Reviews

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

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cativazquez's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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? N/A

4.0

annieb004's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

eclecticreadswithash's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
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

Fancy a short story collection that's a little bit different? Look no further!

Never Whistle at Night includes stories from indigenous authors from all over the U.S. and Canada. These stories are definitely more "dark fiction" than horror, where they often cover topics related to everyday tragedies and generational trauma that indigenous people face in modern times, such as residential schools, foster family abuse, and racism. Only a couple of stories are more mythological. It was addressed right at the beginning in the forward that Native Americans experience real horror in the everyday, and that can be scarier than anything made up.

I really appreciated the variety of stories shared and the showcase of authors from so many different tribes. Despite this, there are many similar themes. Indigenous peoples have suffered. And they continue to do so, no matter where they are. And that's not okay! This is a really interesting way to bring attention to indigenous issues and culture.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I rarely read short story collections. If you don't mind a bit of spooky or uneasy/uncomfortable topics, I would really recommend this!

Content Warnings

teaandtales1's review against another edition

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3.5

About half of these stories were excellent. The rest were either skippable or just okay.

storyorc's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny informative tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

A creepy, varied collection that is not afraid to be as gruesome as it needs to be! Not every story will change your life but none are a bad way to pass 10-20 minutes and all are an interesting glimpse into the outlooks of different Indigenous Peoples for outsiders like myself. My favourites:

Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller (made me the most paranoid of bedroom shadows)
Navajos Don't Wear Elk Teeth by Conley Lyons (best human monster)
Quantum by Nick Medina (deserves a film adaptation at least as popular as Babadook)
Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline (best VIVID body horror)
Behind Colin's Eyes by Shane Hawk (child's POV that manages to be endearing and fun)
Heart-Shaped Clock by Kelli Jo Ford (most conflicting main character)
Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp (meta commentary on telling Traditional Stories)
The Longest Street in the World by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (best worldbuilding, funnest character dynamics)