Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Ring shout : Cantique rituel by P. Djèlí Clark

83 reviews

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

ashleytalksbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

The horror, the social commentary, the history. Everything about this book was amazing. I could not stop listening to it until I finished it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, Body horror, Gore, Slavery, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

nekoshka's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Hate crime, Gun violence, Violence, Slavery, and Racism

Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: War and Sexual content

thegayestghost's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Racism, Violence, Slavery, Alcohol, Murder, Sexual content, Death of parent, Hate crime, Blood, and Body horror

susanatherly's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Body horror

Moderate: Murder, Hate crime, and Racial slurs

Minor: Slavery

wordsareworlds's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? No

5.0

This is a masterfully written alternate history cosmic horror. Clark reclaims space in a genre that has too often tried to force Black people into the role of monster, turning the mirror back on those racist tropes while celebrating Black culture and history in a multitude of ways. 

I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a face paced, gripping story that incorporates both mystical and actual horrors with a strong sense of heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Grief, Gun violence, Racism, and Body horror

Minor: Alcohol and Sexual content

jacob_dion's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Violence, Body horror, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

raisinreads's review against another edition

dark

3.0

I liked the idea and the conversations in it, but it felt like so much of the (short) book was conversation about the world and it's metaphors etc and not enough plot (for me)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, and Racism

alexalily's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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: Body horror

Moderate: Racism, Blood, Grief, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Violence, and Death

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, and Slavery

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