Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Gilda Stories

i had to read this for my "contemporary afrodiasporic fiction," course and i didn't enjoy it all that much; it was lengthy... maybe, when i'm writing required responses for this book, i can then absorb it again someday.

Content Warnings

sproutedpages's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

Content Warnings

ahhhreadzombiez's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

byejohn's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Great story(ies), i really loved the interpretation/ application of vampire lore and mechanics here. A healthy mix of no-holds-barred action with moments of reflection. Also enjoyed the emphasis on family- and home-making. These vampires aren’t loners but recognize the importance of community!! Which rings very true imo for immortal yet not invulnerable beings.

A couple of points knocked off because I do have to say the writing style was very hit or miss for me- there were moments that felt very clunky or just weirdly written that didn’t quite deliver on the potential of the plot and characters. Additionally the ending felt really rushed to me. But that was mostly balanced out by the passages of brilliance!

Side note it was fun and depressing to read the author’s interpretations of life in 2020 and 2050!

Content Warnings

bisexualwentworth's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

4.25

I liked this book! A friend recommended it to me and said that I HAD to read it, and I definitely understand why. It's a fascinating mix of historical fiction and low fantasy with sympathetic, mostly benevolent vampires, ruminations on humanity, a dystopian element, and of course lots of queer shit.

The book begins in 1850s Louisiana with the main character escaping slavery and then falling in with a group of vampires. I will say, my least favorite part of the book by far was the fact that Gilda initially didn't have a name (she's just "the Girl") and inherits her name from another vampire. I'm not against the "new Gilda" thing. I just wish that she'd had another name first or that she'd actively chosen to go by Gilda instead of it seemingly just being put on her. I felt like she lacked agency a lot for the first couple of chapters, and that made it hard to get into the book initially, which was unfortunate because that's where we meet most of the recurring characters and get introduced to the vampire lore.

I definitely think the book got stronger toward the middle. The Broadway chapter and the 2020 chapter were definitely my favorites.

The writing style didn't totally work for me, but the content very much did, and I would absolutely recommend this classic Black lesbian vampire novel.

Content Warnings

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark inspiring reflective

4.0

Content Warnings

caseythereader's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective 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? No

3.5

- THE GILDA STORIES is an expansive, meditative exploration of found family, womanhood, and Blackness told through the story of Gilda, a young Black lesbian vampire, as she lives through the centuries.
- It took me a bit to get into this story, as I often find older novels keep the characters at a bit of a remove for my tastes. But once I got a handle on it, I was invested in Gilda and her search for a place and people to belong with.
- It reminded me quite a bit of Octavia E. Butler's work, not just for the vampire parallels to FLEDGLING, but also for the considerations of complex relationships and families as characters navigate new situations and realities.

Content Warnings

elizalavenza's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.0

Content Warnings

More...