A review by lillymacantire
The Cursed by Harper L. Woods

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I read the second book because the premise of the first book caught my attention, and I was curious what direction the author would go. I had qualms with the first book, but I appreciated the concept enough to follow it through. This book, though, was almost pure rape smut. She calls it "dubious consent" in the trigger warnings, but Willow actively expresses her nonconsent multiple times. She is forced into a relationship that she eventually, through being worn down, "consents" to (coerced consent, in case anyone is wondering, is still rape). The book perpetuates rape myths (being wet equating consent, coerced consent equating consent) and romanticizes abuse as something sexy through elaborately detailed sex scenes spanning most of the book.
Then, at the end, the devil is magically a good guy who cares about Willow's opinion, even though earlier he literally locked her in a bedroom to keep her from running away. And she's GLAD to be with this abuser. It felt like her choice was framed as empowerment, but all I felt was pity for a fictional woman in a situation where her options are to commit suicide or to live with her abuser. Of course she chose to love him—it was the only way to survive.
Giving it two stars is generous, but only because the tension stayed high and it did get me thinking. I do see a place for this type of literature in processing traumas, but I see it doing more harm than good overall.
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