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rorikae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Maryse Boudreaux hunts Ku Kluxes, monsters that parade as members of the Ku Klux Klan. With her friends and a group of resistance fighters, she is determined to wipe out these creatures. When they learn about a showing of Birth of a Nation that will call a new demon into their lands, Maryse and her friends cook up a plan to take out the group once and for all.
P. Djeli Clark continues to be one of my favorite novella writers. His ability to create such an expansive, evocative world in such a short amount of words is truly unparalleled. Each of his stories are unique from one another and yet they all suck you in and spin a full fledged narrative even with few words. This is true for 'Ring Shout' as well.
Through flashbacks and more fantastical experiences, Clark fleshes out Maryse as a character. We come to know and understand her strengths and her weaknesses as she is directly dealing with them. One of the strengths of this story is the balance between the true to life horrors of America during the early 1900s with the fantastical elements that Clark uses to elevate this horror. The mix of folklore, body horror, and badass fight scenes create a story that is fast paced but also full and complete. The ending leaves itself open for a sequel that I hope Clark will write. His worldbuilding shows that there is even more to this world that we could explore.
Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Racism, Torture, Blood, Hate crime, Medical trauma, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Kidnapping
sarahholliday's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I don't know how he did it, but P. Djèlí Clark somehow fit a fully formed novel into less than 200 pages. The characters are three dimensional, there's suspense and emotional payoff, a complex magic system that never becomes overwrought...what could have so easily become a bit of a confusing, circuitous mess is, instead, pretty much perfect.
Definitely check out the content warnings before you pick this one up...the level of gore and horror will not be for everyone. But if you can handle it this book is one you must pick up.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Murder, Racism, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Animal death
maryellen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
ofbooksandechos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Torture
f18's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Grief, Sexual content, Slavery, and Torture
Minor: Animal death, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Vomit
sucreslibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
kiannaw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Animal death, Body horror, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs and Slavery
Minor: Sexual content
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
📚 Clark creates such a vivid world in just a few pages, and although I'd happily read more, it's also perfect at this short novella length.
📚 There are so many excellent and terrifying battle scenes, but it's also a wonderfully character-driven story.
📚 I don't want to give away too much, but I'm here for explorations of how hate manifests and mutates.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence