Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror by Tori Bovalino

9 reviews

thewordapothecary's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

2.5

I come from a lineage where folk stories are passed down as the main form of teaching and entertainment. I’m finding it hard to establish how this anthology is considered “folk” and not just scary campfire stories? Is the setting the main part of what classifies them as “folk”? I’m just not sure. I appreciate the queer representation and I think it’s important we see that in our folk stories. I just wasn’t impressed by the majority of these. The cover is dope though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Drug use, Body horror, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Murder, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Dementia, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

nerdy_reader_9571's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

Moderate: Rape

spookily's review

dark mysterious sad 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Violence, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Pedophilia, Grief, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Torture, Vomit, Car accident, Alcoholism, and Bullying

Minor: Cursing, Dementia, Cannibalism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Rape

kristensonlyhobby's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.25

Short stories ranked:

1. One-Lane Bridge
2. Ghost on the Shore
3. Loved by All, Save One
4. It Stays With You
5. Third Burn
6. The Tallest Poppy
7. The Burning zone
8. Stay
9. Petrified
10. Truth or Dare

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror and Blood

Minor: Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Cancer, and Rape

readingwithkaitlyn's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Grief, Child abuse, Death, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Bullying and Cancer

Minor: Homophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Racism, Rape, Infidelity, Car accident, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Fire/Fire injury

Medical issues, abuse, overdose, illness, drowning, missing child, neglect.

kaetheluise_nckl's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Stay - Erica Waters: 1/5 -> i read this one so long ago that i barely remember the plot. eh.

The Tallest Poppy - Chloe Gong -> 4.5/5 
-> Ms Chloe is the queen of vibes, but the ending was confusing so ???

Loved By All, Save One - Tori Bovalino: 5/5 -> i will eat up anything Tori writes and this whole book could have just been. an anthology of Tori’s mini-horror stories

One-Lane Bridge - Hannah Whitten: 4/5 
-> yes. strong horror vibes. loved to read it. but it’s not Tori Bovalino.

Ghost on the Shore - Allison Shaft: 4.5/5 
-> LET’S GO LESBIANS, LET’S GO!!!

Petrified - Olivia Chadha: 3.5/5 -> i could see what she was trying to do, but the amount of unexplained lore kinda backfired. but yeah, we love sacrificing annoying men in this house. 

Third Burn - Courtney Ghould: 5/5 -> WHERE IS THE REST OF THIS I NEED MORE!?!?!?!

It Stays With You - Aden Polydoros: 2.5/5 
-> listen. the horror vibes are so strong, but i just don’t vibe with suicidal thoughts and kids having cancer anymore. it hits too close to home. 

Truth or Dare - Alex Brown: 5/5 -> i could relate to this on a spiritual level. i’m glad homegirl got rid of him.

The Burning One - Shakira Toussaint: 0/5 -> someone explain to me what was going on here because i genuinely don’t know what i just read. 0% scary, 100% confusing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Body horror, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, and Cancer

Minor: Rape and Suicidal thoughts

ash_hernick's review

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cancer, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Car accident, Death, Drug use, and Toxic friendship

This book is an anthology, so content warnings vary from story to story. Most only apply to one or two stories, and are shown at varying degrees of severity on a case-by-case basis. The book includes its own content warning in the front cover, mentioning warnings for "implied sexual abuse and trauma, body horror, gore, violence, death of a child/teenager, mentions of drug/substance abuse, terminal illness" but does not detail which stories these warnings apply to specifically.

lizgriffinwords's review

dark tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

Overall, a great anthology with all sorts of spooky, goosebump-raising rural tales and urban legends come to life. Favorites were Ghost on the Shore, One Lane Bridge, and Truth or Dare (which resonated so chillingly. I wish I had a tunnel to drown my ex in).

Content warnings (general): gore, blood, phobias, psychological horror and fear

Additional content warnings specific to “It Stays With You”: suicidal ideation, cancer, sexual abuse, child abuse

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Sexual assault, Gore, and Cancer

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

This is a HORROR anthology and contains elements deliberately included to thrill and scare the reader. Content warnings specific to “It Stays With You”: suicidal ideation, cancer, sexual abuse, child abuse

mals_reads's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This was a gorgeous collection of modern YA horror with something for everyone. A diverse cast of authors lends itself to unique stories and ideas, many of which involving queer characters and characters of color, and a few of them actually contributed to some nightmares!

I really enjoyed this anthology and its introduction to new authors for me as well. Atmospheric, a nice pace for each of them, and strong, sometimes monstrous, women to boot. Support women’s wrongs 🗣

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol and Body horror

Minor: Cancer, Sexual assault, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts