Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories by Thomas Anguti Johnston, Cara Bryant, Gayle Kabloona, Ann R. Loverock, K.C. Carthew, Repo Kempt, Jay Bulckaert, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, Aviaq Johnston, Richard Van Camp, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley

10 reviews

vixenreader's review

challenging dark emotional informative 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

There were four stories I really liked, four stories I loved, and one story I disliked. Either way, I am happy that a text, highlighting various authors from the Arctic, like this one exists. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Cannibalism, Stalking, Car accident, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Be aware that these stories involve harsh climates, death by cold weather, child endangerment, helicopter crashes, animal attacks, baby endangerment, hatred towards First Nations, child abduction, mentions of residential schools, animal anatomy, child using weapons, mutations, and the paranormal.

sydneyraereads's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Iqsinaqtutalik Piqtuq: The Haunted Blizzard by Aviaq Johnston
Content warnings for: harm to a child
Rating: 4

The Door by Ann R. Loverock
Content warnings for: descriptions of blood
Rating: 4

Wheetago War II: Summoners by Richard Van Camp
Content warnings for: harm to children, gore, guns, animal death
Rating: 3

Revenge by Thomas Anguti Johnston
Content warnings for: hunting, animal death, gore, animal attack
Rating: 3.5

Lounge by Sean and Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley
Content warnings for: body horror, micro-aggressions
Rating: 4

Utiqtuq by Gayle Kabloona
Content warnings for: guns, pandemic, gore, forced medical care, removal of children
Rating: 3

Sila by K.C. Carthew
Content warnings for: guns, animal attack,

implied infanticide

Rating: 4

The Wildest Game by Jay Bulckaert
Content warnings for: cannibalism
Rating: DNF because cannibalism grosses me out too much

Strays by Repo Kempt
Content warnings for: animal surgery, heart attack, substance abuse, infidelity,

murder

Rating: 4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Gun violence, and Racism

Minor: Infidelity, Medical content, and Pandemic/Epidemic

There is implied child death but it isn't on page.

There is a graphic scene of animal surgery. The gun violence is mostly in self-defense rather than conflict between humans. There is a story where prescription drugs are moderately described as an emotional coping mechanism rather than medical treatment.

alexalily's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Cannibalism, and Medical trauma

Minor: Infidelity, Murder, Alcohol, and Colonisation

mirlambda's review

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Medical content, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Gun violence, Infidelity, Blood, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

starrysteph's review

challenging dark tense fast-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? Yes

3.0

I love picking up short story collections as a way to discover a batch of new-to-me writers all at once - and Taaqtumi did not disappoint. 

There were some excellent & unique pieces here; stories that were chilling to the bone and incorporated crystal-clear haunting imagery and atmospheric terror. The Arctic is the perfect place for horror.

I did find the writing to be a bit uneven, with some stories brilliantly executed and others needing more support. Some of the weaker links were too long and/or had unsteady pacing.

Some stories leaned hard into horror, while others I would possibly classify elsewhere. Every story had at least some uneasy elements, but if you’re looking to be scared out of your mind, this collection overall doesn’t quite offer that. However, it is eclectic and interesting - so I think every reader would connect with at least one piece!

Many of these pieces will stick with me for sure. My personal favorites (though hard to pick!) were Revenge, Utiqtuq, and The Wildest Game.

CW: death (incl. death of children), murder, animal death, animal cruelty, cannibalism, violence, gore, colonization, body horror, medical content, gun violence, grief, vomit, ableism, racism

Follow me on TikTok for book recommendations!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation

kalira's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Medical content, Cannibalism, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, Racism, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Miscarriage, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Illness, pandemic, needles ("Utiqtuq").

onemamareads's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

lancedornan's review

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Not often am I truly chilled by horror. This book truly delivers with its chilling descriptions and adventures into the limits of the human conditions. 
I am a marked fan of indigenous fiction… This book, again, clearly delivers.
Zombies always make my stomach churn, and cannibals written without the shock factor of our dear Hannibal are frankly more chilling than anyone knows. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

herk's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Murder