kaliaddy's review against another edition
Interesting - I think I would have liked it better without Lydia's portion at all. A good gothic horror with the letters and the journal would have been a great self-contained story. I felt no pull or interest in Lydia. But I was very interested in Isidore and Emilie's story. What would have been interesting is if the journal and the letters were interspersed between each other. If one of Emilie's letters followed one of Isidore's journal entries then we could see both sides at the same time. And take Lydia out all together. There is a familial tie, and also she's introduced as a way for the reader to access the letters, but I was the least interested in her part. So I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it.
aekua's review against another edition
5.0
This is an amazing read for anyone interested in African American gothic novels. I had no idea it falls into this genre but I enjoyed the mix of historical fiction and Voodoo and plantation life, interspersed with modern day.
lydiasee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Slow start, complicated middle, fast and whirlwind “conclusion”
Uncomfortable at every turn (the blood/wound descriptions kinda spun me out) but that’s the whole point of Southern Gothic Fiction, yes?
Not my genre but glad I tried it!
Uncomfortable at every turn (the blood/wound descriptions kinda spun me out) but that’s the whole point of Southern Gothic Fiction, yes?
Not my genre but glad I tried it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Slavery, Blood, and Mental illness
tweetiesrf's review against another edition
5.0
This book stirred so many emotions for me. At first I found the book to be frustrating and a bit slow, mostly because I was unsure where it was going. But once I started reading Isidore's part, I was hooked. The book does a really good job of blurring the lines between reality, mania, and magic. Once I thought I understood the plot, the author would throw a wrench in it. Truly a thrilling read.
laileanah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
This was interesting and unique.
I quite enjoyed this.
This is primarily set during the 1850's in the NOLA. It's a story of Black slave owners and Voodoo.
I quite enjoyed this.
This is primarily set during the 1850's in the NOLA. It's a story of Black slave owners and Voodoo.
aliciaprettybrowneyereader's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I began reading this book thinking it would be a voodoo laced tale. Instead, this novel is a gothic tale, an unfamiliar genre to me. The novel takes place in two time periods, antebellum Louisiana and modern day. In both time periods, a main character experiences mental illness. The author describes the psychotic episodes is spell bounding.
The beginning of the novel is structured in an epistolary style. The second half consists of journal. There were no daily entries for the journal which caused the second half of the book to feel ran together. The journal recount could have used breaks to allow the reader to decipher changes in days and locations.
This book was the November selection for the @readsoullit Patreon book club and provided some lively discussion. It would be a good read for those who enjoy gothic stories, plantation narratives and characters dealing with mental illness.
bukolayemi's review
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
3.5
“Is this what love is, storm and stagnation? An eternal ocean in ebb and flow, the shore and the sea moving away from and toward one another in ceaseless motion?”
I noticed that most of my reviews mention beautiful writing and asked myself what I mean by that, the quote above is an example. This book is full of such quotes.
Themes of mental health, slavery, marriage and infidelity, religion, science and traditional spirituality are explored in this book from the 1850s to present time.
I enjoyed the writing stlye especially the use of letters giving insight to different character’s perspective of the same events. The twists and turns at the end giving meaning to those events.
This is me reading outside my comfort zone, my very first gothic novel. It’s not for everyone especially because of the triggers it may give some people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Slavery
jerseyfemme's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
maasioak's review against another edition
5.0
This was a tough, scary and intense read. So many emotions. But great.
nauget's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
3.5