Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

106 reviews

lisammuch's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Death, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, and Medical content

Moderate: Racism and Rape

stellenelcielo's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

Nowadays, I don't often give five stars to books, not out of a sense of superiority, but usually because there had been an element in the book that irked me enough that I couldn't. 

This is not a case of that. I loved this book.

Immanuelle, while frustratingly forgiving and self-sacrificing, especially around the end, is still a very realistic take on a character whose had piousness drilled into her since she was born. Her empathy for her town (which I may add, do not deserve it in the slightest) was infuriating at times, but understandable. I loved the dark nature of this book, and how although there's the idea that the witches might be misunderstood throughout the story, it very soon becomes clear that they are not, but that they aren't necessarily in the wrong either.

Maybe the only gripe I would have with this book would be that Vera Ward was introduced so late into the story, but then again, it does say that this is book 1 of a series, so I am very hopeful to read more about Bethel, and it's characters. Would especially be interested in knowing more about the Outskirts, and their take on faith, which was described much differently than what Immanuel was accustomed to; as well as the story of Lilith and the other witches.

Since watching the 2015 film, The Witch (with Anya Taylor-Joy) I've been interested in puritanical-criticism/witchcraft theme, and it's always fun finding works that incorporate it. Anyhow, The Year of the Witching was a great book, great plot, characters, and just the right amount of fanatical horror. 

Can't wait to get my hands on the next book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Misogyny, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Animal death, Body horror, and Sexual assault

There is brief reveal of past child sexual abuse of one of the characters.

romiress's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

I really enjoyed the start, but I think it tripped over itself at the end.

It is so bizarre to have the entire book be like 'The church is wrong and is using its dogma to oppress women' and then A) not really address the fact that the religion is inherently like that (father = good, mother = bad), and B) have them be absolutely right about the witches being unredeemable evil.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Gore, Pregnancy, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, and Physical abuse

raptorq's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Religious bigotry, and Physical abuse

Minor: Child abuse

bnelson13's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

This book is fantastic! I loved the plot and the characters. Immanuelle was a great protagonist and I loved her journey. This book was so hard to put down.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, War, Cursing, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Child death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Torture

kayla_kamldecker's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

The ending was a bit cheesy, but otherwise a fantastic book full of darkness, blood, horror, and feminism. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Misogyny

Moderate: Rape, Racial slurs, and Racism

awildgingersaur's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

Dark, but imaginative. Fantastic story telling and world building

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry

Moderate: Racism and Sexism

Minor: Sexual violence and Child abuse

janeywaneyb's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.5

A brilliant, sinister tale of what happens when witch craft and religious fanaticism meet. I was hooked by the story and it had pace that kept you reading. It is dark, gory and a little horror but that made it a good read.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Religious bigotry

emily_journals's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

3.5

Ok, first off, the premise of this book is so intriguing to me. I was so invested in the premise and first 2/3 of this book, but the last 1/3 of this book really missed the mark for me. Without going into too much detail, the second guessing of the town and church's true motives is built up throughout the whole first 2/3 of the book, and then kind of abandoned and not truly fulfilled at the end of the book. Overall, this book was just really disappointing to me. When I picked it up, I was so excited and eager to dig down to the bottom of the mystery and learning about all these secrets towards the beginning of the book was so exciting, but the resolution was such a let down on all of the points the book seemed to be attempting to make. 

Ok, now for some spoiler specific review comments to explain the above points:

1.) So, the entire beginning of the book was all about how Immanuelle was sort of discovering these issues and prejudices within the church, and also her discovering the "true story" behind the origins of Bethel and the story of the three witches. The beginning of this book was really building up how the men who run this town were not good people, and would deliberately hurt women and people with less power who tried to stand up against them, and applying that to the witches, BUT THEN you discover that the witches really were just completely evil and wanted to kill everyone and are still trying to destroy the town and EVERYONE in it (not just the manipulative men), which almost entirely negates the point that this book seems to be trying to make. 
2.) The mom issue was never resolved. Immanuelle's mom supposedly was consorting with these three witch spirits to curse the entire town (not just the people who caused all of her pain). Immanuelle goes through all of these steps and discoveries that her mom essentially used her as a conduit to bring the curse to the town (which is also why only Immanuelle can stop it), and that her mom left Immanuelle to just become only this thing to carry the curse. However, when Immanuelle goes and finds her grandma (dad's mom) who left Bethel, she says that Immanuelle's mom was so over protective of Immanuelle even before she was born, and how excited she was to have her baby and how she would never reduce Immanuelle to essentially an object to carry out the curse. But this thread is never resolved. It just is left dangling, and the only resolution we get is that Immanuelle's mom really did just use Immanuelle to deliver this curse? Which again, reduces the point this book is making by having this woman who is betrayed and hurt by all the men in power in Bethel reduce her own child to an object (which is what this book seems to be trying to protest, the objectification of women and how the men of Bethel think that they can do whatever they want with these women).  
3.) There is kind of a "white savior" ending. Not fully, but there are little bits and pieces of it with the love interest (white boy) saving Immanuelle multiple times at the end, so that she can then save the town. I don't think it's a full white savior, but the fact that he needed to save Immanuelle at all was a little irksome, as it is proven throughout the whole book that Immanuelle is very capable on her own, so I thought it was a little frustrating that the author did this when we, the audience, know it's not needed.

 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual violence, Death, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Animal death, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Death of parent

kkulhannie's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Child abuse, Body horror, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Child death, and Animal death

Minor: War, Suicidal thoughts, and Forced institutionalization