Reviews

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

trinefuqit's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

savannahohsullivan's review against another edition

3.0

3 1/2

ashezds's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

very beautiful …. feels like some type of dedication to women and womanhood i think . really well done and draws you in to the story too.
i love the different stories/timelines running through the book, it makes sense with the ideas and ghosts in the book and from a trauma-writing point of view. (lack of) linearity always a beautiful and powerful tool !! i love her!!
also really enjoyed all the different relationships and ways of loving that we get to see. particularly familial relationships which are a bit dysfunctional but you can still see and feel how much love is there. it’s like an ache to feel it so deeply and be unable to express it or break the cycles/patterns passed down to you, but really loved

how viv and her sister and mum are reaching past this by the end of the book, similarly to the ending for ruth and the boys too.

overall !! amazing ! evie wyld you have done it again

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

joann_b's review against another edition

tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.0

aridav64's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-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? No

4.5

patrick_dale91's review against another edition

3.0

Whilst having great characters and a brilliant premise, this book ended up disappointing me. It tells the story of three women in completely different times who all suffer cruelly at the hands of men, but are all linked by the setting: the bass rock. My first issue is in fact the setting. I was hoping for a domineering setting that was pervasive throughout the novel (I'm thinking Manderley in Rebecca) but it never came close to becoming a presence. As well as this, the characters are very oddly outbalanced: the tale of Sarah, accused of witchcraft in 1700s, is bit part in comparison to the others and thus feels strangely latched on to the book. I enjoyed Ruth's story greatly, and almost wonder if this could have been the entire novel- I wasn't ready for her story to end tbh; Vivienne's, told in contemporary times, I cared least for.

gemlobz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

fiannah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

lambsears's review against another edition

3.0

Again, I wish we could give half stars, because three is not quite enough, four too enthusiastic.

This was an easy book to read, and one I wanted to like and was interested enough in to keep reading, but one I found ultimately irritating.

Wyld has a point to make about male violence towards women, but does so in a heavy handed and disjointed manner.

The story line jumps around a little too much. The peripheral characters are so briefly glimpsed as to almost seem like flag waving, and the main threads of narrative are unsatisfying, with just too many histrionic, overwrought and passively ineffectual women for my liking.

Feels like it's all trying a little too hard.

juli_mod's review against another edition

3.0

langsam nur nimmt das Buch an Fahrt auf: es verspricht ja eine gothic novel über Hexen und Frauengemeinschaften zu sein. Doch nur mühsam finden die Frauen zusammen, würden vielleicht gar nicht zusammenfinden, wenn die Männer des Buches nicht so grotesk gewalttätig wären. Die sehr grafische Beschreibung von Gewalt gegen Frauen, die mehrfach die Kapitel des Buches abschließt, bleibt mir ein Rätsel. Sie wirken so übersteigert, dass man ihnen die vermeintliche Authentizität absprechen will, obwohl man natürlich weiß, dass es sehr wohl so passiert sein wird. Doch mehr als diese Gewaltakte hat mich die Karte über Frauenmorde, die eine der Figuren erklärt, bewegt. Zumal die Einzelschicksale nicht benannt werden, man ist kein stummer Zeuge, da Angaben fehlen. Und es beschäftigt mich: 500 Seiten durchaus solider Figurengestatung, interessante Plotentwicklung, atmosphärische Sprache - aber ich schreibe nur über die 20 Seiten, auf denen vergewaltigt und getötet wird? Für wen sind diese Seiten auch geschrieben? Frauen wissen das schon und Männer können es von sich wegschieben, weil es zu krass ist… schade, da wurde was verschenkt.