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ceredonia's review against another edition
2.0
Definitely an interesting read. I liked parts and hated parts. It's very lyrical, and sometimes that got to be too much.
lifeinpoetry's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this, it's a mixture of the midlife crisis and cancer novel except told from a woman's POV with some late-in-life queerness. Darkly funny, I laughed quite a bit.
I don't require likeability, especially from female characters, so I wasn't offput that this woman deftly destroys her until-then well-manicured life within a matter of weeks. I liked the meta of her wanting to act like a man in regards to her mid-life crisis while knowing she'd likely go unforgiven for not doing what she'd done her whole life, smoothing things over for everyone else, and for not being the perfect wife/mother/professor.
CW: college-age student/teacher relationship, consensual (of course, the power imbalance/age difference)
I don't require likeability, especially from female characters, so I wasn't offput that this woman deftly destroys her until-then well-manicured life within a matter of weeks. I liked the meta of her wanting to act like a man in regards to her mid-life crisis while knowing she'd likely go unforgiven for not doing what she'd done her whole life, smoothing things over for everyone else, and for not being the perfect wife/mother/professor.
CW: college-age student/teacher relationship, consensual (of course, the power imbalance/age difference)
meganjotrincot's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 / I really loved a few of the sentiments in here but mostly the narrator annoyed me. Women with perfectly normal lives burning them down for the sake of nothing? Trying to gain control or feel like a man? Is a boring narrative to me or at least done like this. Anyway it had a few moments. I’m glad I’m done w it !
knugirl's review against another edition
Samantha Baxter, a professor with a stable family life, is diagnosed with breast cancer at age 42, throwing her world into upheaval. BANSHEE is a deep dive into the inner monologue of Samantha as she explores both the paralysis and liberation her diagnoses offers. Told over the span of three weeks, this novel offers a portrayal of self discovery and self destruction as Samantha tries to be her truest self, whatever that may mean.
awllnt's review against another edition
3.0
I found this book to be quite thematically interesting (breast cancer! infidelity! children! academia!), and beautifully written. Several turns of phrase really struck me. This is my first time reading anything by DeWoskin, so I wonder whether this is a trait of the character's own narration or of her writing more generally. In regards to the central character, I really found myself following her slow spiral into insanity. All in all, a good read!
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