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bwoo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Rape, Murder, and War
naomidanae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I wasn't expecting sexual explicitness in this novella, and I do think those scenes have a place, but the juxtaposition of that with everything else that happens in the book is a bit off-putting. Being a survivor of sexual assault is not incongruous with still having desire by any means, but these scenes happened so quickly and suddenly that I wondered if they could have been handled a little more carefully or with a bit more nuance instead.
Some quotes:
"The forest whispered around him with a thousand holy mouths. As Woolf had written, Everything, in fact, was something else."
"He'd been a raw-blooded young thing once, and he understood the sweetness—the genuine security—of revenge. He even understood the desire to keep one's hometown, but the thing was, he also understood how dangerous Stevie's path of resistance would be. Sometimes survival meant ripping loose those domestic roots."
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
herelieshenry's review
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Transphobia, Medical content, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Racism, Sexual assault, and War
meagan123's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Medical content, and Abortion
Minor: Sexual violence
justacowboy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Medical content, Abortion, and War
Minor: Pregnancy
sammy357's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault and Abortion
blacksphinx's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Transphobia, Medical content, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Dysphoria
Minor: Confinement, Racism, Rape, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and War
acrosstheskyinstars's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Lesbophobia, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
cmd586's review against another edition
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Outing, and Sexual harassment
smalltowncreepy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
As a gender queer person from Kentucky, this book sang to me in so many ways. Despite being in 1929, we unfortunately deal with the same mindset today as Les did with Preacher Holladay and his congregation. The scariest, most disturbing, and hardest parts to read for me weren't the ones dealing with a monster in the woods or the details of Les having to help the dying people around him, it was the moments Les was forced to listen to the preacher spout bible passages about a "woman's place" in the world. Horrifying, pointed, and well done.
I can't claim my favorite parts without spoiling the story completely but there is a romance in this book that is beautiful and weird and I love it.
If you have read What Moves the Dead and are looking for more trans and queer rep, especially queer veteran rep, in historical or pseudo-historical horror, this is the book for you.
I received an eARC of Woods All Black for my honest review.
You can also watch my tiktok rec for it https://www.tiktok.com/@smalltowncreepy/video/7384073467940834602?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=6993813173514176006
Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail