I did not like this book. It was a collection of stories that focused on grotesque and disturbing horrific scenes and scenarios. I thought it was deeply disturbing and am curios as to why this was even written. I think it is not for me

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and especially the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review of the book!!

The most common reaction I had while reading the book was receiting "what the fuck, what the fuck, what the actual fuck" on a loop. I found most of the stories quite bizarre and didn't knew what to think of most of them tbh, especially at the beggining.

The book tackle themes of body horror here and there but imo where the book shines the most is in it's descriptions of truly the most grotesque situations. Not only is Grudova great at coming up with the exact situation/imagery to disgust you (the son in the third story, iykyk) but I think it becomes even more disgusting and disturbing when you sit for a moment and meditate the fact that this IS life for a lot of people. It is exagerated, but it also reflects accurately what a lof of folks have to go through because of 🌈capitalism🌈

Putting that aside, I did find myself kind of disapointed that a lot of the stories seemingly had no plot? They felt a bit like outlines (very curt narration, not much description) or first drafts. It would be like peering into the life of this random person one moment and then at a random point the story ends. I suspect both the language she used and the nature of the narrative might have to do, again, with the fact that this are supposed to be your random everyday person, whose lives are just kind of unremarkable? Yet the simplicity of the language makes it that more shocking when you read someone eating vomit nonchalantly because there is just no build up, there's no sensation that this is a special moment, it's just part of every day life.

I think for me this is might of those books that becomes more enjoyable when you read it a second or third time. Because on first read I think it is quite easy to fixate on the grotesque parts and overlook the social critique.

A wickedly sharp and dark collection of short stories where the real twists inexorably into the surreal. I love how the world and the characters feel so rooted in the real world, yet drift so far and so deep into the utterly, and spectacularly, weird.

This collection is great for fans of gore, the grotesque, and body horror. Grudova seems to be fascinated with bodily fluids, excrement, rotten food, bugs and other creepy crawly things, highlighting how disgusting human and nonhuman bodies can be. While not all the stories stood out to me, many seemed to recycle the same gory details in different configurations, the ones that did delighted me (“Ivor,” “The Custard Factory,” “The Poison Garden,” “Madame Flora’s”). These stories all shared a temporal murkiness that piqued my curiosity. I kept thinking a story was set in some historical past only to be surprised by the mention of something from our contemporary moment; kind of like purposeful anachronisms. All in all, if you’re a queasy reader, I’d recommend staying away, but if you’re fascinated by gore then this might work for you.

i'd technically give this a 3.5 star rating! i enjoyed the author's general style as well as her attention to detail. the plots were unique, too; i haven't seen these ideas anywhere els. but the 'horror' and 'gothic' labels are somewhat misleading here; grudova's stories feel more strange and grotesque (i'm talking bodily fluids - lots of it) than anything. still, i enjoyed it and will be on the lookout for anything else the author publishes in the future.

Such a strange, unique and interesting collection of stories. Even though it took me a few of them to fully get into it, I simply couldn't stop reading no matter what. Such an incredible writing style and an absolutely amazing way to turn the mundane into something more. Every single story is so thought-provoking, I had the best time while reading this and I found myself wanting more by the end.

Many thanks to Unnamed Press & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

A collection of magically bizarre short stories.
Standalone however some themes are reoccurring in other stories, great selection of horror, dystopia and gothic fiction.
Incredible sharp language, At times it did feel a bit rushed.

This collection of short stories is written to gross you out. If you like Mariana Enríquez's work, particularly The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, you might enjoy this. Unfortunately, I find these stories too disjointed to leave an impression. They have tons of disgusting imagery but offer nothing beyond that.

This was a strange collection of short stories that I really enjoyed. I think you have to appreciate offkilter characterizations and settings to enjoy this, however. Fortunately for me, I love obscure and satirical tales.

The Coiled Serpent is an intriguing novel that blends myth, mystery, and suspense into a captivating narrative. The story unravels like a puzzle, with richly drawn characters and an atmospheric setting that enhances the sense of danger lurking beneath the surface. The author skillfully intertwines ancient symbolism with modern dilemmas, creating a story that feels both timeless and relevant. The pacing keeps you on edge, and the plot twists are both surprising and satisfying. It's a compelling read for anyone who enjoys a mix of mythology and psychological drama.

I don’t feel like this author’s writing works in short story format for me. I never really saw a point or entertainment value in any of the stories I finished. Perhaps in longer format I could settle into the oddness, because the stories were quite unique. They just felt like a joke I wasn’t in on.

Very good writing but the many stories aren't equal in quality or memorability. However, I am still looking forward to this author's future projects.

I don‘t really know what to make of this collection of short stories. They are weird and disgusting, but without any real sense of horror. I found myself getting bored very quickly. I struggled to really see the point or the purpose of most of the stories. I was intrigued by the supposed social criticism of British institutions but felt this didn‘t really hit the mark for me.

The Coiled Serpent offers a collection of stories that aim for the unsettling, but for me, they fell short of being truly creepy. While some scenes leaned into grotesque imagery, the horror felt more like disjointed fever dreams than anything that left a lasting impression. Instead of building tension or fear, many of the stories meandered through surreal, almost disorienting landscapes that didn’t seem to go anywhere meaningful.

The writing is vivid, but the lack of a cohesive atmosphere or deeper creep factor made it hard to stay invested. It’s not that the stories were bad, but they seemed more bizarre than unnerving, which may appeal to some readers but didn’t quite land for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.
I was eager for strange, thought-provoking short stories, but I was disappointed. The frequent and gratuitous references to bodily fluids felt more shockingly gross than meaningful. The writing style was very simplistic and didn’t engage me—stories often seemed underdeveloped with abrupt endings. It may suit fans of extreme body horror and fragmented fiction, but it wasn't for me.

“The Coiled Serpent” – Camilla Grudova

"I developed a stomach ache and wind - from eating too many of the apples, I supposed - and my faeces that night reminded me of the green gelatinous substance I had seen in the drain, which filled me with the horrible thought that it had been faeces in the sink"

My thanks to @netgalley and @unnamedpress for my copy in exchange for an honest review – this will be published in the US on 8th October, and is already available in the UK.

What a fascinating and bizarre collection of short stories this was. I have some previous experience of Grudova, having read and enjoyed her previous collection “The Doll’s Alphabet”, but that still didn’t really prepare me for the experience of reading this. This is a dark collection of short stories, mostly horror and gothic, with some dystopia thrown in, often dealing with themes of body dysmorphia, misogyny and other societal problems, especially the rotting of capitalist society and abuse of the poor. We see boarding schools of boys of all ages, trapped in permanent adolescence, a woman in Margate starting her own garden of poisonous substances, and several stories involving custard for some reason.

I would call these stories “sensuous”, by which I mean that you can almost feel the more disgusting elements of this book, smell the gore and bile emitted by several of the stories. There’s a constant sense of unease here, and Grudova is a master of mixing mundane with fantastical, often tripping up the reader with a sudden turn between the two. It’s an unnerving experience, but one that fans of darker fiction will love.

This would not normally have been a book I sought out, but I have to say it was a unique reading experience. With all of the dark feminist horror coming out at the moment, this is a collection that should be added to that list. Recommended for lovers of strange, surreal, macabre fiction.

The stories in this collection vary from surrealism, hilarious satire, and pessimistic realism that there’s something to suit almost every reader of the strange. Grudova’s style is concise and compelling, she is able to convey the most horrific acts and situations of characters in a bleak and surreal way rather than straight up horror with strange imagery of places and things unknown.

I’m a lover of strange short stories when they are done well and offer a deeper commentary, which is why, based on the blurb, I picked this one up. Having previously read Camilla Grudova's work, I was excited to explore this collection—both the cover and the buzzwords in the description drew me in. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed and ended up DNF’ing it around halfway through.

The frequent references to bodily fluids felt like they were included purely for shock value and added very little to the narrative of each story. Normally, I’m not the slightest bit bothered by elements of body horror, but when it feels like there’s no purpose other than to be as gross as possible, I lose interest in reading further.

To me personally, the writing style also felt overly simplistic. At times, it seemed as though I was reading a play-by-play description of an unedited draft. While this may have been an intentional narrative choice by the author, it sadly didn’t work for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I am calling it quits with this book about 25% of the way through.

I am typically a fan of short, weird, and gross things, but none of the stories in here so far have made me feel anything. The writing is very simplistic, and I find myself having a difficult time connecting to what is happening. It reads like "This person did this, and then this other thing happened, and then I did this." In addition, the endings to each story seemed abrupt, and I felt like the stories were never fully built out. Just a collection of half-developed concepts.

It feels like the author was more focused on being disgusting (I think every story mentions poop for no reason) for shock value, rather than creating a strong and cohesive plot. After not enjoying the first few stories, and my final thoughts with most being 'huh?' I think I need to admit that this author's style is just not for me.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy body horror, weird speculative fiction, easy to digest writing, and short stories.

Gruesome weird body horror short stories. Honestly a really good read to get into the horror spooky feels, not for those looking for cozy. Would definitely recommend.