btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, Child death, Suicide attempt, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Medical content and Forced institutionalization
cait_henry56's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Interesting and fast paced, although I don't think it will stick with me.
Spoiler
It's more about motherhood than a ghost story or generational trauma </spoiler >
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Suicide
tinaclayton's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
An analogy for breaking generational trauma and the sacrifices of motherhood in the darkest, saddest possible way. If you need a happy ending or even a clear resolution this isn’t for you. I honestly liked it but the plot was way too slow, I had to force myself through until about halfway when it picked up a smidge.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, and Death of parent
coatpocketcreature's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Gore, and Suicide
Moderate: Grief and Homophobia
gg2019's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child death, Self harm, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcohol and Abandonment
lianavalente's review
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Child death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy
map_to_neverland's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Book Details:
-Genre: Gothic Mystery/Thriller
-Setting: Cape Disappointment, WA
-features a generational curse and a Siren
Atmosphere
My favorite element of this book was the atmosphere. It is a gothic, suspenseful novel about a curse that is taking the lives of mothers in a family line. But, this book is definitely a slow burn. It is not full of jump scares, horror, and witches. Its set in a scenic area, but the setting is described in an eerie way.
Themes
One thing this book does really well is balance the story about the curse with discussing themes of mother/daughter relationships. It ends up bringing a level of emotion to the story that wouldn’t have been present if it only focused on the curse.
Overall
This was a really interesting book! It is important to know what to expect, as it is described as a haunting story that is part ghost story. This book is not a horror about ghosts or a story about witchcraft and magic, but contains a slower atmospheric suspense.
-Genre: Gothic Mystery/Thriller
-Setting: Cape Disappointment, WA
-features a generational curse and a Siren
Atmosphere
My favorite element of this book was the atmosphere. It is a gothic, suspenseful novel about a curse that is taking the lives of mothers in a family line. But, this book is definitely a slow burn. It is not full of jump scares, horror, and witches. Its set in a scenic area, but the setting is described in an eerie way.
Themes
One thing this book does really well is balance the story about the curse with discussing themes of mother/daughter relationships. It ends up bringing a level of emotion to the story that wouldn’t have been present if it only focused on the curse.
Overall
This was a really interesting book! It is important to know what to expect, as it is described as a haunting story that is part ghost story. This book is not a horror about ghosts or a story about witchcraft and magic, but contains a slower atmospheric suspense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: War, Kidnapping, and Violence
liteartha's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
the sea, a curse, and generations of haunted women.
they drown our daughters centres on meredith who, amidst a separation from her wife, returns to her childhood home in cape disappointment with her daughter alice in tow. finding her own mother, judith, more paranoid than ever and now without the mitigating factor of her late step father, meredith finds herself once again facing talk of their family's supposed curse. intercut with chapters from women all along the family line, the dark truth of the strand family's history slowly comes together.
while this book thrives in its atmosphere and fraught mother-daughter relationships, the non-linear storytelling made it a challenge to get invested in the characters or even find them particularly distinct from one another. i applaud the late stage twist and bold ending, but do wish there'd been better pacing and character work throughout.
all in all, if a seaside gothic tale following a series of complicated women sounds promising to you, this is well worth picking up.
thank you to netgalley and poison pen press for providing this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review
they drown our daughters centres on meredith who, amidst a separation from her wife, returns to her childhood home in cape disappointment with her daughter alice in tow. finding her own mother, judith, more paranoid than ever and now without the mitigating factor of her late step father, meredith finds herself once again facing talk of their family's supposed curse. intercut with chapters from women all along the family line, the dark truth of the strand family's history slowly comes together.
while this book thrives in its atmosphere and fraught mother-daughter relationships, the non-linear storytelling made it a challenge to get invested in the characters or even find them particularly distinct from one another. i applaud the late stage twist and bold ending, but do wish there'd been better pacing and character work throughout.
all in all, if a seaside gothic tale following a series of complicated women sounds promising to you, this is well worth picking up.
thank you to netgalley and poison pen press for providing this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Suicide, and Death of parent
amandasbookreview's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you, Katrina Monroe, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book! It releases on July 12th, 2022!
“Everyone around here talks about the cape like it exists for the sole purpose of either killing or blessing them. Curses or Mermaids. They forget…” She sipped the vodka, willing it to stay down. “It’s all about the mothers.”
THEY DROWN OUR DAUGHTERS
I was so excited to be given an opportunity to read They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe because they said it is perfect for fans of Jennifer McMahon, whom I love! Be prepared for multiple perspectives and timelines, but the main timeline begins in the present when Meredith leaves her wife and heads home to Cape Disappointment with her daughter, Alice. There are rumors that it is haunted and Meredith’s family is at the center of the rumors. While Meredith doesn’t believe in ghost stories, her mother does. But soon Meredith hears the call from the ocean and suspects her daughter does as well. Maybe she needs to start believing in order to save her daughter from a cruel family fate.
There is a lot happening in this story. It is about multiple generations of women who endure trauma and can’t escape a family curse. It all starts with one mother who would do anything, even kill, to keep her children. But is that really what happens? At first, I thought I knew where this story was headed but I am not going to lie the last quarter of the book did lose me a little bit. The finale of the book is heartwrenching, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry–because I totally did. But the portion before the finale could have used a little polishing. It just didn’t flow as well as the rest of the story.
Many people will hate the different timelines and perspectives but I loved it. It really dove into the inner workings of the mother-daughter relationships within this single family. The quote above states, “It’s all about the mothers.”–and it is so true. We watch Meredith go from unsure and broken from being in a terrible marriage, not being able to connect with her mother, and doubting her abilities as a mother to knowing precisely what to do and to heal the trauma of multiple generations. This book is wonderfully gothic and eerie and I was not disappointed! I definitely plan to read more of Katrina Monroe!
There is a lot happening in this story. It is about multiple generations of women who endure trauma and can’t escape a family curse. It all starts with one mother who would do anything, even kill, to keep her children. But is that really what happens? At first, I thought I knew where this story was headed but I am not going to lie the last quarter of the book did lose me a little bit. The finale of the book is heartwrenching, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry–because I totally did. But the portion before the finale could have used a little polishing. It just didn’t flow as well as the rest of the story.
Many people will hate the different timelines and perspectives but I loved it. It really dove into the inner workings of the mother-daughter relationships within this single family. The quote above states, “It’s all about the mothers.”–and it is so true. We watch Meredith go from unsure and broken from being in a terrible marriage, not being able to connect with her mother, and doubting her abilities as a mother to knowing precisely what to do and to heal the trauma of multiple generations. This book is wonderfully gothic and eerie and I was not disappointed! I definitely plan to read more of Katrina Monroe!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book.
Meredith Strand returns to her childhood home in Cape Disappointment with her young daughter, Alice, after separating from her wife.
The women in her family are said to be cursed, pulled to the call of the water. This story mainly focuses on Meredith, in the present, but the stories of the women you came before are woven in, creating a multi-timeline story that slowly comes together.
A dark, creepy, gothic atmosphere prevails throughout the book. The several different, non-linear timelines and characters can be confusing at times, and the pacing was a bit too slow at times. Over-all an enjoyable read though.
Meredith Strand returns to her childhood home in Cape Disappointment with her young daughter, Alice, after separating from her wife.
The women in her family are said to be cursed, pulled to the call of the water. This story mainly focuses on Meredith, in the present, but the stories of the women you came before are woven in, creating a multi-timeline story that slowly comes together.
A dark, creepy, gothic atmosphere prevails throughout the book. The several different, non-linear timelines and characters can be confusing at times, and the pacing was a bit too slow at times. Over-all an enjoyable read though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent