Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

10 reviews

cerasaurusrex's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Abortion, Addiction, Cannibalism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Body horror, Bullying, Colonisation, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Racism, Drug abuse, Gore, Grief, and Violence

eficca33's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.75

This collection of short stories was intense and brilliant. Please check TW for yourself before reading, but it's worth it!! Some of these stories will stay in my mind for months, I know it!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Racial slurs, Bullying, Chronic illness, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Car accident, Cultural appropriation, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Trafficking, Violence, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Torture, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Animal death, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Death of parent, and Kidnapping

sakiido's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Stalking, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Bullying, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Car accident, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Drug use, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Torture, Suicide, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual violence

pineapple_queen's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Racism, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Child death, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, Alcohol, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Alcoholism, and Ableism

kittyinatophat's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Wow. All of these were so well written and scary in their own right, genuinely did not read one that I didn’t enjoy. I can definitely see myself coming back to this to reread in the future! 

I did have some that I found more unsettling than others that I have to highlight:

Kushtuka - Mathilda Zeller
Hunger - Phoenix Boudreau
Before I Go - Norris Black
Night in the Chrysalis - Tiffany Morris
Scariest Story Ever - Richard Van Camp
Human Eaters - Royce K Young Wolf
Dead Owls - Mona Susan Power
The Prepper - Morgan Talty
Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected - Carson Faust
Night Moves - Andrea L. Rogers
Capgras - Tommy Orange
The Scientist’s Horror Story - Darcie Little Badger 
Collections - Amber Blaeser-Wardzalla

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Slavery, Violence, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Body horror, Cultural appropriation, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Torture, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, and Rape

acepiary's review

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Hate crime, Death, Sexual violence, Blood, Animal death, Colonisation, Bullying, Murder, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Suicide, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Racial slurs, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, and Body horror

gnomeguy1138's review

dark tense

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Blood, Death, Violence, Child abuse, Hate crime, Torture, Death of parent, and Body horror

Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Stalking

Minor: War, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Genocide, Death, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, and Death of parent

justagir1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Colonisation, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Blood, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Sexual content, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Violence, Body horror, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Slavery, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Sexual violence

readingwithkaitlyn's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Hate crime, Body horror, Gore, Racism, Gun violence, Torture, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, and Grief

Moderate: Cannibalism, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Alcohol, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, Bullying, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Vomit, Genocide, Colonisation, Abortion, and Chronic illness

Minor: Excrement, Misogyny, Death of parent, Animal death, Self harm, War, Cancer, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Sexism, Infidelity, Drug use, Homophobia, and Alcoholism

Residential schools, MMIWG2S.

srivalli's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

4.0

 4 Stars

One Liner: A diverse collection

Do you think I could ignore a cover and title like that? Not a chance! 

Never Whistle at Night is a collection of twenty-six short stories written by Indigenous authors from the US and Canada. It begins with a foreword setting great expectations about the content but also preparing the readers that the stories don’t have neat endings. This really helped because I’m not a fan of open or vague endings. However, knowing this in advance, I was prepared for it and enjoyed many stories. 

Still, it’s hard to categorize this collection. I assumed the stories would deal with paranormal, supernatural, or horror. But around 40% of the stories don’t deal with any paranormal theme. They are dark but deal with human darkness. Some of these make a strong impact, while a few others don’t. 

As with every anthology, there are hits and misses. Since I read one or two stories a day (it took me a month to finish), the review ended up detailed (longer than expected). I haven’t edited the individual reviews, as I wrote them soon after reading the story. 

Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller – 4 Stars 

What happens when a young Native girl is hired to help and serve at a white man’s party in a remote lodge? Thrown in all types of domination the Natives have to deal with. Kushtuka has to take a stand and save her people, right? So what if there’s collateral damage? The story comes in the first-person POV of the young girl. It is fast-paced, crisp, and chilling. 

White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse – 3.5 Stars  

A half-Native poor girl does what she should to get the riches and lifestyle she always dreamt of. Marriage to a rich guy sorts many things. But a simple mistake threatens to ruin it all. What will she decide? The story comes in Marissa’s third-person POV. It’s compact with flaws and a reflection of inhumanity. 

Navajos Don’t Wear Elk Teeth by Conley Lyons – 3 Stars 

What happens when Joey hooks up with Cam despite the red flags because he didn’t want to feel lonely? This is more of a psychopath story with an indigenous character (than a native mystery element) and is in Joey’s first-person POV. 

Wingless by Marcie R. Rendon – 3.5 Stars 

How much is too much when two native kids get abused by their foster ‘parents’? When ‘magic’ doesn’t help, will they take things into their hands? How will it end? The story comes from the first-person POV of an eight-year-old. It is raw, gritty, dark, and hard-hitting. 

Quantum by Nick Medina – 4 Stars 

This is like a reverse-case scenario where Native Indian blood is more ‘useful’ than the White man's. But is it really the blood? Blunt, emotionless, and ruthless. The story comes from the third-person POV of Amber. 

Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau – 5 Stars 

‘It’ is ravenous for ‘food’ which has become scarce after Other People took over People’s land. However, It finds a vessel and zeros on a People girl who isn’t aware of Its existence. Or… This is fantastic. The story starts slowly but picks up momentum in the second half. The ending dips a little but seems intentional. This is what I wanted when I requested the book. 

Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline – 4 Stars 

Bilson, aka Son, would rather not be ‘Son’ but goes by the name anyway. Years pass by doing this, that, and nothing. Does it take a tick bite to redefine his life? Of course, if he can live long enough. The story comes in Son’s third-person POV and reflects his character arc. It’s more of an introspective piece than anything else. 

The Ones Who Killed Us by Brandon Hobson – 5 Stars 

Atvdasdiha! Listen to the ghosts tell the story of the fateful night when those who killed them get their due (yet again). The story comes in first-person plural and is written in long-winded sentences (typically in a ghost’s stream-of-consciousness POV). The writing takes time to get used to, but the atmosphere is spot on. 

Snakes Are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo – 4 Stars 

Peter agrees to trek in Four Corners with his cousin Maddie and her boyfriend, Adam. However, things go as planned and turn even more bizarre through the night. Can they survive until the next dawn? The story comes from Peter’s third-person POV. It’s more of a horror story with some gore and weird scenes. Well-written. 

Before I Go by Norris Black – 3.5 Stars 

What does Keira find when she goes to visit the site of her fiancé’s death in the middle of nowhere? Told in the FMC’s third-person POV, the story is short, compact, and has the right amount of ‘horror’. I wish it was a little more atmospheric. 

Night in the Chrysalis by Tiffany Morris – 3.5 Stars  

How does Cece’s first night in the new house go? Will she survive to see daylight the next morning? Who is that strange singing woman? The story comes in Cece’s third-person POV. I like haunted house stories. This one delivers to an extent, though I wish it had more drama. 

Behind Colin’s Eyes by Shane Hawk – 4 Stars 

A ten-year-old Colin and his dad go hunting. This time, they want to shoot the majestic elk. However, strange events occur, and Colin knows something is very wrong. But what can the poor kid do? The story comes in Colin’s first-person POV and is set in a winter forest. It is descriptive, atmospheric, and creepy (but not too much). 

Heart-Shaped Clock by Kelli Jo Ford – 3.5 Stars 

Did he or did he not murder his brother? How much do you trust his version of the story? Written in Joseph’s first-person POV, this is a story of a broken family, a broken child who grew up as a broken man with unhealed issues. The writing has quality and pulls the reader. However, there are no otherworldly elements in this one. 

Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp – 4.5 Stars 

The nameless narrator, Uncle Mike’s Nephew, needs the scariest story to win a storytelling competition. He asks Mike to tell him the scariest story shared by Aunt Irina. However, the narrator may get more than what he wanted. Sometimes, it’s a good thing too! This story has elements of dark though it tackles the subject differently. I love the twist and the message (and how it doesn’t sound preachy). 

Human Eaters by Royce K. Young Wolf – 4.5 Stars 

Narrated by grandma to her two young grandsons (String Bean and No Filter), the story alters between reminisces and present. The Human Eaters symbolize colonizers and boarding schools. The story is atmospheric and contains a recurring message to not forget one’s roots. 

The Longest Street in the World by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. – 4 Stars 

Johnny Junior gets attacked when manning his father’s real estate office. He’s back in action after six weeks and is surprised and exasperated to find Louis bringing a bag of stinky items. The story comes in a relaxed third-person POV. It’s got sharp dark humor with what could possibly be little more than human character. By the way, the opening sentence is 103 words! 

Dead Owls by Mona Susan Power – 4.5 Stars 

Amy, a preteen, visits her favorite Aunt Phyllis for the holidays. She loves being with her aunt but wonders if the house has ghosts. Of course, the ghosts decide to answer it themselves. The story comes in Amy’s first-person POV. The tone suits the character’s age. The story is rather heart-touching, with bits of dark on the edges. 

The Prepper by Morgan Talty – 4 Stars (for the gripping narration)  

Narrated in the first-person, this is the story of how a young boy prepares to save himself and his mother from the end of the world (2012) and Nὰka. It’s a story of undiagnosed mental illness and what it can do to a person. The story is set in the past, with the MC recounting it from his present perspective. 

Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning by Kate Hart – 4.5 Stars 

Told by a narrator in a sort of dispassionate tone, this is the story about the bonding between Robert and Gregory (uncle and nephew but brothers in friendship). It is real yet unreal, emotions barely there but fully present. There’s something in there, tugging the reader’s heart. 

Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden – 4 Stars (for the ending) 

Narrated by a 50+ Tom (Thomas), we see how his wife’s death triggers his childhood trauma of being abused by Father R when he was being civilized in a church-run school. How Tom comes to terms forms the rest of the story. It’s amazing how one can do anything to heathen and kafirs with little to no consequences. 4 Stars (for the ending) 

Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected by Carson Faust – 3.5 Stars 

Callum is shot to death and leaves behind his grieving sister and half-brother. Told in the first-person, we learn about a dysfunctional family, a ‘god-fearing’ small town, and the sister’s desire to revive her dead brother. The beginning feels ordinary but ends on a different level. My only grouse is that the voice sounds like a man (in fact, I thought the narrator was Callum’s brother and not sister until she was addressed as Della). 

Night Moves by Andrea L. Rogers – 3.5 Stars 

Walt is an Indian boy stationed in Germany in 1968. What happens one night when Walt, Carl (half-German, half-Black), Christ, and JohnBoy miss their last train to the army base and have to walk through the woods? Told in Walt’s third-person POV, the story tries to blend the paranormal with the real. It succeeds to an extent. 

Capgras by Tommy Orange – 3 Stars 

Tom (Thomas Bline) and his family (wife and son) fly to Paris for his author interviews. Tom’s book has been translated into French, and he is supposed to be excited about it. Told in Tom’s first-person narration, the story blends his past, his drinking problem, and how translations tend to change the core contents by aligning it with the translators’ perspectives. 

The Scientist’s Horror Story by Darcie Little Badger – 4 Stars 

Three researchers, Bets, Anders, and Harmoni, spend their evenings telling scary campfire stories while attending a conference. Anders starts, and Bets tells the next one. However, ‘scary’ could mean a lot of things, including reality. This has two stories in story format and ends with a (helpless) reminder of how brutal real life can be. 

Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala – 4.5 Stars 

Oh, boy! Megis is exhausted but has to attend the party hosted by Professor Smith to get into her good books for a recommendation letter. However, the decorations in the professor’s house freak her out. The story comes in Megis’ first-person POV. This is a strange tale, dark yet not too dark or gory. Scary but different. It could also be seen as a metaphor for the world’s obsession to play savior and demand undying gratitude.  

Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice – 4 Stars

Makwa is a guide to a white businessman who wants to destroy the land for business. What happens when Makwa protests? Told in Makwa’s third-person POV, the story has a sense of foreboding throughout. It gets quite graphic at one point, which seems intentional. However, the climax is over too soon to make the impact it should. 

To summarize, Never Whistle at Night has strong indigenous themes and deals with colonization, displacement, supernatural, and human darkness in various forms. It cannot be read at once. Spread it over a few days to let each story register in the mind.  Also, quite a lot of triggers in this one, so proceed with caution.  

Thank you, NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Vintage, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #NeverWhistleatNight 

*** 

P.S.: Every story is followed by a short author’s bio. I added a whole bunch of books to my TBR, thanks to this anthology. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Child abuse, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Racism, Rape, Excrement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, and Racial slurs