Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

VenCo by Cherie Dimaline

16 reviews

nidzi_c's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

blacksphinx's review against another edition

adventurous emotional slow-paced

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

2.0

Of all the things that rubbed me wrong about this book, from its rah rah girlboss girlpower vibes, to it's paper thin antagonist, to

fixing dementia with magic

, it's the fact that the covid pandemic is canon to this book and not once is a character shown taking any precaution against it. "Oh but you see, the book takes place in 2022 so it's not an issue anymore!" As of the time I'm writing this review in late 2023, over 1,000 Americans have died directly from covid each week for the last 11 weeks in a row. If the author didn't want to deal with the thought of masks or air filtration or testing, all she had to do was remove a single sentence confirming the pandemic existed. That's it! But no, her thinking about the pandemic was as shallow as her thoughts on feminism and capitalism. 

The main thing it had going for it was that at least this girlboss book has a genuinely diverse cast of women who are allowed to be girlbosses, including a trans woman and many women of color, that was a nice touch. However, I have never known a trans person who would immediately offer up their dead name to a stranger like that. It was just a mess. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Dementia, Transphobia, Sexism, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Deadnaming, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Confinement, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Torture

zombiezami's review

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

5.0

My favorite Cherie Dimaline book so far

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Misogyny, Dementia, Violence, Murder, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, and Sexism

Moderate: Alcohol, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Vomit, Torture, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Gaslighting

Minor: Transphobia and Homophobia

cassielaj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

A MASTERPIECE. I already know I’m never going to shut up about this book. This story comes together in the perfect juncture of feminism, magic, found family, and learning who you are by joining something bigger. The characters are people I wish were real, the plot ebbs and flows with adventure and moments of quiet contemplation. The way Cherie Dimaline explains the magic system of the book is my favorite magic I’ve encountered, and the phrases she crafts are magic themselves. Please read this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Transphobia and Torture

sariereads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Cursing

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, and Violence

elsebeok's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Death of parent, Murder, and Grief

cozyscones's review

adventurous hopeful slow-paced

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Violence, Death, Dementia, Murder, and Misogyny

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Torture, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Deadnaming, and Addiction

maregred's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexism, Death, Murder, and Misogyny

Moderate: Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Cancer

Minor: Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Grief, and Pregnancy

bookmaddie's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• 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

4.0

As many who know me know, I am always on the hunt for a fun, witchy story! This fit the bill perfectly—it is a charming, adventurous story of found family, understanding the power within yourself, and embracing the unexpected. 

I loved the ending so much (so intense!), so I wish more of that magic was spread more boldly throughout the story. I always feel like witchy novels don't give me as much magic as I want.. I wanna see people casting spells left and right. The form of magic on display here felt more subtle, which isn't really a bad thing, I just wanted maybe one more big moment.

My other small gripe is that I wish we saw more of Lucky's writing. That is a big part of the beginning of the story, yet we never see Lucky as a writer, even as she is going through such a tumultuous time in her life. You'd think that writing would serve as an anchor for her, but instead it's briefly mentioned and then tossed away as the plot roars forward. I feel like it could have been incorporated into her character a bit more.

But still, a really fun read, and I definitely want to go back and read Empire of Wild now! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Murder

bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Murder, Transphobia, Dementia, Cancer, Deadnaming, and Misogyny