Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird

Reviews for each story are as short as I can keep them. I Also had a bit of trouble finding trigger/content warnings for the stories, so I documented some to hopefully make the search a little easier for someone else.

A Light, Swift, and Monstrous Sound - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Suicide, Body Horror

This was a banger, literally.

Roberto - ⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Pedophilia

I'm so uncomfy, but I still don't get it?

Unamuno's Boxes - ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

TW/CW: Serial Killer

This felt rushed. I really would have liked more context. The last line really hit, though.

Candy Pink - ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

TW/CW: Psychological Break, Suicide

This was literally the most disturbing story in the entire anthology. Oh my god.

Anita and Happiness - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Hint of Murder Fantasy

Solid. I enjoyed it.

Dishwasher - ⭐️

TW/CW: Mental Illness

What was the point?

Earth - ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

TW/CW: Pedophilia, Murder, Toxic Family, Child Abandonment

This really hit me in the feels, but the conclusion is a bit unrealistic.

Perfect Symmetry - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Murder

Again, this needs more context.

The Wolf's Breath - ⭐️

No major TW/CW.

This read like a draft.

Teicher vs. Nietzsche - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Fantasy of Animal Cruelty/Death (cat)

JUSTICE. I hope the cat eats him.

The Dead - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Parental Death, Grief from Child's Perspective

Wonderfully written.

Elena-Marie Sandoz - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

TW/CW: Stalking/Obsession, Suicide, Psychological Break

This story was set up pretty much perfectly, but it just wasn't intriguing enough for me. Women can't just exist. I know this. I don't need the reminder.

The Slowness of Pleasure - ⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Yearning for Death

Death is a pleasurable experience, I guess?

No Tears - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Funeral Voyeurism

A slow dance between the happiness and sadness that is inevitable within grief. Beautiful.

The Continuous Equality of the Circumference - ⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Mutilation

Striving for perfection will kill you, and you know it, but you do it anyway.

A Hole Hides a House - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Child Death

Absolutely tragic, being that close to freedom. At least he's dead though.

Hell - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Animal Cruelty/Death (birds)

The first glimpse of freedom not taken is the first glimpse of hell. The impact would have been better with a human subject, but I still very much enjoyed the premise.

Architecture - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Religious Horror

I feel the same about the church I was raised in.

Mary Carminum - ⭐️

TW/CW: Religious/Cult Horror

This just felt thrown together. I have no idea how decisions were made, what anyone was doing, or what I was supposed to take from this story.

The Solitary Ones - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW/CW: Mention of Animal Death (dog)

Routine creepy ghost story.

Overall Average: 3.35⭐️ but I'm happy enough to bump it to 4⭐️

Content Warnings

trisjt's review

Go to review page

dark reflective fast-paced

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

1.0

I absolutely hated this

Content Warnings

femmeprints's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I loved this short story book. Adiobooking this type of book can be hard because everything is just so fast paced but I really liked it. Most of the stories were deeply dark, mysterious, grotesque, obscure, and horror based. Really good for those who are into those types of stories.

Content Warnings

priscillarobock's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.25

Content Warnings

magsnificent's review

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A

5.0

My first five star of 2024.

Where to begin on this book? It was so impactful, and my first thought was that I was so glad I bought it instead of borrowing it from the library.
This book was listed as horror, and while it does deal with some horror-like themes, I find it more psychological and just dark themed than anything.

What stuck out to me the most about this book were the themes of loss. I found myself clutching this book to my chest after every story and absorbing it.

Please don't go in to this book expecting something scary. If you like dark and psychological, stories that make you think, then definitely DEFINITELY go for this one. I will be re reading.

Content Warnings

savshelfinger's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.5

lacks a certain imagination. all the gore with only some of the grit.

Would be DNF but I think I spite-finished it to vindicate my belief that TITF was overhyped

Content Warnings

snowiceblackfruit77's review

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

booksnbrooches's review

Go to review page

challenging dark slow-paced

Loveable characters? No

1.0

Based on for my personal enjoyment and rating of these stories, I hated it.

This book is filled with incomplete stories and trauma porn (specifically of women and children ). I guess if you want a really bad time, go ahead and read it.

Content Warnings

More...