officialmcnugget's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bellahtrix's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lindseyas's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
4.75
This was another book that I read for my "Literary Hauntings" class. It wasn't like the normal "hauntings" that we'd been reading about, but it was the most realistic, and certainly the most visceral, emotional and raw. The combination of history and the supernatural is the perfect encapsulation of what the gothic really is – our pasts coming back to haunt us. The novel played perfectly into this archetype, with a tense tone and winding suspense keeping it in place. It used gore and mental anguish to create a haunting aura that has lasted with me long since reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Hate crime, Torture, Murder, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, Slavery, Racial slurs, Racism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Confinement
addicted_two_words's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
tunatanga's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
logankreadsalot's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.75
skeinsinthestacks's review
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
4.25
The horror in this book is not the ghosts.
sofresh's review
3.0
Closer to a 3.5
On the whole, I think this is a great Southern Gothic horror. I really like the writing style - it's easy to read and flows well, but it's also very imaginative. The first half of this book is slow going in order to establish Mira as a character and her recollections of her childhood with Celine and Jesse, which is really interesting to read. However, this does get into my first problem, which is that because it's so slow to start, it takes ages for spooky stuff to start happening. I think it could've started to get scarier sooner.
Additionally, I think the handling of the social commentary could've been better. I love horror that comments on issues of oppression or other facets of Society™️, but here I think it over-explained. At multiple points, the characters literally say the book's thesis in dialogue. I think the readers could easily imply the message without it being spelt out.
But the commentary itself was thought- provoking. History repeats itself and you can't ignore how the past impacts the present. Celine and Mira both try to ignore the past to their own detriments. The cyclical narrative facilitates this. Overall, this was a great read.
On the whole, I think this is a great Southern Gothic horror. I really like the writing style - it's easy to read and flows well, but it's also very imaginative. The first half of this book is slow going in order to establish Mira as a character and her recollections of her childhood with Celine and Jesse, which is really interesting to read. However, this does get into my first problem, which is that because it's so slow to start, it takes ages for spooky stuff to start happening. I think it could've started to get scarier sooner.
Additionally, I think the handling of the social commentary could've been better. I love horror that comments on issues of oppression or other facets of Society™️, but here I think it over-explained. At multiple points, the characters literally say the book's thesis in dialogue. I think the readers could easily imply the message without it being spelt out.
But the commentary itself was thought- provoking. History repeats itself and you can't ignore how the past impacts the present. Celine and Mira both try to ignore the past to their own detriments. The cyclical narrative facilitates this. Overall, this was a great read.
hebareads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
4.0