Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

95 reviews

idk_indigo's review against another edition

I don't like the short stories in audiobook format. It's too confusing. I also don't think this is the book for me. A lot of the stories were interesting, but heavy warning for so many things. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Body horror, and Racism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Incest, Kidnapping, and Rape

Minor: Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Torture, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Trafficking, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

isaacjohn's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

An excellent short story collection focused on the Indigenous experience.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Racism, Murder, and Grief

valent1ne's review against another edition

4.5

holy shit

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Racism, Pedophilia, and Rape

Moderate: Torture

bkwrm1317's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I generally don’t enjoy short stories, but do like anthologies a bit more sometimes. I found so many new authors whose work I want to read here and thoroughly enjoyed near all of these dark fiction short stories. 

Please do note CWs as there are a number to be aware of, and that shift from story to story. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Pedophilia, Body horror, Colonisation, Racism, Abandonment, and Torture

poisoned_icecream's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Classism, Physical abuse, Suicide, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Child abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Violence, Alcohol, Colonisation, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child death, Death, and Homophobia

menglert's review against another edition

dark mysterious

4.5

I often have a tough time getting into short story collections just because there isn't the intrigue of a continuous plot line to make me keep reading -- this is anthology was great though. I really enjoyed the length of each story and the order that they were in. I have a very specific brand of horror I like to read (creepy, mysterious, haunting) and most of the stories in this collection really scratched that itch for me. 

Please note that my list of content warnings is not exhaustive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, Death, Racism, and Xenophobia

smokeandwires's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

It's hard to give an overall review for an anthology. Some stories were better than others, but lots of different types of horror are represented here, so there will be at least a few stories that any reader could enjoy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Racism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, Rape, Death, Gore, and Mental illness

blchabot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

A fantastic compilation of Indigenous stories told by Indigenous people. There is a harrowing sense of realism in each of the stories within this anthology, proof that culturally significant narratives are best told through the eyes and mouths of those who have lived it. Definitely a top read for 2024

As someone who loves myth, folklore and sharing scary stories around a campfire, I was enthralled with  the concept of so many different "scary stories" told by Indigenous writers.

"Never Whistle at Night" is a compilation of 26 stories exploring dark themes that really highlights the incredible significance of storytelling for all Indigenous people.

Each story tackles a uniquely dark and harrowing topic ranging from the obvious topics of racism, colonialism, residential schools and the effect of generational trauma, NWAN touches Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, blood quantum and Indigenous monsters like the Kusktuka.

Some of my favourites included:

· Navajos don't wear Elk Teeth by @conleylyons
A man moves into a new neighbourhood and finds himself in a strange relationship with a very forward man who keeps an even stranger collection.

· Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline
A man goes on a hunting trip after losing his father only to end up with a little passenger who won't quite go away.

· Snakes are Born in the Dark by D.H. Trujillo
A spelunking trip to see protected Indigenous cave painting goes horribly wrong when a white man chooses to engage in casual racism.

In order to engage in the cultural act of oral storytelling, I listened to this on audible. I highly recommend it, so you too can truly experience these stories.

There is an emotional difference when you hear stories written by the likes of Cherie Dimaline, DH Trujillo and Rebecca Roanhorse read by incredible narrators like @ghostkeepermusic @kaniehtiio @thesheldonelter that really puts you in the story.

I had so many visceral emotions when contemplating the things left unsaid at the end of each of the short stories but the most terrifying part was how monstrous humanity has, and continues to be towards the Indigenous Community. The acknowledgments, read by editors shane.hawk and @tvayyyy said it best:

It's something else to be a monster made man, in a world of man made monsters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, Blood, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Racism, Violence, Addiction, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Body horror, Child death, and Classism

Residential Schools

msrichardsreads89's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

Never Whistle at Night is an Indigenous dark fiction anthology featuring twenty six stories written by Indigenous authors. I definitely had my favorites out of the bunch, but they were all good. These stories do touch on nightmare-inducing subjects, but the majority of them made me feel uncomfortable, disturbed, and unsettled, and they made me reflect on how they apply to the real world. This collection explores racism, tradition, culture, generational trauma, grief, folklore, family, and community. So many of these stories will stay with me. They are quite heavy, so taking my time with this collection worked best for me. Many of these authors were new to me, and I am excited to check out more of their work! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Sexual assault and Racism

e_a_bee's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

1.0

Not what I expected. This isn’t a collection of traditional folklore, although traditional folklore elements are incorporated into it. Most chapters are modern horror. Personally, I don’t appreciate unexpected non-consensual sexual content, child abuse, etc

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Child death