Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

6 reviews

halfelfschollar's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Child death

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Racism, and Acephobia/Arophobia

Minor: Sexism

maple_dove's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Sawkill Girls is a feminist story similar by Stranger Things about three queer girls vs. a a scary monster.

Before reading this book, I read Extasia. The feminist and queer themes are definitely present in Sawkill Girls too. I liked this book throughout, but my favorite parts are after the halfway mark.

The asexual alloromantic and exes-to-friends representation was GREATTT!

However, there is one qualm I have about this book.

He had insisted on cleaning up the kitchen before turning in, otherwise the crusty layers of casserole on their late-night dinner plates would fester and haunt him, snickering in the kitchen while he lay awake staring at the ceiling.
The adorable little freak.

. . .

From what I know, the word freak is a pretty triggering word for the disabled community, because it implies that they are things to be feared.

⭐️ Favorite Quotes: 

"Can I once again apologize on behalf of men everywhere?" Grayson offered. "Because we can really fucking suck sometimes."
Zoey arched an eyebrow. "Sometimes?"
"Most of the time."
"There it is."

Marion couldn't imagine a God like the one she'd grown up hearing about--some man sitting in the clouds, maneuvering the pieces of the world to suit his whims because he, of course, knows best.
But she could imagine a God in the shape of an island crowned with trees, brooding in the middle of a black sea.

"I don't know what will happen to us once we get to the obscura. The book says he can't be killed--"
"Screw that book," said Val. "It was written by men." She held out her free hand to Marion. "We're rewriting it." (pg. 385-386)

Marion stood at the port side railing, her back to everyone and her black hair streaming out behind her--a dark queen, surveying the battlefield.

"What's wrong with you?" Zoey had never heard Valerie Mortimer's voice sound so unfinished. "None of this is necessary--"
"I will decide what is necessary!" howled Briggs, his grip tightening painfully around Zoey's arm. "This is the way it is done. This is the way our fathers taught us."
"Your fathers,"  Val replied, "were full of shit." (pg. 398)

"The Collector must feed. He must be banished from our world. So it has been done, and so it is done, and so it shall always be done."
"And so it shall always be done," repeated the men, reminding Zoey of the way Borg drones proclaimed they were going to assimilate you, that resistance was futile, that you were screwed and there was no way out, sorry about that.
[...]
But then Marion spoke.
"And so," she said, her voice low and serene, "it shall never done again." (pg. 398-399)

"It's not our job to save the world. It can't be. That's not fair."
"If it's not our job," Marion asked quietly, "whose is it?"

Hope, she thought, breathing with the tide, was a choice that only those with resolute hearts dared to make.

Stardust cares not for the agony of demons.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gore, Grief, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Gun violence, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Death of parent, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Kidnapping, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Sexual content

Minor: Car accident, Drug use, Cancer, Vomit, Racism, and Suicide

Underage drinking (graphic), Verbal abuse (minor)

shaysbookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Misogyny and Acephobia/Arophobia

Minor: Racism and Sexual violence

ghostlyprince's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Emotional abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Suicide attempt, and Acephobia/Arophobia

Minor: Abandonment, Classism, Racism, Vomit, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Violence, and Acephobia/Arophobia

Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Sexual content, Cursing, Biphobia, Bullying, Blood, and Body horror

Minor: Gun violence, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

otherworlds's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this is a fun, twisty horror story with a powerful narrative of loss, solidarity, and reclamation of both self and power by those who have been robbed of both.

the characters are each memorable and ridiculously easy to love. their relationships, whether they be platonic or romantic, are all meaningful and dynamic in their own ways. this is not a romance, but the romantic elements are beautifully told. the plot is structured well - once it catches you in its grasp, it never lets you go. it has a good balance of sudden scares, slowly creeping dread, and quieter, softer moments, which i find vital to any horror story. and legrand's evocative, poetic style really brought this book from 'good' to 'amazing'.

i only have two criticisms. one - the sections from

the rock's

point of view are largely unnecessary and actually take away a little of the mystery. i really would have preferred to unfold the mystery along with the girls and had things explained at the climax, instead of being fed hints all along by an omniscient narrator. second, the misogynistic dialogue from certain characters was way too heavy-handed. it took focus off of the main characters' internal struggles and threw the scene off in a way that didn't feel natural to it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Self harm, Child abuse, Grief, Body horror, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Torture

Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape

Explicit, graphic depiction of cults, grooming, and aphobia.