Reviews with content warning for Violence - Whiskey When We're Dry

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Whiskey When We're Dry by John Larison

14 reviews

emilyhanson13's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-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

4.75

Content Warnings

sarahkorn's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

I picked this up at random looking for another cowgirl/sapphic western and was very pleasantly surprised at how good this book was. Lots of cowboy gun-slinging action, beautiful place setting, and a loveable yet complicated cast of characters. Jess as the lead had a huge heart, and I was warmed by the overall message.

There are two big downsides for me: lots of violence/gore (personal preference - check the trigger warnings) and heavy usage of racial slurs. I understand the argument that could be made about keeping the language accurate to the time period (that part I think succeeded) but at a point, especially for a book written by a white male author, it's excessive and fairly lazy as a creative device in 2024.

Content Warnings

ceruleanseas's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

clovo's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

shieldbearer's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

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? Yes

3.0

Yet another entry in the "girl dresses like a boy and goes west in search of missing familiy members" Western subgenre, but one that is for the most part, well done. Jess has a strong voice, and I appreciate the thought that clearly went into building Jess and her journey. The descriptions of nature and the turns fo phrases were very good.

However, there were some aspects of the novel that did not have as much care built into them, and they're almost all regarding the issue of race.

1. the Constance and Will romance just fell flat to me. If the novel hadn't tried to be "realistic" maybe I could have lived with it, but the idea of a white woman with a Black man was so taboo and terrifying to white people at the time, especially with her immense class privilege in tandem. Will deserved far better and more narrative focus I did not give a single fuck about Constance 2. the children that Noah "saved" from the residential school, and the fact that a Black man is the only one taking issue with their presence at Noah's hideout. Like, they'r every much there as props only mentioned when its convenient and to pull at our heartstrings. Bringing in something like a residential schools, which were a tool of Christian hegemony to "save the Indian", is a topic that needs to be treated with appropeiate care and nuance, and to have the Indigenous children saved by an outlaw who's very much into the religious angle and was just as proslyetizing... could have been an interesting angle except that angle is not considered. Noah is a straight up White Savior.

And then there was the repeated assertion that even 12-year old boys desperately want sex, to the point that NOT wanting sex is odd enough that it get Jess discovered, and we're supposed to be FINE with that one sex worker straight up groping/assaulting Jess EVEN AFTER SHE TELLS THE SEX WORKER NOT TO and this happens more than once. I kept reading but it left a very bad taste in my mouth.

Overall it's well constructed, but I"m still looking for a female-led Western novel that can compare to True Grit.

Content Warnings

aliciadietrich's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

dozyfirbolg's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional reflective slow-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? Yes

4.75

I think this book set the bar for what I want out of my western books

It takes a second to kick off, its a slow litfic at its core but its introspection never feels dawdling or drawn out. never annoying. There's a grief and a love that makes this book carry to the end. Its tender at the same time its bitter and hard. its not for everyone but if you're willing to sit with it snd let the book take you on this journey you'll be better for it.

It felt like a deconstruction of what you know the genre to be- it falls into stereotypes but it feels more like a critique of the genre then anything else. it looks fondly on the genre and the time with nostalgia while also reminding you how Awful this time period was and could be.

The prose this books holds in it will stay with me for a while. and I'll hold this book in my heart a lot longer.

Content Warnings