Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

The Witch of Tin Mountain by Paulette Kennedy

16 reviews

pangy24's review against another edition

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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy

em23jjh's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

 Overall I thought the story was pretty good. It was hard to keep the characters straight as it is simultaneously told from two different viewpoints in different times simultaneously. The first half of the story moved really slowly but the second half moved at a good pace. All of the main characters are gay or bi. At first I thought it was weird but then I thought about all the stories I've read where all the main characters were straight. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence and Violence

Minor: Homophobia

lyssylyssy's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Violence, Vomit, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Abortion, and Murder

tangleroot_eli's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

This book has an intriguing premise and gets off to a good start. The settings are beautifully described, and some of the minor characters are quite vividly drawn. But the vast similarities between Deirdre and Gracelynn, as well as the large chunks of Deirdre’s story that we're told in Gracelynn’s sections made me feel like I was reading the same book twice at once. I really liked how the story(ies) resolve, but I definitely slogged through the middle.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Police brutality, Abortion, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Graphic: Religious trauma Moderate: Slut shaming

dae_as's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual assault

readmorbookz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Abortion

teatunesandtales's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Blood, and Abandonment

Minor: Abortion and Classism

cowmingo's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Incest

redheadorganist's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape

srivalli's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

3.75

 3.7 Stars

One Liner: Atmospheric but drags a little

1931, Arkansas 

Nineteen-year-old Gracelynn helps her adoptive grandmother, a healer and a midwife, treat the citizens of Tin Mountain. The arrival of Reverand Bellflower triggers a series of events that determine her fate and that of the land. Can Gracelynn understand the truth from the past and acknowledge her powers to settle the scores forever? 

 The story is presented in two timelines, with the third as an interlude. The narration is in Gracelynn and Dierdre’s POVs in their respective timelines. 

What I Like: 

The book starts with a bang. The prologue and the first chapter are equally engrossing. The setting comes alive on the pages. It has a solid spooky atmosphere (but I need more power, considering the themes). 

Gracelynn is definitely easier to like. Her adopted granny does what a witchy granny would do. I rather like Ebba’s character arc, though Esme shows potential before fading away. 

The hypocrisy of villagers (and people in general) comes out very well in how they interact with Gracelynn. The references to natives and the fear of ‘witches’ (while still approaching them for help) really stand out. 

The book deals with LGBT themes using multiple characters. While it feels repetitive, it is cohesive and blends into the overall plotline. 

What Could Have Been Better for Me:

The premise requires both timelines to have certain similar events. However, too many elements feel the same in both. Given how temperamental the narrators sound, it gets confusing to keep the tracks separate in my mind. Somehow, using first-person and third-person POVs didn’t help much. 

While I like books that can be speed-read, my primary intent as a reader is to NOT speed-read and enjoy the story. But this one reads better when I up the pace, which points out the drawn-out narration in some places (things seem to go in circles at one stage). 

The climax is the key books like this. I want that impact to resonate and linger for a while. Here, the build-up is stronger than the actual climax. (I slowed to a normal pace to savor the scene, but it was done a little too soon). 

To summarize, The Witch of Tin Mountain is an atmospheric novel that presents witch trials with an interesting plot. The author’s note provides more insights into the story and the land. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #TheWicthofTinMountain 

*** 

P.S: Rating this was hard as I continued to waver between 3.5 and 3.7 stars. The theme is something I like, and the fact that I could speed-read without missing vital information makes it a 3.7-star book. So, here we go and round it up to 4 stars.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, and Abortion