I didn't knowhow the book was going to play out with the premise, but it delivered in the body horror. The concept is absolutely amazing, the book was atmospheric and intriguing. At times I didn't know what was going on, more so towards the end (it felt like reading a Tamsyn Muir book). You can feel the MC on edge, the urgency to contain a parasite that may or may not have already spread was always present.
If you like weird books, give this one a try.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to discover Leech.

What a fascinating, weird, and unusual story! Leech is a dark tale like none I’ve read before. I’m not entirely sure how to talk about it without spoiling parts, so I’m going to go the pros and cons list route with this review.

Pros:
✨Incredibly unique!
✨Fantastic take on an isolated chateau setting!
✨The suspense! There are some excellently detailed moments throughout that truly had me on the edge of my seat.
✨The parasites! What can I say, I’m a sucker for weird stuff!

Cons:
✨Lack of details: This story could have benefited from more backstory.
✨Confusing: I’m all for solving a mystery and letting things unfold, but there were several chapters I finished where I would just question what the heck happened and if I should go back and reread it.
✨Disjointed feeling: There were a few times when the narrative just didn’t work for me and the constant back and forth made the read overly dense.
✨The ending: It felt like a bit of a let down after the build up of the story.

A huge thank you to Tordotcom for the gifted copy!

“Meet the cure for the human disease” yes this is truly part of the book description! At that moment I knew Leech was going to be horrific, but I wasn’t fully aware of what I was getting myself into. I couldn’t figure out what was going to happen next! Cleverly written, Leech a story about a parasite & a medical institute both fighting over human bodies. The mindless and the minded both have agendas for the future of the human body. It’s gothic, chilly, and atmospheric! The horror details might be graphic for some readers.

Thank you Tordotcom via Netgalley for the e-arc

In this gothic, creature-feature (ish) horror, the baron's doctor has died and unbeknownst to the inhabitants, the new doctor is the same as the old doctor, more or less. The body is just a host for another being, and the doctor soon discovers he has some competition. While investigating his former host's death (which he cannot remember, he finds a parasite behind the eyeball and that sparks an investigation into what's really going on.

I had to DNF this one at 22%. I gave it an honest shot at just over seven chapters, but when I got to some animal harm/horror, I couldn't go on. It wasn't super graphic, if that's what you're worried about, but I just couldn't hang with it anymore as I'd struggled with it to that point. Not going to review it on my platforms, because I don't like to give negative reviews to people's hard work that will probably appeal to other readers. It's intriguing and creepy, so it will definitely find its audience.

What did I just read?!?! I really enjoyed the beginning of Leech and loved the premise. Something definitely got lost in the execution for me. It seemed like many things were shown however, not explained and I needed some explanation for sure. It was atmospheric with it’s gothic setting and I really did enjoy that. Kudos for that.

This was a very unique book. I can honestly say that I’ve never read anything like it before and for that I’m rounding up my 2.5 starts up to 3 stars. If you’re looking for something unique, rather gothic and different this is most definitely the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars. WOW was this weird and creepy and alarming and amazing?! The audiobook narrator was outstanding, truly impressive, with so many accents and characterizations. This took me a long time to get through, and I don’t regret the slow listen. I guarantee this is different than anything else you’ve ever read. If you would like to say “what the f—-?” a lot and be confused often but still be dying to know what is going on, take this weird creepy ride.

It's a fascinating premise, and the atmosphere is deliciously creepy. I had to skim some of the more descriptive bits about the parasite because body horror is a big squick for me (and yet I still requested this book as an ARC) but overall it was a decent read. The ending kind of petered out for me, though, which is why this is a 3.5 star review instead of a 4. But if you enjoy gothic fiction, you should give this a try. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

The more I think about this book, the more obsessed I am with it. Not only is it one of the most original tales I've ever read, but it is also just immaculately written and executed.

On the one hand, the text is dense, stubborn, and challenging; on the other hand, some scenes are so vivid and visual. And put together, every scene seems hand-picked, detailed, and exactly what it needed to be. The narrative structure and framing device are perfect and I truly believe the author was aware of what they were doing every single step of the way.

The reason I keep reaching for horror is that I simply think that this genre says - well, a lot, if not the most, about human nature. It can be a post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, parasitic, gory tale, but ultimately, I read about a very human experience in the middle of it. I read about trauma and learning from your mistakes and reclaiming your body after it has been abused and tasting freedom for the first time. And I feel like Ennes achieved something really wonderful here with their precise, surgical writing that is still blooming with feeling.

I just loved this - way more than I could have anticipated. Can't wait to read more from them.

I loved the writing in this book and thought it was intricate and pleasing. In the end, the story wasn't for me, but I would definitely read more by this author.

A mysterious parasite appears in a small remote town just as winter begins to set in for the townsfolk and ruling baron. A great horror story that addresses what it means to be yourself as the parasite begins to spread.

This could perhaps be described as body horror Gormenghast? It's deeply gothic, great worldbuilding, kinda gross - I enjoyed it very much but do think it drags a bit in the middle. I would absolutely read more by this author, though - it's wonderfully inventive.

3.5 stars

I have never read a novel like this before. I have…feelings about it. Can you be repulsed and engrossed at the same time??

Concept: ★★★★★
Body horror: ★★★★★
My enjoyment: ★

I love body horror books. Or at least, I used to say that. I think Leech broke my brain and has redefined the threshold on which we determine "body horror" in the realm of medical trauma, consent, and what it means to be a person in, essentially, meat suits.

If the phrase "meat suits" makes you uncomfortable, please take that as your cue to stop reading this review here—and to avoid this book.

Leech is very hard to describe. I commend whoever was tasked with writing the blurb for the inside jacket... it couldn't have been easy. How does one describe a novel like this?

Every monster is the hero of its own story... that could be said about this book.

When our society collapses in on itself and future versions of humanity exist in a very bleak, grim, and macabre future... that could be said about this book.

Let's combine the idea of parasites with a gothic, moldering castle and make it mentally insane... that could be said too.

Leech has a LOT going on in its pages. It's dense by every meaning of the word— paragraph-wise, character-wise, worldbuilding-wise, and horror-wise. It is a LOT. And it makes no apologies for being that way. (It doesn't have to apologize, but it could have done with a stronger warning label! Lol.)

To say "I enjoyed this reading experience" would be a lie. I did not have a good time.

I loved the first bit of the book a lot—it's confusing, but intriguing and interesting at the same time. I thought the middle was a very dense attempt at trying to figure out the setting, worldbuilding, and sense of pacing. It took me ages to get through the middle sections because it was terribly easy to put the book down and simultaneously very hard to reengage with it when I tried to pick it back up. The ending... was both absolutely horrifying to my personal reading tastes and also a wild trip into the ether in terms of character arc upheaval.

If you've made it this far into my review, you might be wondering why I'm giving this novel a generous 4 stars despite being viscerally upset by its contents. I, too, am a bit confused by myself. But at the end of the day, I think the author deserves some very high praise for instilling such a unique concept into such a horrifying package that dealt with literally every single variant of medical body trauma that could possibly exist in our human minds. All of it. It's all here in this book.

If, for some reason, you're not yet turned off from this book by my review, then I do recommend it. Hiron Ennes is an author to watch—they are doing very unique things in the horror space.

Thank you to TOR for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

“You know how to live in a body, but not how to be one.”

———————————

What an unusual story. I'm not quite sure what to think of what I just read. It was super weird and yet completely absorbing. I'm not sure if it would be a bit slow for someone not interested in science. I spent so much time trying to figure out what was going on in this unusual world. The creatures nestled within the human world were unique and interesting but I would have liked so much more detail about them. The way the story was told left me confused sometimes and I just had to forge forward and hope it all came together. I liked the underlying message about what it meant to be sentient, authentic and the ethics of life. Definitely a completely unique reading experience!

Thanks to Tordotcom via Netgalley for access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.

So this was a very bizarre book. It takes place on what I believe was once earth after it has been decimated by climate change and human destruction. People scavenge for remenants of the past (ie: plastic or metal) to exchange for money in order to survive. The Institute sends out it's "doctors" to take over communities and eliminate any other source of health care so that people have to rely solely on them.
It took me a few chapters to finally figure out that it was some sort of alien host or parasite that used a hive mind to communicate through it's various human bodies I was thinking it was similar to Stephanie Meyer's book The Host. Except it wasn't an alien, it was a parasite that developed over thousands of years and figured out how to take over a human host.
Basically it's a story about what it means to be human and what you will do to survive. Overall an interesting book. I wasn't happy with the ending but all in all a pretty good read.

This was incredibly hard for me to get through. The story winds through a gothic landscape that seems to be of the past, but is actually the distant future. The story is of a parasite slowly infecting all living beings still existing in an apocalyptic wasteland. Or at least I think so...

There are flashbacks from the protagonist's many lives, and shared viewpoints from "The Institute," an omniscient healthcare system? Which was actually a character? And the reader is bounced back and forth between these characters and the many eyes they see through?

It was hard for me to connect in any way to these characters. And while Ennes wrote beautiful prose, it was so disjointed, I cared not what happened to a single character. I was very tempted to DNF this book, but didn't because it was chosen for a book club, honestly.

I feel there was so much potential here, but that it unfortunately for me fell flat. Maybe it's just me. I'm not into dripping, windy prose and barren apocalyptic landscape lacking any semblance of hope. I just don't think I'm the target reader for this, and sincerely hope others might find it enjoyable.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC of this title.

Major creepy factor with this one. I had a hard time with the ick factor a bit but that didn't stop me from enjoying this one. Perfect gothic horror vibes. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiVNrBLME2V/

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tordotcom, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

The baron's doctor has died in an isolated chateau in the north and his replacement is determined to understand how the Institute has lost track of one of his many bodies. For so many years, the Interprovincial Medical Institute has took root in your minds, shaping them into practitioner of medicine, to save, help, cure and protect the humanity from the horrors their ancestors unleashed on the world.
Now, though, there's another competor at the top of the evolutionary ladder. A parasite spreading through the baron's castle, already piled up with secrets and violence and blood. On the battlefield of the body, only one can win, but the humanity has already lost.

Leech is very, very peculiar. A weird story, eerie and sometime it made my skin crawl (I hate worms), but it's achingly and beautifully written, a gothic novel that reminded me of Wuthering Heights, only with parasites and battles. It's a debut about identity, heredity and the autonomy of the body. I have to admit I like it, but not adore it, it was immersive, but sometimes difficult to follow, but overall it's a very good debut, so for me it's 4 stars.

Leech is a masterful debut by Hiron Ennes. It blends sci-fi and gothic horror so seamlessly together that you’ll wonder why there aren’t more books mixing those two genres.

It’s parasitic, in more ways than one. Your brain will slowly try to piece the language together when it doesn’t make sense, and start to draw conclusions.

Its eerie, echoing consciousness will leave you feeling dazed. You might even wonder if this book possesses a pulse and thought stream of its own.

Also, the twins. I refuse to say more because Leech is best experienced for yourself.

So if you love:
- a dense slow burn
- Victorian surgery
- A dilapidated gothic manor
- Creepy twins
- 🪱 body horror
- Weird weird fiction

Then I highly suggest you give Leech a whirl. You might find yourself…crawling with joy.

I enjoyed the beginning of this was great! As the story went on though, I felt like I was only shown stuff and not really explained anything. Liked the gothic setting, but the sci-fi/fantasy was lost on me.

Absolutely adored this book and am going to make it my new pick in store! The quiet, unsettling, ambient horror in Leech is so excellently done that it leaves your skin crawling in the best way. Not for the squeamish to be sure, but certainly worth a read if you're wanting Victorian gothic vibes with body horror worms. Spectacular.