Thick with metaphors and body horror, Oddbody is at times brutal and consistently weird as hell. I feel like this book could easily be used as part of a literature course dissecting womanhood, bodies, mental illness.

The stories are unique and imaginative, pushing any and all boundaries. While I am impressed with this compilation, I found myself wishing for a bit more. The stories build up and push past the point of strange, but then they just abruptly end. It felt like so much was put into the build up that went nowhere.

Overall, Oddbody is a strangely grotesque exploration of bodies and the space they occupy. 3.5/5

A very atmospheric collection of short stories centered on the experience of having a body. This book was a short read that really packs a punch. Most of the stories were compelling and I could feel the dread and fear of the characters. One drawback of these stories is the directness. Many of the metaphors came across as very heavy handed which didn’t match up with the embellished writing style. Like any short story collection, there were some I liked more than others. I do think anyone who reads this will find one that they can connect to.

Oddbody by Rose Keating, These were some of the strangest stories I’ve ever read especially the second one where her dad was a blob of goo that she kept in a compost bin in her bathroom and throughout the short story it seems as if she abused him sticking her fingers in him then she invited This guy Liam to meet him it was just a weird strange book. There were other stories that started out great like Bella Lugosi Isn’t Dead I believe the name was but it’s at the end just like poof it’s over. I do think the title of the book is so apropos for the Themes but for the most part I just IDK didn’t get it maybe? I also thought the test and egg shells were really good but it was as if each story no matter what great started had always evolved into the strange again IDK what I’m trying to say that we’re just weird weird stories. They were even stocks with animals growing off of it. Just so weird. some may like this book from the 3.7 rating on Goodreads it seems they do so give it a shot if you like weird strange horror not that the stories were scary but they were definitely not your normal story.#NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #RoseKeating, #OddBody,

This collection has the perfect title because the human condition and human bodies are weird!

Oddbody will resonate with many, specifically women and femmes. We experience harsh judgement our entire lives simply for existing, for taking up space, and for having bodies/bodily functions.

From Next to Cleanliness: “To put it simply, there is something wrong with you. I’m going to pull that wrongness out.”

Often, the stories in this book subvert the narrative, giving the female characters more agency and eliminating shame.

As with many short story collections, not every story landed with me, and I felt that some needed to be a bit longer/more developed.

Overall, I recommend this to anyone looking for more bizarre fiction exploring topics like shame, loneliness, body image, and desire!

My personal favorite stories:

🪱 Squirm – A woman is the caretaker of her father, who has turned into a 4 foot long worm.
🪽 Pineapple – A woman receives increasingly strange body modifications & her male lover has plenty of things to say about them.
🩸 Next to Cleanliness – Under a horrible male doctor’s advising, a woman takes part in a “cleanse” in an attempt to achieve happiness.
📝 The Test – Two friends must participate in a competition against other girls to get noticed by the violent fairy king.

I loved this. The first two pieces are standouts — I have rarely read something that felt so true and so fantastical at exactly the same time.
Unabashedly weird and so, so smart. Not a wasted detail.
I’m an Apex Magazine fan, and remember reading an early version of “Next to Cleanliness” in an issue a couple years ago. Very interesting to see how it was developed for this collection!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my arc in exchange for honest opinion.

"Oddbody" by Rose Keating is a short collection of ten provocative and emotional short stories. It is visceral and it will likely make you squirm but it is worth it.

The collection opens with "Oddbody" which was a rollercoaster for me. I admittedly was weirded out when I started it but by the end, I was left thinking about the significance of ghosts and what a codependent relationship with a ghost means for a woman. This was kind of my reading experience with each of the short stories but I kept finding myself coming back for more. This is Keating's debut collection and I think it's a really strong one. Her stories are weird as hell but the themes she's able to explore with them (womanhood, shame, being an outsider, etc.) are universal and will leave a reader thinking.

As a writer too, I just love Keating's style. In my own writing, I strive to be this evocative, creative, and just freaking good. I look forward to buying this book in July and to Keating's future works.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonbooks for this advanced readers ebook in exchange for an honest review.

So this is definitely some weird girl fiction. It’s a cross between contemporary horror and human body science fiction. I am definitely one that goes for some unhinged reads but this one totally blew off the hinges. There were definitely stories that I enjoyed more than others but it’s really going to be personal preference as you page through them. I feel like a couple had clear themes and others I was just like, “huh?”. I definitely took some time to digest each story after reading and before starting the next. I really went into this totally open minded but some of the stories just didn’t connect for me, while others I was like, damn that was good.

This collection is something you can’t even prepare yourself for. There are worms, melting skin, ghosts, egg laying, and so much more. There’s no way to fully be ready for this set of stories but you will definitely be left thinking or scratching your head. If you’re ready to let your imagination run wild, pick up this collection when it’s released in July!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

Bizarre yet bizarrely mesmerizing.

I write haiku reviews on Instagram but am happy to provide more feedback, if desired.

I really enjoyed most of the short stories in this anthology. Some were super chilling and creepy, others were just interesting but most of them kept my attention the entire time I was reading them and I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump as of late. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, although some of the stylistic elements were not for me. In all, I liked it and would love to read more from this author in the future.

This was an impressive debut collection and an intriguing read, with each story offering a different exploration of the body as a metaphor for various life experiences. Rose Keating’s voice and perspective are strong—she delves into dark, unsettling territory, using horror as a vehicle to tackle difficult topics.

For me, this collection was best read a little at a time, with space between each story; otherwise, they began to blend together.

I'll be keeping an eye on Rose Keating—excited to see what's next!

*babe wake up a new addition to the weird girl lit canon just dropped*

This is an impressive debut collection: ten strange and unsettling stories mostly centering around body horror. I loved the themes of womanhood/girlhood, shame and discomfort around sexuality and the female body, and manifestation of trauma in the physical body. Many of these stories were truly uncomfortable and disturbing, but thought-provoking.

ODDBODY: 5 stars
I wanted to cry, the metaphor is pretty straightforward but it is done well and feels so personal.
SQUIRM: 4 stars
"Would you love me if I was a worm?" This was so gross and completely absurd
MOUTH: 3 stars
This wasn't my favorite but I loved some of the descriptions of mundane things like "her painted, pointed nails shine like glossy beetle wings"
BELA LUGOSI ISN'T DEAD: 4 stars
This wasn't as "out there" as some of the others in this collection, it felt quite tidy and had an interesting depiction of a predator
PINEAPPLE: 3 stars
I liked the overall story, but this was gruesome and truly difficult to read. Themes of cleanliness/sterilization, the beauty of gross and unusual things.
NEXT TO CLEANLINESS: 4 stars
A take on toxic wellness cultural and the endless pursuit of enlightenment/perfection/happiness
NOTES ON PERFORMANCE: 5 stars
A subversive and humorous take on final girls and the treatment of women in the entertainment industry.
EGGSHELLS: 3 stars
I thought the concept was interesting but it didn't quite hit for me.
THE TEST: 3 stars
This one was more straightforwardly fantastical than some of the others in this collection, it felt a bit out of place, and I don't think I got it lol
THE VEGETABLE: 5 stars
I'm still dissecting this story, it was really memorable and where the cover image is derived from.

Overall I really loved this collection and look forward to more from this author! Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster for the free eARC! This publishes on July 1.

Oddbody by Rose Keating is a debut short story collection that explores different ideas of humanity and body image in a delightfully strange way.

I am a huge fan of short story collections anyway so I was excited to read this and I was immediately entranced. I feel like each story explores feelings and emotions that we all have but in such a weird and unique way.

Each story is different but all feel cohesive within this collection. There were some stories that were so thought provoking that I had to stop reading and just sit with my thoughts.

I can’t wait to own a physical copy of this book because there are stories that I already want to revisit.

This is a perfect collection for anyone who enjoys “weird girl litfic” with a smidge of horror.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC. Unfortunately, this was not for me. But if you enjoy weird fiction, you may like it.

What a strange, but fascinating journey this was. This collection of 10 short stories ranged from the gross, bizarre, weird, and unsettling -- all in the best ways possible. I never knew what I was getting into with each story, which made the experience of reading it exciting. I liked that I had to suspend my disbelief in every story and just go with it. It was like an exercise in imagination -- who are these characters, how and why did this happen? The answers aren't all there written out for the reader. No holding hands here; not to help you understand what you're getting into, but also not shielding you from the grotesque. My favorites from the collection are:
"Oddbody," "Squirm," "Pineapple," "Next to Cleanliness" and "The Vegetable"

Some of the stories may seem repetitive, in a way, as the themes are similar, but I felt the uniqueness of each allowed them all to stand on their own. So close to a 5 star for me, but most of the stories just sort of ended, as though the author didn't know where else to go with it. There doesn't need to be a conclusive ending (I'd argue, ever), but a lot of these stories ended a little too abruptly for my liking.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest rating.

I can see why this short story collection might not be for some people but it was a hitter for me & I cannot wait to get my grubby hands on a physical copy!

Oddbody is a collection of ten short stories touching on themes like womanhood, sexuality, fear & shame. every story gets even more bizarre but I literally could not flip the pages fast enough!

it's not just weird for the sake of being weird, each story has a metaphor underneath that makes you think. some are clear & straightforward while others you might need to read through again before they click.

the writing was so descriptive, the body horror was great & I really like how the author weaved magical realism throughout each story.

my favorites: notes on performance(this was literally so so good), pineapple, & oddbody.

if you're into weird girl fic & body horror, this is for you.

Review of Oddbody: Stories by Rose Keating
Oddbody is a wonderfully strange, sharply written collection that blends body horror, dark humor, and surrealism with emotional insight. Keating’s voice is bold and fresh, and her stories explore identity and transformation in ways that are both unsettling and deeply human. Some stories are more abstract than others, but the originality and style make this a standout for fans of offbeat, literary horror.

DNF @ 20%

I was not particularly a fan of Oddbody unfortunately. I don't know why and it's unfortunate because I was really excited about getting into the body horror genre. I just felt like I was getting really lost in the writing but in the worst way possible.

apologies but anything implying an animal is going to get hurt or is describing it,...just it's a no from me. the rest of the stories I read were pretty good.

Well that was a weird trip. This whole book felt like a Mark Ryden painting. I will say that some of these stories really stuck with me and I plan to go back to in the future, I can see myself annotating a copy. Thank you so much NetGally and the publishers for sending over this e-arc for my honest review.