Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

11 reviews

klsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark funny sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was not what I expected, but I had a fun time so ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.  The 1600's protagonist read like a modern woman, and the pacing was a bit odd. It is horror, so there is gore and explicit torture/violence. I was really excited for the last 20% of the book and it delivered. Beyond that, the discussions on ecocide and spirituality/religion really hit, as well as the rumination on the nature of evil. I loved the intermingling of Native American folklore, fairy tales, and Christianity.

Consider checking the cws/tws. The art in the book is super spooky and cool. I think it added a lot to the experience!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Blood, Murder, Police brutality, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Sexual content, and Colonisation

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

gudrqa's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

First part of the book was enjoyable and I'd rate it 4.5 even but then it started dragging out quickly. Not a lot of magic for a tale of bewitchery.

The problems for me started when it became a torture porn. The whole second part of the book felt like a kink. The constant mentions of hair and torture. A lot of it was repeated all the time. I either wish it wasn't so graphic/maybe less victims OR that it was more inventive.

 

I might've enjoyed it more if I didn't pick up an audiobook version. I didn't like the voices the lector was making.
I couldn't really care for the characters except one

the pastor's wife

. A lot of plot points didn't feel impactful enough. The main character never felt at risk really after the first two plot points

the beginning with the goat and then her husband's death. After that the first encounter with the Father happened and immediately we knew she would be safe with him.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Excrement, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child death

aubzilla's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I loved the first half of this book, but it took a turn towards the end that I found really disappointing. It was so close to being exactly the kind of thing I want to read- light horror with a lovable and practical female lead and creative world building- but by the end I felt like the main character lost her lovable qualities.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Torture, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Colonisation, Violence, Child death, Gun violence, Racism, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Cursing

skylar44's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Blood, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Animal cruelty, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Torture

twistykris's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

"If it is a witch they want, then a witch they shall have."

This is a book that will stick with me for a long time. It had a bit of a slower start, but I ended up reading the entire last half in one sitting; putting it down proved difficult.

The atmosphere was just impeccable- dark, moody, mysterious. And the writing was just so beautiful and rich. I empathized with both Abitha and Samson, and the conversations between them were delightful and enlightening to read (especially Samson asking

why Christ God can't save a girl from a debilitating case of measles- "they need a better god."

). There IS strong character development from both, but if you're looking for good-natured character development (i.e. "they decided to stop being violent after realizing killing is wrong and won't make them feel better"), you won't get it here. This is a story of righteous anger and vengeance that I absolutely ate up.

If you're looking for a book that will make you sob and laugh and clap your hands under witnessing the power of violent, primal feminine rage- this is it. There are many dark, horrible moments that lead up to it, but the payback is indeed, a witch.

Honestly? Good for her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Child death, Gore, Animal death, Misogyny, Death of parent, Torture, Sexism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Gun violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content

elythrim's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

"Suffering does not bring one closer to God."

We've all heard someone say "Don't judge a book by its cover", but it's impossible not to. I like art,  and I discovered Gerald Brom's not that long ago. I fell in love with it instantly and that was about it. Then I saw someone recommending this book, fell in love with the cover and as I always do, started reading it without even looking at a synopsis. What I actually realized not until I was already some chapters in the book was that the same artist that I knew of was the author of this book!

What I expect from a book when I love the cover is that it represents the feeling I have when I look at it. And it did just that. Witchery, vengeance, creepiness. Though also, lots of gore, misogyny, torture and violence (animals included). It's to be expected in novels like these, but I did get very uncomfortable at times.

Finishing this book, I was expecting some wrong portrayal of women's suffering, but that didn't happen (although the torture parts were a little too detailed for me and seemed like they'd never end). Seeing that he also sought the expertise of an historian to correctly portray the Pequot people made me happy, and although I don't know much about US history, the dedication to make an accurate representation (with all the fantasy elements included) added depth to the story.

Overall, my favorite things about this book are its continuous discussions about religion. What gods are, how evil is ever present and sometimes necessary to maintain balance. And how nature needs to be respected, as it is Mother of all. My favorite quote represents this very well:

"God, I am you, and you are me"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Misogyny

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Racism, Child death, and Xenophobia

judassilver's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Animal death, Body horror, Cultural appropriation, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Excrement, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Violence, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Torture, and Blood

Moderate: Alcoholism and Child death

alliecat1915's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Body horror, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Religious bigotry, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, and Mental illness

Minor: Child death and Death of parent

mary_stormageddon's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

4.0

At the heart of this story is a mythology that will stay with me for a long time. It's creepy and gross and beautiful. But it was so slow up until the 2/3 mark, and it made it hard to read until I got to that point. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Animal death, and Misogyny

Minor: Child death and Death of parent

kpem's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

I really enjoyed this book.  It was creepy and scary and infuriating, but it was fun to read a horror book where you were rooting for the monsters.  

I know that the author spoke with members of the Pequot community about this book, but I found the representation of indigenous people in the book to be poor.  The few Pequot characters who spend any meaningful time on the page are shady criminals for hire or villains.  At the beginning of the book, I thought that it was heading toward a storyline that would celebrate indigenous beliefs and folk tales over puritanical practices and bigotry.  I was disappointed that it didn't end up going in that direction or, in fact, include indigenous people in the meat of the novel.  I have read that the book was inspired by indigenous folk tales, but that just feels appropriative considering that the only character who benefits from the folk tale-inspired elements in the plot is one white woman. 

While it was satisfying to see the misogynist, racist, controlling community ultimately suffer in the end,

it lacked something because of the way it failed to meaningfully address or place value upon indigenous peoples, even once lumping them in with white colonists/all of humanity as harmful to nature.  I would have given this book a four but am bumping it down to 2 for its poor indigenous representation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Confinement, Gore, Sexism, Murder, Racism, Body horror, Death, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Minor: Child death