lucy_bookworm's review
3.0
This is a dark, melancholic gothic horror with supernatural elements – quite different to my usual read!
Meredith Strand is dealing with a relationship breakdown and has taken her young daughter Alice back to her mother’s home in the rather aptly named “Cape Disappointment” (which is a real place in Washington state, USA). Meredith knows of the “family curse” and the legends of the mermaids, but if she can her daughter away from the water, everything should be fine. When a mysterious red-headed girl turns up at a funeral, and again on the beach telling 7 yr old Alice that she is going to die, Meredith is determined to figure out who she is, what is going on and what has caused so many of the women in their family to drown. When Alice goes missing, she starts to unravel so many of the strands that have bound the women of her family together for generations.
The story is told through five generations of women bound to the ocean by a family “curse” and a legend of mermaids.
The writing is incredibly atmospheric & descriptive, spooky, creepy yet realistic. The back & forth between the different women sort of works, though it gets very confusing at times and unfortunately the books drags around 2/3 of the way through & could be better if it was shortened to remove the section that just feels repetitive. I did like that the ending wasn’t the cheesy “happy ever after” style that so often ruins this sort of storyline.
Ultimately this is a tale of mystery, curses, family loyalty, the mother-daughter bond and the dangers of the sea, and I am sure it will appeal to those who enjoy a gothic horror with supernatural elements.
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own & my review is left voluntarily.
Meredith Strand is dealing with a relationship breakdown and has taken her young daughter Alice back to her mother’s home in the rather aptly named “Cape Disappointment” (which is a real place in Washington state, USA). Meredith knows of the “family curse” and the legends of the mermaids, but if she can her daughter away from the water, everything should be fine. When a mysterious red-headed girl turns up at a funeral, and again on the beach telling 7 yr old Alice that she is going to die, Meredith is determined to figure out who she is, what is going on and what has caused so many of the women in their family to drown. When Alice goes missing, she starts to unravel so many of the strands that have bound the women of her family together for generations.
The story is told through five generations of women bound to the ocean by a family “curse” and a legend of mermaids.
The writing is incredibly atmospheric & descriptive, spooky, creepy yet realistic. The back & forth between the different women sort of works, though it gets very confusing at times and unfortunately the books drags around 2/3 of the way through & could be better if it was shortened to remove the section that just feels repetitive. I did like that the ending wasn’t the cheesy “happy ever after” style that so often ruins this sort of storyline.
Ultimately this is a tale of mystery, curses, family loyalty, the mother-daughter bond and the dangers of the sea, and I am sure it will appeal to those who enjoy a gothic horror with supernatural elements.
Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own & my review is left voluntarily.
natbrooke94's review
3.0
(Before I start, part of the reason this book only got 3 stars is my own fault. I found the timelines a bit confusing and wished there was a family tree of sorts at the beginning of the book, but came to find out there was a family tree at the end of the novel....oops... so I'm bumping it up to 3.5 stars)
"I'm sad because she's sad, and I'm scared because she's scared. She's alone forever, Mom, and it hurts so bad and I can't breathe and... and..."
There's something... off about Cape Disappointment. Whether it's a curse, a mermaid, or a slew of mental health issues, something has been killing off the mothers and daughters of the Holm family for generations. Meredith thought she had escaped her fate at the bottom of the ocean, but like the tide something pulled her back out to the sea.
I liked this book, don't get me wrong, but it dragged in spots and the different timelines could get a bit confusing. Like I'm still not 100% sure how.
Overall, the parts about the complex nature of the relationship between mothers and daughters were excellent, but the rest was a bit.. meh. I feel like the author tried to straddle the line between supernatural and mental illness and I almost wish the book had leaned a little more into the complexities of inherited mental illness rather than the supernatural ghost story elements. It felt less like she was toeing the line between the two and more like she was hop-scotching back and forth between them before finally landing on supernatural. I enjoyed this book, but it just felt like it didn't always know what it was trying to be.
"I'm sad because she's sad, and I'm scared because she's scared. She's alone forever, Mom, and it hurts so bad and I can't breathe and... and..."
There's something... off about Cape Disappointment. Whether it's a curse, a mermaid, or a slew of mental health issues, something has been killing off the mothers and daughters of the Holm family for generations. Meredith thought she had escaped her fate at the bottom of the ocean, but like the tide something pulled her back out to the sea.
I liked this book, don't get me wrong, but it dragged in spots and the different timelines could get a bit confusing. Like I'm still not 100% sure how
Spoiler
Regina managed to survive on an island for all of this time or how she even got there in the first place. Was it supernatural? Did it have something to do with the spellwork that Constance was helping her with? It just felt... a little out of placeOverall, the parts about the complex nature of the relationship between mothers and daughters were excellent, but the rest was a bit.. meh. I feel like the author tried to straddle the line between supernatural and mental illness and I almost wish the book had leaned a little more into the complexities of inherited mental illness rather than the supernatural ghost story elements. It felt less like she was toeing the line between the two and more like she was hop-scotching back and forth between them before finally landing on supernatural. I enjoyed this book, but it just felt like it didn't always know what it was trying to be.
trinitysjones's review
3.0
Pressed into my hands by a close friend. This book was good, don’t get me wrong, but I was not amazed by it. Hard at parts to get through.
lexhuffy's review
5.0
So I’m reallly not a fan of these types of books. HOWEVER this is an incredibly chilling tale that had me on the edge literally the whole book. I’m seriously recommending all of my book friends to read this!!! Speechless!!!
jaded618's review
4.0
This book was so interesting! From the beginning I was swept into the story and fascinated about how each generation of mothers and daughters were different and similar. I will admit when the chapters began to alternate to so many different women, I was afraid the story would get too diluted and the depth for each character would not be flushed out. Luckily, those extra chapters were added to elaborate on to the story, without taking anything away.
The ending was just amazingly heart-wrenching and I wish I could read it again for a different ending. Such a good book and I am excited to pick up more from this author.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Publishing for an advanced copy to read and review!
The ending was just amazingly heart-wrenching and I wish I could read it again for a different ending. Such a good book and I am excited to pick up more from this author.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Publishing for an advanced copy to read and review!
melcanread's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
4.0
Well... that was intense.
They Drown Our Daughters follows the lives of Meredith Strand and all of her maternal ancestors of five generations. After a historical tragedy that left the family "cursed", Meredith seeks to discover the truth and right the wrongs of a hundred years ago, and put an end to the haunting at Cape Disappointment.
Starting off with a personal confession, but I promise you it holds relevance, I'm normally a tough nut to crack when it comes to horror books and ghost stories. Growing up in haunted houses myself, ghosts don't particularly scare me, nor do the stories about them. However, I made sure I had my back to the wall when I read this book and even kept looking over my shoulder while I read it at work. (Yes, I was that hooked that once I started it, I couldn't put it down... even reading it during my breaks between classes.)
I think my main criticism of this story has to be that there were too many characters, especially when Tempest and Calamity came onto the scene. Perhaps this is just a "me problem", but I just found it difficult to keep up, and kept forgetting which one was which. And especially when the story kept jumping from matriarch to matriarch, and other characters and networks were introduced, I had to keep flipping back and reminding myself who was who and where they came from and whatnot. Though I will say, the family tree at the end of the book was both a nice touch and a great help.
Also, a few of the characters were flawed which was great for giving the book a sense of realism, of course, but for some of these characters we needed extra explanations as to why they chose the paths they chose. Why they clung on to certain others as much as they did, because a few of the characters felt two-dimensional, while others were clearly sculpted and fleshed out.
But as I mentioned, this book had me hooked from start to finish. And at no point was it ever predictable. I got about 70% into it and decided that me trying to figure it out ahead of time, like one often does when the plot is described as "mysterious". Because every single theory I had was wrong. I definitely didn't expect the ending, nor was I left particularly unsatisfied.
Though I mildly criticised it before, I loved how we got to jump around the timeline of the five generations, and how we were able to see how the curse affected each of the women differently. I also really liked how each of the generations gave birth in similar fashions (i.e. they always had at least one daughter and one son), and how this tradition broke with Judith and Meredith because they were the only daughters to challenge what was, and break the cycle. And then eventually when you see Alice and her family, the pattern has been completely shattered.
I also loved how normalised and accepted Meredith's sexuality was, though I was a little shocked to discover the older generation was as accepting of it given history's track record.
Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and it's the first book in a long time to get me hooked and actually obsessed with it for the 10 hours it took to get through it. If you love wlw representing main characters and horror stories, this book is definitely for you.
They Drown Our Daughters follows the lives of Meredith Strand and all of her maternal ancestors of five generations. After a historical tragedy that left the family "cursed", Meredith seeks to discover the truth and right the wrongs of a hundred years ago, and put an end to the haunting at Cape Disappointment.
Starting off with a personal confession, but I promise you it holds relevance, I'm normally a tough nut to crack when it comes to horror books and ghost stories. Growing up in haunted houses myself, ghosts don't particularly scare me, nor do the stories about them. However, I made sure I had my back to the wall when I read this book and even kept looking over my shoulder while I read it at work. (Yes, I was that hooked that once I started it, I couldn't put it down... even reading it during my breaks between classes.)
I think my main criticism of this story has to be that there were too many characters, especially when Tempest and Calamity came onto the scene. Perhaps this is just a "me problem", but I just found it difficult to keep up, and kept forgetting which one was which. And especially when the story kept jumping from matriarch to matriarch, and other characters and networks were introduced, I had to keep flipping back and reminding myself who was who and where they came from and whatnot. Though I will say, the family tree at the end of the book was both a nice touch and a great help.
Spoiler
I also didn't like how the reason Regina was still alive was never fully explained. This elderly woman, as mobile and robust as she ended up being, was at the ripe old age of at least 100 and yet she was still spritely and... alive? When this was addressed in the books, we were told that there were theories but never any concrete answers. And that made it feel a little forced and lazy. Like, "I want Regina to live, but I don't want to explain why so here's a half-assed explanation for you to be on your way." Kind of thing. It was a fantastic plot twist, and at no point did I ever see it coming. I thought, perhaps, maybe Gina was Cassie and not Regina... but it would have been nice for there to have been some kind of explanation rather than a brush off of, "oh there are theories" and then nothing else explained.Also, a few of the characters were flawed which was great for giving the book a sense of realism, of course, but for some of these characters we needed extra explanations as to why they chose the paths they chose. Why they clung on to certain others as much as they did, because a few of the characters felt two-dimensional, while others were clearly sculpted and fleshed out.
But as I mentioned, this book had me hooked from start to finish. And at no point was it ever predictable. I got about 70% into it and decided that me trying to figure it out ahead of time, like one often does when the plot is described as "mysterious". Because every single theory I had was wrong. I definitely didn't expect the ending, nor was I left particularly unsatisfied.
Though I mildly criticised it before, I loved how we got to jump around the timeline of the five generations, and how we were able to see how the curse affected each of the women differently. I also really liked how each of the generations gave birth in similar fashions (i.e. they always had at least one daughter and one son), and how this tradition broke with Judith and Meredith because they were the only daughters to challenge what was, and break the cycle. And then eventually when you see Alice and her family, the pattern has been completely shattered.
I also loved how normalised and accepted Meredith's sexuality was, though I was a little shocked to discover the older generation was as accepting of it given history's track record.
Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and it's the first book in a long time to get me hooked and actually obsessed with it for the 10 hours it took to get through it. If you love wlw representing main characters and horror stories, this book is definitely for you.
needleclicker's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Absolutely stunningly good. So creepy. Much dark
ellie_egg's review
5.0
Thank you to Sourcebooks and Goodreads for the Kindle copy!
Wow this book! First of all, it's always so enjoyable to read books set in my home state. Funny enough, my parents had just returned from a trip to Cape Disappointment when I won this book.
Secondly, I loved the horror and thriller aspects of this book. I think the other media I most closesly relate this book to are Mike Flanagan's amazing shows The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Haunting of Hill House. The family relationships reminded me a lot of the Crain family, and the "mermaid" definitely reminded me of the lady in the lake, even before we know the mermaid's identity.
The only real issue I had was with the later portions on the island. It felt kind of muddled and almost took me out of it. But the ending brought it all back to me, and hit me right in the feels.
I would highly recommend this book, and I am so happy to have it be my 150th book of the year!
Wow this book! First of all, it's always so enjoyable to read books set in my home state. Funny enough, my parents had just returned from a trip to Cape Disappointment when I won this book.
Secondly, I loved the horror and thriller aspects of this book. I think the other media I most closesly relate this book to are Mike Flanagan's amazing shows The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Haunting of Hill House. The family relationships reminded me a lot of the Crain family, and the "mermaid" definitely reminded me of the lady in the lake, even before we know the mermaid's identity.
The only real issue I had was with the later portions on the island. It felt kind of muddled and almost took me out of it. But the ending brought it all back to me, and hit me right in the feels.
I would highly recommend this book, and I am so happy to have it be my 150th book of the year!
rachelal's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5