A review by smartie_chan
Whispers in the Woods by K.C. Carmine
4.0
3.5 / 5 Stars
One of the biggest complaints I have with this book, is its length. Like, don't get me wrong, it's nice for what it is and it's sweet and all but, it's tackling - or trying to tackle - some really serious things. Especially since the author themselves seems 100% capable of doing it realistically.
OK, context. This takes place in an eastern european country that shall not be named. It's very likely Poland, but if you wanna go with any other homophobic eastern country - like Russia - that would also work. I'm not polish, so I might not be the most quallified person to tell you about the very serious problems Poland has had over the years, but let's just say, being a queer in Poland hasn't been the bestest of experiences. It's kinda sad to see that this book takes place in 2004 and it's STILL VERY MUCH ACCURATE. Honestly, could you imagine what this book could have been if it weren't just 100 pages long?
There was so much potential for more. It's why most of the side-characters are pushed into the shadows - which is a shame because we've got some very intersting ones.
Things this book had that might interst you:
+ Friends to Lovers
+ An insight into the Early 2000 East-European Queer Experience
+ Hurt/Comfort
+ Internalized Biphobia
+ Mystical Creatures
+ There was only one bed/tent
It touches some darker things as well, but not in too much detail and not explicitly. But it IS there.
All in all, I felt like this was a nice story.
One of the biggest complaints I have with this book, is its length. Like, don't get me wrong, it's nice for what it is and it's sweet and all but, it's tackling - or trying to tackle - some really serious things. Especially since the author themselves seems 100% capable of doing it realistically.
OK, context. This takes place in an eastern european country that shall not be named. It's very likely Poland, but if you wanna go with any other homophobic eastern country - like Russia - that would also work. I'm not polish, so I might not be the most quallified person to tell you about the very serious problems Poland has had over the years, but let's just say, being a queer in Poland hasn't been the bestest of experiences. It's kinda sad to see that this book takes place in 2004 and it's STILL VERY MUCH ACCURATE. Honestly, could you imagine what this book could have been if it weren't just 100 pages long?
There was so much potential for more. It's why most of the side-characters are pushed into the shadows - which is a shame because we've got some very intersting ones.
Things this book had that might interst you:
+ Friends to Lovers
+ An insight into the Early 2000 East-European Queer Experience
+ Hurt/Comfort
+ Internalized Biphobia
+ Mystical Creatures
+ There was only one bed/tent
It touches some darker things as well, but not in too much detail and not explicitly. But it IS there.
All in all, I felt like this was a nice story.