Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

The Bright Lands by John Fram

6 reviews

cameronpetrovich's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Mass/school shootings, Pedophilia, Murder, Homophobia, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Death, Blood, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Addiction

michaelb123's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Outing, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Homophobia, and Hate crime

donnyeatsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

It’s Friday Night Lights meets Twin Peaks by way of Stephen King, with the biting social commentary of a Jordan Peele flick.

It’s also gay. As fuck.

John Fram methodically chips away at the pearly-white veneer of small-town Texas and exposes the eldritch horrors beneath, commenting on conservatism and faith-based hypocrisy in the meantime, and making you question everything you thought you knew about “traditional values.”

If that isn’t enough to convince you to rush to your nearest online checkout, then I don’t know what is.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Hate crime

hawkguyscoffee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.5

Even with it's slow start the story doesn't fail to make the reader intrigued about it's mistery and at it's climax definetly keeps the reader on their toes (my hands were quite literally shaking as I did). What's more, even if you think you won't, you ultimately fall in love with th characters and start cheering for them. The hard topics of racism and homophobia were, to my opinion, well tackled and even tho I have my criticism about certain plot points I do believe this is an important story that succeeds at talking about the kind of homophobia and toxic masculinity young men are subjected to in the world of American Football. What's more, I loved the dynamic between Joel and his brother that very much reminded me of the one I have with my own and I feel I will always carry their journey and characters in my heart (as well as the rest of the cast who, each for their own reasons, managed to make me fall in love with them too). 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Homophobia, Murder, and Suicide

Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Violence, Hate crime, Racism, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Outing, Child abuse, Addiction, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, and Pedophilia

juliezantopoulos's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

3.0

I can respect that this is an own voices thriller/horror and appreciate it for that, but this wasn't for me. I understand the commentary on toxic masculinity, especially in sports and in the south. However, the "horror" in this book was not actually scary. I really thought I was getting a horror book and instead I got a murder mystery. I know this is an own voices book with a gay main character, but the use of queer slurs and homophobia was too rampant for me. Which is not to say it's not a reality, but I didn't want to read it....especially with the direction the book went! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Racism, and Police brutality

folkmare's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

There are a lot of mixed reviews on this book and I think the reason is this: if you're not queer, this book isn't for you, and it doesn't care. That doesn't mean you CAN'T enjoy this book if you're not queer, it just means that it's not going to apologize and hold your hand. Additonally, if you aren't queer AND grew up in a small/medium town where high school football reigns supreme, you quite literally might just not get it.

This book is ultimately about internalized homophobia, toxic masculinity, and small town secrets closing the walls in around you. I won't spoil anything but I saw a review that called the supernatural elements a "twist" that happened 3/4ths of the way through, but I gotta say that that person just wasn't paying attention. There is spooky shit happening from chapter one, and it's not even that subtle.

I don't know. I really loved this. I thought the crime/thriller mystery elements were really well balanced with the horror-elements and the world building. I found the characters compelling even if they're not "likeable," and I couldn't stop reading it.

Note: I'm adding content warnings but the warnings themselves might spoil the book somewhat.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Homophobia

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mass/school shootings, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Suicide

In regards to the spooky stuff not being obvious, I turned to my wife like 5 chapters in and said "idk I think there's a malevolent old god out in the desert and people are getting sacrificed to it, we'll see."