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horizonous's review against another edition
Graphic: Misogyny and Infertility
Moderate: Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Abortion, Child death, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Miscarriage, Child abuse, Rape, and Death
ellaensorcelee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Child death, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
cheye13's review against another edition
- 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
That being said, I don't think western stories are really for me? There's always such a deep pain and/or hopelessness within them that never seems to hit my catharsis button. This one came very close with each of the outlaw's backstories, but the ultimate plot just left me with, "Well. Okay."
This was definitely my favorite western I've ever read, though. Leagues above.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical content, Misogyny, and Infertility
Moderate: Pregnancy, Grief, Blood, Abortion, Confinement, Miscarriage, and Homophobia
Minor: Ableism, Rape, Alcohol, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Incest, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
ableism wrt: implied bipolar disorder (or perhaps other psychosis), implied post partum depression medical/injury content wrt: gunshot wounds, childbirth & miscarriage, castration, hypothermia, various illnessesemily_madcharo's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Infertility
Moderate: Abortion, Child death, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Murder, Racism, Rape, and Suicide attempt
nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition
2.25
This feminist take on a Western novel, filled with crime, adventure, and challenging authority, was certainly creative, but I was quite the right audience for it. Indeed, I was so distracted by the references to race, doctors, baby Jesus, the Flu and Fever, and the seeming dissolution of the United States that I was almost more focused on trying to figure out whether this was a dystopian alternative history (a Confederate win in the Civil War?) or a dystopian future (post COVID-19?), and I'm honestly still confused.
I also was pretty confused by the role of religion and by all of the characters. There were many, each with a painful background, but none was particularly well-developed, and the sub-plots detracted rather than added to the story. The one exception to this, in my opinion, was Lark's story, which surprised and intrigued me, but he, too, was an underdeveloped character who stuck around too briefly.
I appreciate the reviewer who acknowledged that this book offers a different take on the Hole in the Wall gang. I had no idea that this gang was a real concept and really disappointed that there was no Author's Note explaining that research and that choice (which guess means this is an alt-history novel?).
I picked this up because I needed a quick read to help propel me out of a slump (too many classics in a row/at a time can do that to you), and it was definitely successful in that respect. The story was engaging enough and kept me turning the pages for the few hours that this took to finish, but ultimately, I think Anna North bit off more than she could chew--infertility, religion, feminism, justice, gender fluidity, insomnia, mental health, medicine, mothering, Western adventure--and it really didn't work for me.
Graphic: Infertility, Sexual content, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, Infidelity, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, and Abortion
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
rigbees's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Abortion, Racism, Infertility, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Suicide, Self harm, Mental illness, Medical trauma, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Child death, Sexual assault, Rape, Police brutality, and Pedophilia
internationalreads's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, and Violence
perstephone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I give Outlawed
🌟🌟🌟✨ 3.5/5 (rounded up)
⚠️TW: abortion, miscarrying, and mainly infertility are constant themes and subject matters throughout this story as a whole. If those are sensitive subjects for you or are just things you'd rather not read, this may not be the book for you.
I give 3.5/5 because while the story is an original one, that takes inspiration from history and makes it its own; I was left at the end with loose ends unfinished.
🌻🌻🌻
- Not a particularly long story, 12 chapters total, but still full of action, adventure, and steady pacing that gives course of events a natural feel.
- This is not your typical western, nor is it a factual account of the Hole in the Wall Gang. It is inspiration, and other than some names of characters, the similarities pretty much stop there.
- Women posse, women posse, women posse!!! 😎
- year 1894-95, LGBTQA+ representation.
- women taking control of their own bodies, their own fates, proving that they are just as capable as anyone else in an era that only saw women as "good for" maybe a handful of things.
- Felt a little lacking in POC representation if I'm being honest.
- Interactions between characters and the society as a whole felt genuine and on par for how things were done or viewed, especially regarding women, and what they were valued for.
- A bit melancholy of an ending, but a suitable one all things considered.
There are enough loose ends that I still want answers for, and some things plain left unfinished, but this story is still really original and worth a gander.
Graphic: Infertility and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Abortion, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Medical trauma
eve_reads's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
⁕ My favorite things about this book are how diverse the cast of female characters are and how the historical/events practices in it are viewed through a more critical social justice lens.
⁕ The plot meandered and felt very slow. It didn’t seem like the story was really going anywhere until the last 3rd of the book.
⁕ There are 2-3 important scenes that the narrator skips over and then explains passively after the action occurred. This had the effect of taking the punch and excitement out of the story for me.
⁕ This book is PACKED with descriptions of scenery and nature. To each their own, but I got kinda bored with it.
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads681579800.wordpress.com
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Graphic: Medical trauma, Racism, Sexism, Infertility, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, and Sexual content
Minor: Miscarriage and Child death
Additional Content Warnings: childbirth, genital mutilationamelew's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Sexual violence, Gun violence, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Child death