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sylviatp's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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
4.25
_penceyprep_'s review against another edition
2.0
Enjoyed the first third, but then turned into a slog.
erincny_'s review against another edition
5.0
ok, masterpiece??? this probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but it is right up my alley. cosmos, cults, road trip, ghosts, life, death, alternating narratives, fate, birth, motherhood, trauma, love…wow. samantha hunt really said, i’m gonna write a book about everything! and damn did she.
carokfulf's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful and strange, a ghost story for people who know that all stories are ghost stories.
shybane's review against another edition
2.0
I’m really finding it difficult to write about this one. I have been chewing on this for quite a while. So much so, it has become overly masticated, flavorless pulp. It’s now one of those shit or get off the pot moments. So, here I am throwing a bunch of it against the wall determining what sticks.
This is two stories written in parallel. Each story focuses on one of the two leading characters. These separate stories muddled the prose and made it difficult to be fully engaged in either character. Perhaps this led to my general apathy toward them.
It wasn’t until the end that the stories built upon one another. But, it was too late for the characters; Ruth, a kid stuck in the foster system, and Cora, Ruth’s niece, were already dead to me.
Ruth’s story lays out a pretty dismal life. From her abusive mother scarring her to her super evangelical, foster father who’s only in it for the governmental checks. The foster father runs “Love of Christ!” Emphasis on the exclamation. I did find this amusing as this generally means you’re taking the Lord’s name in vain. His foster children appear to be his only parishioners.
Ruth’s only solace, after her real sister aged out of the foster home, is her “sister” Nat. Together, they call to “Mr. Splitfoot,” which allows them to speak to the dead. Soon the two use their talents as part of a con. And thus, their journey begins.
Cora, has so much more than her aunt, but as gleaned from her first-person narrative, she has nothing. We learn that she’s pregnant from an adulterous relationship with an older man. The guy calls himself “Lord.” Obviously, he’s a dick. After a spectacularly awful experience with Lord, Ruth appears. Mute, she beckons Cora to come with her. And thus, their journey begins.
The narrative, as mentioned, though disparate, slowly intertwines as we reach the books end. The reveal is ruined by the dust jacket’s synopsis, so it’s best to go in without reading it. It would certainly add to the enjoyment of the book.
There is genuine tension sprinkled throughout, as well as a great deal of revulsion. In the end, I was left underwhelmed and lacking.
This is two stories written in parallel. Each story focuses on one of the two leading characters. These separate stories muddled the prose and made it difficult to be fully engaged in either character. Perhaps this led to my general apathy toward them.
It wasn’t until the end that the stories built upon one another. But, it was too late for the characters; Ruth, a kid stuck in the foster system, and Cora, Ruth’s niece, were already dead to me.
Ruth’s story lays out a pretty dismal life. From her abusive mother scarring her to her super evangelical, foster father who’s only in it for the governmental checks. The foster father runs “Love of Christ!” Emphasis on the exclamation. I did find this amusing as this generally means you’re taking the Lord’s name in vain. His foster children appear to be his only parishioners.
Ruth’s only solace, after her real sister aged out of the foster home, is her “sister” Nat. Together, they call to “Mr. Splitfoot,” which allows them to speak to the dead. Soon the two use their talents as part of a con. And thus, their journey begins.
Cora, has so much more than her aunt, but as gleaned from her first-person narrative, she has nothing. We learn that she’s pregnant from an adulterous relationship with an older man. The guy calls himself “Lord.” Obviously, he’s a dick. After a spectacularly awful experience with Lord, Ruth appears. Mute, she beckons Cora to come with her. And thus, their journey begins.
The narrative, as mentioned, though disparate, slowly intertwines as we reach the books end. The reveal is ruined by the dust jacket’s synopsis, so it’s best to go in without reading it. It would certainly add to the enjoyment of the book.
There is genuine tension sprinkled throughout, as well as a great deal of revulsion. In the end, I was left underwhelmed and lacking.
alienclans's review against another edition
5.0
Well I think this is the last book I will ever read. It was the pinnacle of art. I no longer need other books. This felt like it was written from my own heart, exactly to all my tastes. No other books need to be written.
Seriously though, this was beautiful and I loved it. It’s easily a new all time favorite. I don’t want to talk about it further. My thoughts are mine and I’m keeping them.
Seriously though, this was beautiful and I loved it. It’s easily a new all time favorite. I don’t want to talk about it further. My thoughts are mine and I’m keeping them.
iancarpenter's review against another edition
4.0
Fun, cool, moody and that most elusive of reading experiences for me - legitimately scary in spots. There was a relaxed edginess to it all that effectively teased out awfulness just around the corner but rarely went there - and that was so right for me. Loved the writing, will definitely read more of her.
sarcasticnerdette's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
vegantrav's review against another edition
3.0
Samantha Hunt is an exceptional writer. In Mr. Splitfoot, she ties together two interconnected stories, separated from each other in time but gradually growing closer and closer together, and she tells these two stories through a series of picaresque vignettes, each of which is good in its own right. I was thoroughly engaged throughout this novel. But although I liked this novel, I didn't really love it.
The two intertwining plot threads were interesting, were good. But they weren't compelling. And the characters, though odd and fascinating, weren't characters who really moved me; they weren't characters about whose fates I cared deeply. So, neither the two main plot lines nor the characters made me love this novel. Yet it was still so well written that I very much enjoyed it. Mr. Splitfoot was a solid 3-star read, but just not quite up to a 4-star rating.
The two intertwining plot threads were interesting, were good. But they weren't compelling. And the characters, though odd and fascinating, weren't characters who really moved me; they weren't characters about whose fates I cared deeply. So, neither the two main plot lines nor the characters made me love this novel. Yet it was still so well written that I very much enjoyed it. Mr. Splitfoot was a solid 3-star read, but just not quite up to a 4-star rating.
mlliu's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating is 4.5 stars.
What a strange story. It's the kind of book I might have picked up because ooh, ghost story. At the same time, I don't usually read about such characters or settings or circumstances. If someone had presented the book to me in that way—orphans are fostered in a group home by a religious zealot in Upstate New York—I would have declined to read it. But it was a book-club selection and knowing little about it, the story managed to draw me in. It's creepy and compelling. Not much happens, but I had to follow the thread of a mystery.
What a strange story. It's the kind of book I might have picked up because ooh, ghost story. At the same time, I don't usually read about such characters or settings or circumstances. If someone had presented the book to me in that way—orphans are fostered in a group home by a religious zealot in Upstate New York—I would have declined to read it. But it was a book-club selection and knowing little about it, the story managed to draw me in. It's creepy and compelling. Not much happens, but I had to follow the thread of a mystery.