Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

A Queda da Casa Morta by T. Kingfisher

38 reviews

cowardlyteaman's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Ouch

Unfortunately, this did not hold up to my expectations.

First of all, I don't see the need for this fictional world that Kingfisher has created. She spends valuable pages explaining a world that isn't relevant to her story. That's not to say that I don't like it, but I wish she would've chosen one or the other—fantasy novel or a short horror story.
Because the mystery doesn't really start until the book is nearly done. I never really got the feeling of something ominous or even anticipation for what happened next. Well, that isn't entirely true. The part about the rabbits really intrigued me! But Kingfisher's writing style here seems too—rushed. She's moved on to the next point before she ever lets the last impression set in. I want more detail—insight into the characters.
Still, I like that she writes a non-binary character without writing an LGBT novel. I'm gay myself—I have nothing against them, but representation in genres that aren't LGBT is important, I think. Normalises it.

Another thing I'd like to mention, is that I personally didn't like at all the part where the fungus learns to talk and speaks through Madeleine and stuff. It was boring, really. Felt cliché and wasn't actually eerie in the least.

Well, as a whole, I just think the mystery and horror never struck me. I very rarely read horror at all, but I do love Poe's work, so this disappointed me deeply.

However! Not a bad book. As I said, there were parts that intrigued me, but I'd really expected more of this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol and Grief

Minor: Vomit, Transphobia, War, Misogyny, Sexism, and Suicide

affabletoaster's review against another edition

dark funny informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Well, this was a delightful and quick read! It expands on Poe’s work in the most satisfying ways, and with the wry humour and practicality that I love and look for in T. Kingfisher’s work. Easton is just the right kind of first-person narrator for this story — out of the way enough that you are immersed, but with enough of a personality that you get to sort of try it on. And in the author’s note she recommends two more books that I have now added to my TBR list (which I am clearly making no progress at shortening!) 

Took me about 2.5 hrs to read, which is shameful when you realize that I checked it out of the library twice because of my poor sitting-down-and-reading habits. Many thanks to my in-laws who watched my children while I devoured this at last!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Body horror, Animal death, and Suicide

Moderate: Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, and War

Minor: Misogyny, Grief, Gun violence, Transphobia, and Xenophobia

lipstickitotheman's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Solid horror, very creepy, super cool universe--love how the main character's culture has a distinctly gendered soldier class that many readers would classify as non-binary. Also one of the only books I've read with a character with tinnitus, whose disability was well integrated in the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Chronic illness, Body horror, Confinement, Grief, and Medical content

Minor: Death of parent, Suicide, Ableism, Classism, Self harm, War, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Vomit

mo345's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Terminal illness, Gore, and Medical content

Moderate: Misogyny, War, and Grief

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Confinement

tnm94's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Animal death, Death, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Misogyny and Transphobia

rhi_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Chronic illness

Moderate: Murder and Animal death

Minor: Misogyny and War

storyorc's review against another edition

dark funny sad medium-paced

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

4.0

What Moves the Dead slots in neatly between Mexican Gothic and Dracula in the Something in This Spooky House is Fucking With My Friend genre. Would LOVE to see it get the limited series treatment in a few years.

The characters are the stars of this show, with Easton and Ms. Potter shining brightest. They aren't even new concepts - ka is a roughish ex-soldier and she is a chronically underestimated spinster respectively - but they feel fresh, immediate, and funny. I'd love to hang out with them. Angus was a bit too reliant on stereotypes but I was pleased how the resident American, Denton, both embodied and rose above his.

The setting carries enough hinted-at depth to sustain a whole series. It overshadowed the plot a few times, but rightfully so. The late 1800s of this world are just different enough to spark curiosity while still being able to leverage the very real weariness of war needed to sell the veteran characters. I at times felt like I was reading War & Peace through the narrator of Slaughterhouse 5. Gallacia was my favourite invented nation of course, conjuring up a ridiculous amount of charm for a people that seemed so stubbornly hopeless, and I am distraught that I can't visit and stumble over their idiosyncratic pronouns for myself.

My issues with the plot are:

1. Too much dramatic irony between what the reader immediately gathers and what Easton believes for most of the book.
2. We miss out on seeing Easton at kan full strength because others withhold information from kan too long for tenuous reasons.
3. The end was slightly too easy for my tastes. There was a beautiful piece of suspense but then it was over while I was still expecting the dramatic final confrontation.

Finally, I congratulate Kingfisher on keeping the book no longer than it needed to be for the shape of its plot. I stand a good chance of re-reading this one.

(PS - Enjoyers of this novel should also check out Annihilation, though it takes place in a swamp rather than a house.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Body horror

Moderate: War

Minor: Misogyny and Transphobia

sarah984's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

This novella is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher and follows the same broad strokes of that story's plot. This is a horror story and does have some creepy parts, but there's an overall cheerful tone to most of it that makes it a quick easy read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Animal death

Moderate: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, Gore, Alcohol, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, and Medical content

Minor: Transphobia, Drug use, Misogyny, War, Vomit, Violence, and Suicide

boglord's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Medical content, and Body horror

Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, and Death

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore

freddybingsu's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Medical content, Gore, and War

Minor: Suicide and Misogyny