bit of Night’s Edge and When the Wolf Comes Home.

5/5 loved it. Would take a full book
——-
Pineapple

Oh lord, what’s in the couch?

My problem with finding good ambiguous horror is that all I want to do then is discuss the stories with a book club, but I’m never reading them with a club!
5/5
———
Next to

I didn’t really understand that one at all. Was it just she had an abortion?
1/5
————-
Notes on

I want to throw up lol. God, I hate men.

Fuck.

Give me the whole book for this one.

That was phenomenal. If that had been expanded into a full horror novel- like christ, new foundational angry sad girl text.
5/5
——-
Eggshells

Could've been developed more. We get like snippets of feminist horror, but it ironically feels underbaked and unfinished. More set up than satisfaction.

4/5
——-
Test

Girlypop said absolute feminine rage.

5/5
———
Vegetable

That’s quite a new take on Red Riding Hood. Loved it.
5/5

Post-reading:
I love femme horror collections.

This isn’t a casual read. The topics are heavy. The stories are depressing. You’re going to have to do work to read it. The prose is artsy. There’s a lot of subtext. Some stories are more successful and memorable than others.

My favorite in the collection was Notes on Performance. I almost wish she had held that story back and developed it into a full length novel. I think her new take on Little Red Riding Hood in Vegetable is going to live rent free in my head.

The visuals are striking. She writes stomach-churning body horror really well. It’s a really solid collection. I will definitely be picking up anything else she puts out.

Who should read this:
Angry sad girls
Magical realism horror fans
Feminists

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
Yup.

Would I buy this:
YUP.

Similar books:
* She’s Always Hungry by Eliza Clark-short story collection, femme horror, camp
* Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado-short story collection, femme horror, camp
* Mouth by Puloma Ghosh-short story collection, femme horror, camp
* Normal Women by Ainslie Hogarth-lit fic, mommy horror, social commentary
* Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder-lit fic, magical realism, mommy horror, social commentary
* Shark Heart by-lit fic, magical realism, degenerative disease horror, social commentary
* Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca-queer horror
* Januaries by Olivie Blake-short story collection, femme horror, camp
* Paradise Logic by Sophie Kemp-lit fic, unreliable narrator, autism rep, femme horror
* Stag Dance by Torrey Peters-short story collection, queer horror
* Sympathy for Wild Girls by Demree McGhee-short story collection, femme horror, queer
* The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling-historical, magical realism, psychological horror, queer
* When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy-campy horror
* The Lamb by Lucy Rose-lit fic, family drama, queer horror
* Private Rites by Julia Armfield-lit fic, family drama, queer horror
* Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh-psychological horror, family drama, queer
* Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt-queer horror
* Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin-queer horror, dystopian, family drama

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s always tricky reviewing short story collections—some stories inevitably resonate more than others. Unfortunately, in this case, I only really connected with two pieces out of the entire collection.

One standout for me was Squirm. I genuinely wish it had been developed into a full novel. It gave off strong “Would you still love me if I was a worm?” energy—and for the record, no, I would not. But I was hooked by the tone, the strangeness, and the sense of underlying dread. It had so much potential to go deeper.

The writing across the collection was solid—sharp, smart, and clearly promising. That said, I think I would have appreciated this debut more if it had been a full-length novel. A longer format might’ve given me the chance to really sink into one character, one arc, one emotional payoff. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for future work from this author, but this one just didn’t quite hit for me overall.

Oddbody is a sharp, unsettling debut that blends minimalist prose with visceral body horror. Rose Keating’s ten stories center on emotionally detached young women facing grotesque, often surreal realities. While the tone can feel uniform, each story delivers a unique and haunting punch. Disturbing, spare, and strangely compelling.

I would like to thank NetGalley for my e-ARC/DRC.

I was drawn to this by the title alone. I went into this read blind, not knowing what to expect, but ended up pleasantly, shockingly, surprised.

Oddbody is an exceptionally well-written collection of short stories that are descriptive, weird, and hauntingly beautiful.

If Brand New Cherry Flavor, and Milk and Honey had a baby, Oddbody would be its spawn.

Squirm was a story involving a worm, and I absolutely cannot stand worms. This story definitely made me uncomfortable but it was way up in the creep factor range of weirdness that I so love.

Mouthful was strange, dark, and twisted.

Pineapple is great for fans of body modifications.

Next to Cleanliness was one of my top two favorites. But it also made me never want to do a body cleanse. Ever!

Notes on Performance was my other top favorite. Fans of Ti West's X, Pearl, and Maxxine will love this one. Body autonomy!

Eggshells was a powerful story on women who are infertile, miscarriages.

The Test involved many deep topics, and this was the one that probably stood out to me the most emotionally and psychologically. Arranged marriages. Mens' expectations of women. Particularly what they define as feminine beauty, and their discardment when it no longer fits those expecations/needs. This story truly made me self-realize my privilges of being a man, and the concern, compassion, empathy for women who are subjected to these daily scenarios.

The Vegetable was my least favorite. I just didn't get it. Or it went over my head. Not sure about this one at all.

Each story fades into the next in one beautifully interconnected weaving of female trauma, pain, struggles, and most importantly, their strength!