Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

27 reviews

squintyfarmer's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Blood, Racial slurs, Body horror, Torture, and Death

emerlees's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

an incredible read. very interesting premise and infused with character.  the climax was a little rushed and at some times felt cliche. still intriguing and an excellent conversation on what hatred is and what it can do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Colonisation, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Blood, Murder, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

meaghanelizabook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Death, Gore, Body horror, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Blood

Moderate: Vomit, Colonisation, Death of parent, and Alcohol

sadiejayne3426's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This genre isn’t usually my speed but I am so glad I read it! The prose style is simple, powerful, and beautiful. The use of dialect and imagery gives such a great window into this world and these lovable characters. I felt like I was reading a folk tale, an epic, and a high art piece all at once. The body horror and gore was done tastefully — it was shocking and gruesome without being unreadable for my squeamish self. My biggest critique is that it was almost too fast-paced for my liking and I would have really liked to see a deeper dive into the characters and the world building. I did love it though, and would totally read a sequel if one ever comes about!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Murder, Blood, Genocide, Torture, Death, Body horror, and Death of parent

bishopbox's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Torture, Animal death, Blood, Gore, Medical content, Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, and Slavery

Moderate: Vomit

erebus53's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I had no idea what this book was about, except Race friction/violence, and was surprised to find that it was a supernatural fantasy/horror story set in an alternate world version of North America. In a world where Racial hatred has been fomented by the KKK (who have actual Grand Wizards) only those people with The Sight can see the true form of the monsters awakened in men filled with hate. Foul Magicks are worked and in a horrid twist of the knife a popular movie contains the Workings to bring forth all sorts of horrid beings through the Veil (by inciting people to Hate).

A group of scrappy monster-hunting girls lay traps for the awakened monsters that they call "KluKluxes" which they attempt to dispel with bombs, guns and a magical sword. Back home, people are using whatever resources they can to keep their families safe, from science, to the elders' gris-gris and ancestral rites.

The main character has dream visits with other beings who she relies on as spirit guides, and who she sees as "Aunties". It seems that her destiny is tied up, and she is called to action to stop the re-release of that popular old movie, which will allow the KKK to raise an old god. She must use her power and wisdom to defeat the manifestations of Racial Hatred.

Some parts of this story are pretty trippy, and it's got a whole monster killing Buffy vibe, but in a much less White girl context lol.

The end of the story seems to indicate that there is possibly another would-be hero out there.. and from the gist of it I could see the follow up being from the point of view of a personal journey of a White boy who needs to turn his back on the lure of bigotry.. but I really don't know how the vibe would work that way around.. could go either way if there was a sequel, but the creepy otherbeing world, and the slipping in-between, going inside flesh-trees,  and vision quest type feel, is a really cool interweaving of fantasy elements.. and there are emotionally resonant bits in the end of the story that deliver nicely.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Physical abuse, Bullying, Colonisation, Cursing, Racism, Torture, Vomit, Murder, Racial slurs, Violence, Cannibalism, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, and Hate crime

Minor: Slavery

markedwithanm's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Racial slurs, Death, Murder, Torture, and Racism

morgangd's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

~Who says all the fantasies with sword-wielding heroes and heroines have to be in Middle Earth, Westeros, or even our dreams of Africa past—“copper sun or scarlet sea?”~

Magical fantasy with cursed swords and monsters but the fantasy land is Macon, Georgia, and the monsters are hate-filled racists who need to be slaughtered.

Loses a few points as the conclusion gets schmaltzy but otherwise outstanding. Clark does great work again and I need the film of this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Torture, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Colonisation, Antisemitism, Genocide, Slavery, Police brutality, and Racial slurs

ciwanski's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

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

3.75

A moral story or folktale feel just with a whole lot more violence. Written well, and unlike anything I’ve read before. I think it was just a bit too gory for me to follow 100%. As someone who lives in Atlanta though, this was cool to read especially after just taking a weekend visit to Macon before picking this up!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Torture, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent, Racial slurs, and Racism

escapinginpaper's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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: Gore, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Medical content, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Murder, and Slavery

Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Sexual content, Colonisation, War, Genocide, and Kidnapping

Minor: Animal death, Classism, Antisemitism, and Cursing

There is pretty graphic racial violence and a scene involving an entire family being lynched.