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Reviews tagging 'Bullying'
Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart: And Other Stories by GennaRose Nethercott
5 reviews
seashellgigi's review
Found the second set of the short story about the teeanage girls killing a classmate too disturbing and disgusting
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Child death, Bullying, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Torture
river_jean_sterling's review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Bullying, Child death, Death, and Emotional abuse
chanlo1994's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved the imagination behind these stories. It's very creepy, which isn't something I would have normally read. I also liked the story told in the second person. You don't see those too often. Very beautiful writing and prose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Animal death, Grief, Body horror, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Cannibalism, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual assault
karenreadsbooks's review
dark
3.5
First, I'm not usually a short story reader because I like to get a lot deeper into stories with more development so the short form doesn't work as well for me. I read this slowly, with a story here and there, usually one sitting per story. The author did a lot of different types of storytelling as far as formats and such, which I appreciated. Here are my thoughts on each story:
Sundown at the Eternal Staircase - neat concept; letdown in the telling
A Diviner's Abrecedarian - interesting storytelling format; too much mean girls
The Thread Boy - succinct, symbolic, good
Fox Jaw - completely unmemorable
The War of Fog - I think this one would have a lot to say if I spent more time unpacking it
Drowning Lessons - I was really enjoying this one but it just ended without any type of resolution
The Autumn Kill - really short and a bit gruesome, but I liked it; has a developed character
Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart - inventive; sometimes disturbing illustrations; enjoyed the story within the entries
A Lily Is a Lily - I liked this one; am I supposed to connect it to the Tristan and Isolde (of the White Hands) story?
Dear Henrietta - creepy in a mostly good way
Possessions - cynical or realistic? probably not good for someone who has recently lost a loved one
Homebody - extremely symbolic
A Haunted Calendar - amusing snippets
The Plums at the End of the World - disturbing ... too disturbing
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an electronic ARC for review
Sundown at the Eternal Staircase - neat concept; letdown in the telling
A Diviner's Abrecedarian - interesting storytelling format; too much mean girls
The Thread Boy - succinct, symbolic, good
Fox Jaw - completely unmemorable
The War of Fog - I think this one would have a lot to say if I spent more time unpacking it
Drowning Lessons - I was really enjoying this one but it just ended without any type of resolution
The Autumn Kill - really short and a bit gruesome, but I liked it; has a developed character
Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart - inventive; sometimes disturbing illustrations; enjoyed the story within the entries
A Lily Is a Lily - I liked this one; am I supposed to connect it to the Tristan and Isolde (of the White Hands) story?
Dear Henrietta - creepy in a mostly good way
Possessions - cynical or realistic? probably not good for someone who has recently lost a loved one
Homebody - extremely symbolic
A Haunted Calendar - amusing snippets
The Plums at the End of the World - disturbing ... too disturbing
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an electronic ARC for review
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Animal death, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Murder, Misogyny, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, and Bullying
am_aycock's review
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
For fans of Welcome to Nightvale, Twilight Zone, or the Brother's Grimm, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart captured mine and devoured it whole.
GennaRose Nethercott is like a lantern in the night, illuminating our need for human connection, loss, and love through ephemeral tales of the macabre and the strange. Whether we are a group of murderous teenage girls or a boy made from string, each short story encapsulates a unique aspect of human nature, leaving you raw and wanting.
As I read, I imagined Nethercott changing hats in preparation of writing each story. While her writing style is clear and consistent, each tale is so distinctive, existing solidly catty-corner to our own world, that I finished feeling inspired and impressed at her range. Its variety makes this collection fresh and unique while harking back to folklore we heard as children. Her prose is lilting, well-crafted, and reminds me of stories told by the fire while the dark waits to pounce.
Funny, heartbreaking, dark, and lovely, this collection of short stories is perfect for the fantasy, soft sci-fi, or urban fantasy loving adult. Fifty Beasts asks us to look deep within our own warped hearts and find our truth, whatever that may be. I found myself searching for small moments of magic and absurdity in my own life as I dreamed of a world in which an infinite staircase may entice me to my doom.
Thank you to Vintage Anchor via NetGalley for an advanced copy of this work.
GennaRose Nethercott is like a lantern in the night, illuminating our need for human connection, loss, and love through ephemeral tales of the macabre and the strange. Whether we are a group of murderous teenage girls or a boy made from string, each short story encapsulates a unique aspect of human nature, leaving you raw and wanting.
As I read, I imagined Nethercott changing hats in preparation of writing each story. While her writing style is clear and consistent, each tale is so distinctive, existing solidly catty-corner to our own world, that I finished feeling inspired and impressed at her range. Its variety makes this collection fresh and unique while harking back to folklore we heard as children. Her prose is lilting, well-crafted, and reminds me of stories told by the fire while the dark waits to pounce.
Funny, heartbreaking, dark, and lovely, this collection of short stories is perfect for the fantasy, soft sci-fi, or urban fantasy loving adult. Fifty Beasts asks us to look deep within our own warped hearts and find our truth, whatever that may be. I found myself searching for small moments of magic and absurdity in my own life as I dreamed of a world in which an infinite staircase may entice me to my doom.
Thank you to Vintage Anchor via NetGalley for an advanced copy of this work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Bullying, Drug abuse, Gore, Child death, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Cursing, and Death
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