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Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'
Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft by Jessica Spotswood, Tess Sharpe
6 reviews
darquedreamer's review
emotional
fast-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? Yes
2.75
This was not nearly as good as I expected it to be. I know when it comes to an anthology of stories, we aren't going to love them all, but I expected some powerful stories about witches and badass women from this one, and I feel like I got a muddled mess. There were only a few stand out stories, and only a few stories that actually had true witchy vibes. Some of the stories just felt like unfinished "first impression" pieces from bigger stories, and some just didn't feel cohesive, didn't feel like they had a plot, had too much going on for a short story, missing the mark completely. My rating is an average of the ratings from all 15 stories, and it may be subject to change in the future when I decide to give this one another chance, but for now, I was very disappointed with my initial read through.
1. STARSONG ★
This was my first impression of the collection, and I almost dnf'd the whole thing because of it. The story was lackluster and I truly hated the whole "Instagram star" thing going on.
2. AFTERBIRTH- ANDREA CREMER ★
3. THE HEART IN HER HANDS- TESS SHARPE ★
4. DEATH IN THE SAWTOOTHS ★★★.5
5. THE TRUTH ABOUT QUEENIE- BRANDY COLBERT ★.5
6. THE MOONAPPLE MENAGERIE ★★★.5
7.THE LEGEND OF STONE MARY-ROBIN TALLEY ★★★★.5
Finally a good one! I'd read an entire novel based on this one!
8. THE ONE WHO STAYED ★★★★
Another I'd read a full novel on, but if the group in this story was so powerful and knew what was going to happen, why not prevent it instead of allowing it to happen and offering revenge after the fact?
9. DIVINE ARE THE STARS ★★★★★
Zoraida's story spoke to me! Brought tears to my eyes. Perfect!
10. DAUGHTERS OF BABA YAGA ★
This one made no sense. Too much happening at once.
11. THE WELL WITCH ★★★★
Good, but needed more of a conclusion and more of a power build up in Elsa.
12. BEWARE OF GIRLS WITH CROOKED MOUTHS ★★★★
Good, but needs a better ending.
13. LOVE SPELL ★★★★.5
Beautiful!
14. THE GHERIN GIRLS DNF
Not feeling it. Too many POV's. Not cohesive. Boring.
15. WHY THEY WATCH US BURN ★★★
I got the message, just wish it had been a little more interesting and wish the story itself had more explanation.
1. STARSONG ★
This was my first impression of the collection, and I almost dnf'd the whole thing because of it. The story was lackluster and I truly hated the whole "Instagram star" thing going on.
2. AFTERBIRTH- ANDREA CREMER ★
3. THE HEART IN HER HANDS- TESS SHARPE ★
4. DEATH IN THE SAWTOOTHS ★★★.5
5. THE TRUTH ABOUT QUEENIE- BRANDY COLBERT ★.5
6. THE MOONAPPLE MENAGERIE ★★★.5
7.THE LEGEND OF STONE MARY-ROBIN TALLEY ★★★★.5
Finally a good one! I'd read an entire novel based on this one!
8. THE ONE WHO STAYED ★★★★
Another I'd read a full novel on, but if the group in this story was so powerful and knew what was going to happen, why not prevent it instead of allowing it to happen and offering revenge after the fact?
9. DIVINE ARE THE STARS ★★★★★
Zoraida's story spoke to me! Brought tears to my eyes. Perfect!
10. DAUGHTERS OF BABA YAGA ★
This one made no sense. Too much happening at once.
11. THE WELL WITCH ★★★★
Good, but needed more of a conclusion and more of a power build up in Elsa.
12. BEWARE OF GIRLS WITH CROOKED MOUTHS ★★★★
Good, but needs a better ending.
13. LOVE SPELL ★★★★.5
Beautiful!
14. THE GHERIN GIRLS DNF
Not feeling it. Too many POV's. Not cohesive. Boring.
15. WHY THEY WATCH US BURN ★★★
I got the message, just wish it had been a little more interesting and wish the story itself had more explanation.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Animal death, Homophobia, Rape, Slavery, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
percys_panda_pillow_pet's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
This short story collection has been on my TBR for a while now, and I really only put it on there because of the title/subtitle, and the inclusion of Anna-Marie McLemore, a favorite author of mine. I point this out because I was a little afraid that perhaps I wouldn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. Short story collections can be difficult because different authors naturally have different styles, and not all stories and authors are going to vibe with the reader. However, I am so happy that I enjoyed almost every story in this book!
So, I won't go through every single story in this collection, as that would be too much for one review, I will just pick my favorite and least favorite story, to the best of my ability.
There were so many good stories in here, it really is hard to say I have a favorite, especially when each one tackled different themes and ideas, and utilized different settings and characters. But I think if I had to choose, I could definitely say that The Heart in Her Hands by Tessa Sharpe is up for contention! I just loved the way that magic was portrayed and used in this story, and I am always a sucker for not just Sapphic romance, but also choosing your love over what the fates say. I also really liked the personification of Fate as a more antagonist figure; usually, in stories of witchcraft, fate is equal to karma, something that many witches believe in. So this was a really unique take for me. And finally, I just loved the end of the story, it was the perfect conclusion.
For my least favorite story, unfortunately, there is no contest for it; I did not like The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar. I thought the idea was interesting and unique, and the characters were lovely. But I just felt very overwhelmed with all the sudden worldbuilding in the story and had trouble differentiating between the story itself and the play the characters were supposed to be putting on. I couldn't really follow what was happening easily and just couldn't wait until it was over so I could get to the next story. Either the story needed to be a novel or the author needed to cut some darlings to clear things up. There's also the possibility that this isn't the story for me and that's okay. As I've said, there's no guarantee you'll like every story in a collection, so the fact that only one didn't vibe with me was actually a really good thing.
If you like witches (and feminism as they do often go hand-in-hand) I have to recommend this collection to you, especially if you're looking to get into reading more short stories. I wish I could read more of each of these awesome characters and worlds, and that's how I know these authors did a great job. To finish things off, I will say that my favorite witch is Akko from Little Witch Academia.
So, I won't go through every single story in this collection, as that would be too much for one review, I will just pick my favorite and least favorite story, to the best of my ability.
There were so many good stories in here, it really is hard to say I have a favorite, especially when each one tackled different themes and ideas, and utilized different settings and characters. But I think if I had to choose, I could definitely say that The Heart in Her Hands by Tessa Sharpe is up for contention! I just loved the way that magic was portrayed and used in this story, and I am always a sucker for not just Sapphic romance, but also choosing your love over what the fates say. I also really liked the personification of Fate as a more antagonist figure; usually, in stories of witchcraft, fate is equal to karma, something that many witches believe in. So this was a really unique take for me. And finally, I just loved the end of the story, it was the perfect conclusion.
For my least favorite story, unfortunately, there is no contest for it; I did not like The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar. I thought the idea was interesting and unique, and the characters were lovely. But I just felt very overwhelmed with all the sudden worldbuilding in the story and had trouble differentiating between the story itself and the play the characters were supposed to be putting on. I couldn't really follow what was happening easily and just couldn't wait until it was over so I could get to the next story. Either the story needed to be a novel or the author needed to cut some darlings to clear things up. There's also the possibility that this isn't the story for me and that's okay. As I've said, there's no guarantee you'll like every story in a collection, so the fact that only one didn't vibe with me was actually a really good thing.
If you like witches (and feminism as they do often go hand-in-hand) I have to recommend this collection to you, especially if you're looking to get into reading more short stories. I wish I could read more of each of these awesome characters and worlds, and that's how I know these authors did a great job. To finish things off, I will say that my favorite witch is Akko from Little Witch Academia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, and Animal death
Moderate: Transphobia, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Bullying, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Rape
msradiosilence's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
Tldr; Besides roughly 4 stories being not great, this book is such a fun and heartbreaking read. It even includes the short story that eventually becomes The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina!!
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/toil-and-trouble
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/toil-and-trouble
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Death, Sexual content, Suicide, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
abception's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.25
A few of the stories were quite lacklustre, in my opinion - but the stories that HIT, absolutely H I T and resonated a lot, so pulled my rating up a fair bit.
Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia (aka sapphic trauma-ridden astrologist flirts with some Insta NASA troll): 2.5 stars!
Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia (aka sapphic trauma-ridden astrologist flirts with some Insta NASA troll): 2.5 stars!
- I didn't love this story, but didn't hate it either; I was really just indifferent to it
Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer: 4 stars!
- I absolutely loved this one! I'm a big fan of Salem/witch trials-themed stories, so this story was absolutely perfect for me.
The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe: 5 stars!
- When I read this sapphic glory, I doubted anything else in the collection could top it... before I encountered even more sapphic glory later on...
Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith: 3 stars.
- I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. I felt it was much too big a concept to do in such a short word count.
The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert: 3.5 stars!
- I loved how complicated and messy the emotional undertone of the story was, but I still felt like it was missing something.
The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar: 2 stars.
- I wanted to like this much more than I did - the concept is something that very much did appeal to me, but the execution just didn't spark with me.
The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley: 4.5 stars!
- I really, really enjoyed this one! Sapphics + small town vibes + angry women = >:)
The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma: 1 star.
- Definitely should have come with a TW for SA.
- I could see what the author was going for, but I think they really missed the mark - in the end, the story just left me feeling very uncomfortable.
Divine Are the Stars by Zoraida Córdova: 1 star.
- Genuinely just not even memorable - like, fr, I cannot even remember what this was about, just that I was very confused while reading it.
Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff: 5 stars!
- This was another one that I read and thought would not be topped (until I continued) - the plot, admittedly, was pretty standard fare for YA; but, the writing was just chef's kiss, bellissimo! I loved it!
The Well Witch by Kate Hart: 4 stars!
- This one was a funky read for me. I'm usually not a fan of frontier/Western-type fiction, but I actually really enjoyd this one! It gave off Holes by Louis Sachar vibes, if ya feel me.
Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood: 2 stars.
- I just felt really ambivalent and underwhelmed by this one, tbh.
Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore: 5 stars!
- Classic McLemore! Trans glory at it's finest!
The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord: 5 stars!
- This one was just so FREAKING SOFT AND EMOTIONAL! I actually could have cried, it resonated so well! I adored it!
Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May: 5 stars!
- Gayest sh*t I ever done read. I loved it. Actually perfect. My favourite story of the bunch.
- Am I about to bingeread everything by May and become a stan in the new year: probably.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Domestic abuse
eviecook0708's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This was a really cool anthology! Some of the stories weren't necessarily my thing, but there were more than enough gems to make up for it. The writing styles, stories, and characters were very diverse, and the theme of the anthology was really interesting to me. I felt like this was also a really good sampler of the work of all the contributors, and I now have a little list of writers I need to read more from! The only reason this is only 4 stars is the presence of one story I felt actually detracted from the anthology (just my opinion), but other than that, it was a good read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault
Minor: Car accident and Animal death
kodiex's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Blood and Cancer
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