Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

20 reviews

eclecticreadswithash's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

Fancy a short story collection that's a little bit different? Look no further! 

Never Whistle at Night includes stories from indigenous authors from all over the U.S. and Canada. These stories are definitely more "dark fiction" than horror, where they often cover topics related to everyday tragedies and generational trauma that indigenous people face in modern times, such as residential schools, foster family abuse, and racism. Only a couple of stories are more mythological. It was addressed right at the beginning in the forward that Native Americans experience real horror in the everyday, and that can be scarier than anything made up. 

I really appreciated the variety of stories shared and the showcase of authors from so many different tribes. Despite this, there are many similar themes. Indigenous peoples have suffered. And they continue to do so, no matter where they are. And that's not okay! This is a really interesting way to bring attention to indigenous issues and culture. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I rarely read short story collections. If you don't mind a bit of spooky or uneasy/uncomfortable topics, I would really recommend this! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Body horror

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Rape, Racism, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, and Alcoholism

Minor: Abortion

melshoo's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

I don’t feel that I can give a numeric rating to this book because the things I disliked are pretty inherent to the horror genre, such as body horror and violence. Very unsettling, especially with the undertones of racial violence and history included.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Stalking, Colonisation, Murder, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

Minor: Child death and Death of parent

idk_indigo's review

I don't like the short stories in audiobook format. It's too confusing. I also don't think this is the book for me. A lot of the stories were interesting, but heavy warning for so many things. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Body horror, and Racism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Incest, Kidnapping, and Rape

Minor: Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Torture, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Trafficking, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

poisoned_icecream's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Classism, Physical abuse, Suicide, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Child abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Violence, Alcohol, Colonisation, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child death, Death, and Homophobia

paintedanna's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

5.0

Each chapter was its own little horror story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Child death, Murder, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Genocide, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Sexual harassment, Blood, Vomit, Transphobia, and Death

eficca33's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.75

This collection of short stories was intense and brilliant. Please check TW for yourself before reading, but it's worth it!! Some of these stories will stay in my mind for months, I know it!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Racial slurs, Bullying, Chronic illness, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Car accident, Cultural appropriation, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Trafficking, Violence, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Torture, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Animal death, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Death of parent, and Kidnapping

tainolibrary's review against another edition

3.0

While some of the selections were exactly the kind of “ghost tales” inspired by (if not directly from) various Native cultures that I was anticipating, others fell short. They’re all well-written stories, don’t get me wrong, but some just felt out of place. I also don’t love the fact there weren’t any content warnings to be found in the book (I read a digital copy) and, yes, they’re very much needed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Excrement, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Vomit, Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Murder, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia

renwrites13's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

very diverse, lots of diff types of horror. not just indigenous mythology, but also crime and other genres with a creepy twist. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Genocide, Torture, Gore, Racism, Rape, Death, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Murder, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Body horror

Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Child death, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Alcohol, and Suicide

Minor: Gun violence, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Classism, Excrement, and Alcohol

sakiido's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Stalking, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Bullying, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Car accident, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Drug use, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Torture, Suicide, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual violence

dezzella's review

challenging 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Went a little outside of my usual genre reading this, not usually the horror/thriller type reader, but I really enjoyed this! I thought there was lots of variety in the types of stories you encounter (whether from a paranormal/otherworldly experience to just other humans doing some terrible things). Glad I picked this up, and would recommend for those who love dark stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Racism, Blood, Abortion, Gore, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Miscarriage, and Death

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Stalking, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship