Reviews

A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney

scrow1022's review against another edition

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4.0

What a question to think about, the nature of this particular haunting, its manifestations over decades (centuries!), the people it affects. So grounded in land and history.

cecilowo's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

pipbiz's review

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challenging mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

queerfelicity's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely ADORE this kind of horror! It's bright, colorful, and vibrantly descriptive. But still creeping and strange. I would say the book itself is around medium paced but it all comes together very quickly at the end. 
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jb_fletcher's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

irenemarie's review

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

carrienation76's review against another edition

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4.0

This is a hauntingly beautiful book, weaving a tale of generational trauma, love, spirituality, and fixation. I'm still mulling over the symbolism. Gidney manages to pack a lot into roughly 200 pages, leaving a lot unsaid. This adds to the mystery within the book and makes this a whirlwind read.

blitzjess's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

danimacuk's review

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4.0

A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney gave me three fully fleshed-out genres in one book. It's simultaneously a mystery, a historical drama, and contemporary queer fiction. Not many novels can pull off combining this many genres and not have it feel overwhelming or stretched too thin, but this book kept me engaged throughout the switching of time periods with it's unapologetic, raw, and nuanced characters.

I'm so thankful this was recommended to me through my local library. What a quick and powerful read. Can't wait to explore more from this author!

vulturetime's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a really fascinating read and it didn't take much to get engrossed in the characters. For me, it was a bit of a rocky start with the prose, but I grew to really enjoy it. There are also some really beautiful sections, imo, and the way that Gidney describes color and the paintings is really fascinating. Not everything is directly answered and I'll probably think of the ending and some other aspects for a while. 
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