Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

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

41 reviews

thegayestghost's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

haleysversion's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Blood, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

elephantsoups's review against another edition

Started as good spooky stories and social commentary that I THOROUGHLY enjoyed but then pretty immediately devolved into descriptions of rape, sexual coercion, a nonconsensual forced abortion, child abuse, child abandonment, and child torture. Be aware that there are also graphic needle and syringe scenes which affected me very physically. Those are not spooky stories and absolutely not what I signed up for. 



The fact that content like that is presented without content warnings at any point? or a general note at the beginning? They’re topics I can handle in small bites but not as surprises and not constantly and ideally not without justice. Maybe they get lighter or change but I’m not interested in finding out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

warlocksarecool21's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

This was a really interesting collection of Indigenous short stories. As with any anthology, it’s hard to rate because you personally like some more than others. I have a hard time with anything that’s super graphic/gory and has body horror, so any of the stories with those elements weren’t that good for me, and there were a number of them like that. However if that’s your thing in horror you might like those stories more. I particularly enjoyed the ones that were either ghost stories (especially Dead Owls by Mona Susan Power) and thrillers (“Collections” and “Navajo Don’t Wear Elk Teeth” really stood out to me). There were a few like “Heart Shaped Clock” and “Sundays” that I thought were really emotional or powerful but I don’t necessarily know what genre to put them in, as they didn’t fit any of the categories I listed above. Even though many of the stories weren’t for me, I really liked seeing different elements of Indigenous cultures and history and it’s worth a read just for that alone, even if you don’t like traditional horror that much. There’s a really broad range of stories here and I definitely found some new authors to explore. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

danimacuk's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Homophobia, Rape, Grief, and Abandonment

kirstym25's review against another edition

dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, and Colonisation

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Car accident

annemaries_shelves's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

4.25 stars

As with every anthology, there are some personal hits and some personal 'okays'. There wasn't a bad story in this bunch, though!

The editors did a fantastic job compiling a set of stories that alternately scare, unsettle, disturb, or otherwise make you feel something. There's an emphasis on themes of colonialism and racism, grief, hauntings and spirits, identity and family, and the unexplainable (either to the reader, to an individual outside a particular culture's set of traditions and knowledges, or to the characters themselves). 

While some stories are more traditionally scary/disturbing, many land on the side of just unsettling or tense. I recommend readers go in without any expectations of mainstream horror or dark fiction to enhance your experience with the great storytelling found in this collection.

I truly enjoyed reading so many new to me authors (including some I've wanted to try for while) as well as revisiting some authors through their short stories. 

My favourites include:
Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller
White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse
Navajos don't wear elk teeth by Conley Lyons
Snakes are born in the dark - D.H. Trujillo
Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp
Human Eaters by Royce K. Young Wolf
Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
The Scientist's Horror Story by Darcie Little Badger
Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala
Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice

CW: rape (on-page rape of children at residential schools), murder, forced abortion, gore and body injuries, mental illness, drinking/alcohol abuse, colonialism, insects (ticks specifically), and more

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

2treads's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The ways in which the authors came together to produce stories that draw directly from their past, present, colonial history, and cultural worldviews really made these stories great and chilling reads. As always, with every anthology, there are stories that really struck a nerve and linger at the back of the mind and others that were just OK. But all in all, this collection really embodies Indigenous people's culture, ritual, trauma, and beliefs.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Blood, and Colonisation

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Violence, and Vomit

elvenpanther's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.0

Over the years I've picked up a few short story anthologies with the best of intentions, but despite my best efforts, they go unfinished and forgotten. 
 I've been wanting to change this because I LOVE the idea of short story collections. The collaboration between multiple authors, each lending their unique voice and interpretation to the theme of the collection, and providing the opportunity to find new favorites.
 Therefore, I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of Never Whistle at Night from Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. and Penguin Random House. And I can say with all honesty that each story within it kept me hooked.
 Not only did this anthology offer a variety of stories centered on supernatural and folk horror, as well as the horrors inherent in our history's greed and violence, it provided a wonderful showcase of the current indigenous voices in the literary field. 
 After reading some of Stephen Graham Jones work, I really have been wanting to find more indigenous authors to add to my reading list. This book has given me a wonderful jumping off point. I don't think there was a single story in this collection that I disliked and as I've seen others mention, many of the stories were written in a way that begged to be thoughtfully chewed on for a while before moving into the next.  Even though I would have happily continued reading longer versions of any of the stories, none of them felt incomplete to me and didn't leave me with that sense that something was lacking.
 I think this anthology is definitely worth the ready if you are a fan of subtle horror, or even if you are looking to expand your reading list to include new authors. 
 Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House, and the authors for providing me with a copy of this anthology. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Murder, and Colonisation

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Excrement, Car accident, Death of parent, and War

Residential schools, MMIWG2S.