Reviews

Super spooky. The mythology created in this one is chilling and the reveals are horrifying. The characters are deeply disturbed but set against the distant backdrop of WWI, their trauma feels realistic and terrible.

timetraveler's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

readingrobin's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-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

3.0

Trust Catriona Ward to know the best way to misdirect and pull the rug out from under readers just when they thought they had everything figured out. Through some perspective shifts, multiple time lines, and unreliable narrating, we're pulled every which way as we follow the mysterious inhabitants of the isle Altnaharra. There were definitely some Shirley Jackson vibes here, as that lingering feeling of dread makes you feel as if something horrible is about to happen.

It's a little slow moving at parts with some imagery that can be hard to visualize at times, but it gets the point across. I think there was so much misdirection at one point though that I had a hard time putting all the pieces together once all the answers are revealed. Could definitely benefit from a reread knowing what I know now.

zoff's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

sleepytimetay's review against another edition

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Couldn't hold my attention

jclark27's review against another edition

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dark 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? N/A

3.75

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