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A review by kpem
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was creepy and scary and infuriating, but it was fun to read a horror book where you were rooting for the monsters.
I know that the author spoke with members of the Pequot community about this book, but I found the representation of indigenous people in the book to be poor. The few Pequot characters who spend any meaningful time on the page are shady criminals for hire or villains. At the beginning of the book, I thought that it was heading toward a storyline that would celebrate indigenous beliefs and folk tales over puritanical practices and bigotry. I was disappointed that it didn't end up going in that direction or, in fact, include indigenous people in the meat of the novel. I have read that the book was inspired by indigenous folk tales, but that just feels appropriative considering that the only character who benefits from the folk tale-inspired elements in the plot is one white woman. While it was satisfying to see the misogynist, racist, controlling community ultimately suffer in the end, it lacked something because of the way it failed to meaningfully address or place value upon indigenous peoples, even once lumping them in with white colonists/all of humanity as harmful to nature. I would have given this book a four but am bumping it down to 2 for its poor indigenous representation.
I know that the author spoke with members of the Pequot community about this book, but I found the representation of indigenous people in the book to be poor. The few Pequot characters who spend any meaningful time on the page are shady criminals for hire or villains. At the beginning of the book, I thought that it was heading toward a storyline that would celebrate indigenous beliefs and folk tales over puritanical practices and bigotry. I was disappointed that it didn't end up going in that direction or, in fact, include indigenous people in the meat of the novel. I have read that the book was inspired by indigenous folk tales, but that just feels appropriative considering that the only character who benefits from the folk tale-inspired elements in the plot is one white woman.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death