Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

46 reviews

spookology's review

2.0

Some really good elements but ruined by the racist references to/depiction of Native Americans (as well as a few moments of obvious ableism). In a story of patriarchal/religious oppression it stands out starkly how native Americans are depicted as savage and otherwise ignored while the main character gets to be a vengeful white woman.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Ableism

klsreads's review

challenging dark funny sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was not what I expected, but I had a fun time so ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.  The 1600's protagonist read like a modern woman, and the pacing was a bit odd. It is horror, so there is gore and explicit torture/violence. I was really excited for the last 20% of the book and it delivered. Beyond that, the discussions on ecocide and spirituality/religion really hit, as well as the rumination on the nature of evil. I loved the intermingling of Native American folklore, fairy tales, and Christianity.

Consider checking the cws/tws. The art in the book is super spooky and cool. I think it added a lot to the experience!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Blood, Murder, Police brutality, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Sexual content, and Colonisation

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

kemikorosu's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love this nook so much, and the art! It hurts my itty-bitty heart to return it to KU but I wanna invest in a physical copy soon! While it  was fun reading, it wasn't exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up, it was a pleasant surprise and didn't wanna stop!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Racism

sillysausagezj's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Colonisation, Torture, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Animal cruelty, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

slimshaedy92's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

Definitely my favorite of the two Brom books I’ve read (the other being The Plucker, a gorgeously illustrated, if somewhat dated, story) and I can’t wait to get my hands on more. Abitha is a perfectly flawed heroine and Samson and his friends are a wonderful blend of folklore. Definitely reads like a story your grandmother would tell you on a long, cold night.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Violence, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Racism

aubzilla's review

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? No

4.0

I loved the first half of this book, but it took a turn towards the end that I found really disappointing. It was so close to being exactly the kind of thing I want to read- light horror with a lovable and practical female lead and creative world building- but by the end I felt like the main character lost her lovable qualities.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Torture, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Colonisation, Violence, Child death, Gun violence, Racism, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Cursing

tamtaro's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism and Misogyny

sanperse's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Having read one of Brom's books before, I had a good idea of what I would be getting into, and I was not disappointed. Atmospheric, twisted and violently cathartic. A book for those autumn days when the fog hangs heavily and night falls early. (Or maybe for International Women's Day, which was when I actually read it.)

There was no fear on her face, none, and that was the final insult.

Slewfoot is a story of a headstrong woman at a time when women were better neither heard nor seen, and had little recourse to carve a space for themselves in society.  It is a tale of (be-)witchery, transformation and revenge, and not for the faint of heart. (It is really graphic in some parts.) 

The horror lies partly in the supernatural and violent, but it also unfolds in the way a small-town society ostracizes those it deems unfitting, and religion is used as a weapon to break those that are different and unwanted. 

Abitha is an unapologetic main character, who struggles with the restrictive norms and rules of Puritan society. As a modern reader, on many occasions I found myself becoming angry on behalf of her, and was looking forward to the moment that some of the other characters would be getting their come-uppance. 

Some readers expressed that they found the ending predictable, or were disappointed that in the end "the others were right". And yes, while I think it is easy to see where the story will go, it is not to its detriment.

And I don't think it ever set out to end on the moral highground granted by "she didn't do it, but they killed her anyway", which is the unfortunate story of the people who were murdered during the historic witch-hunts. Rather, Slewfoot subverts the historical precedent, by giving one cornered woman the chance to grab the power necessary to avenge herself.

The mystery of the book does not revolve around Abitha, however, but around Samson, who struggles with puzzling and incomplete memories, and the question of his identity, which I found an interesting twist to the usual way a witch's "benefactor" is handled.

While I enjoyed the book a lot (the physical edition with its illustrations is eerily gorgeous), I do urge anyone considering to read it to take the content-warnings seriously. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Animal death, Violence, Torture, and Death

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Death

Minor: Racism

hauntedantiqueshop's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was written for the preteen girls who obsessed over the Salem witch trials and never really grew out of it. Abitha and Samson are in love though, right? We all gathered that?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Colonisation, Torture, Physical abuse, Death, Gore, Confinement, Murder, Violence, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Grief and Gaslighting

Minor: Death of parent, Animal death, and Racism

It’s a Puritan story, lots of religious talk.

kristinrdub's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A delightfully gruesome story that reads like a bedtime fairytale that gives you nightmares. The art gives it some added creepiness. This book had me rooting for violence and siding with the devil.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Blood, Animal cruelty, Death, Murder, Animal death, and Torture

Minor: Religious bigotry and Racism