Reviews

The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker

chloeb35's review

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.5

kells30's review against another edition

5.0

I absolutely loved this one, and I’m not sure I even would have picked it up if it wasn’t for the very high praise from my friend Alaina! As billed, this is a gothic ghost story, centering around a set of sisters who live in an old colonial mansion in New England, dubbed ‘the wedding cake’ by our protagonist, Iris. The sisters, all named after a flower, live a confined life very much at home, mostly due to their ‘unconventional’ and strange mother, who never wanted to marry and doesn’t take much interest in them; their father also barely bothers with the girls. Iris is thus very close to her sisters, but ominous winds are blowing as the oldest sister, Aster, gets engaged to be married and is soon to leave them. The tension in this book is brilliant all the way through, I didn’t want to stop reading. The plot is compelling too, even if it doesn’t go anywhere too unexpected there’s a still an element of mystery and suspense that makes you want to keep reading. I liked the setup of the book with the diaries and the sisters, and the dual timeline (Iris recounting what happened growing up and then modern Iris as a successful artist), but I slightly wished they had gone more into Iris’s art towards the end, as I didn’t get too much of a sense of what she painted before the end. I did really like the philosophical character arc for Iris and the way she turned her experiences into a strength, ultimately, was a nice conclusion. But be prepared for a lot of gothic tragedy before you reach that conclusion, this is a very atmospheric read. I may have to get my book club to read it for Halloween as this would be an amazing one to discuss!

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jetix's review

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.0

byanaga's review against another edition

4.0

This was certainly a slow read, but a captivating one. The first sister’s death was forewarned in the book’s description, yet it did not occur until roughly a quarter of the way through the narrative—rendering the book’s first quarter largely preamble. That being said, I could hardly put the book down. It is beautifully written, wielding the striking voice of its narrator to powerfully illustrate grief and feminine rage.

slamparelli's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

pauline10's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

4.5

shadowsindrome's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

dr_dr_olshakes's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I chose this book on a whim because it was immediately ready to borrow on Libby. I absolutely LOVED it. The prose really wraps you up and holds you tight as you read about tragedy and grief and violence. This book is a stunning (wedding cake) mixture of We Have Always Lived in the Castle/The Winchester House/Pride and Prejudice/The Virgin Suicides/The Haunting of Hill House. It's the perfect atmospheric Gothic novel.

That all said, I was disappointed that the "curse" really seemed to just be "men bad" and not the consequences of war profiteering and genocide. I feel like the metaphors it was laying out (the sisters choosing gun and oil magnates) really spoke to legacies of violence in a way that got undermined by the "saving grace" of lesbianism. And don't get me wrong- I loved how queer this book was! The ending was also a bit of a screeching halt after so much tension.

I'm going to carry this book, and the Chapel sisters, in my mind and heart for a while. Truly masterful, with few qualms.

readwithhugo's review against another edition

4.0

blurbed as a ‘gothic ghost story with a fiery feminist zeal,’ this book takes that description and runs with it, while adding some serious sarah winchester* vibes into the mix. this isn’t a horror novel, but it’s tense and dark in a way that draws you in slowly and then goes right for your throat.

*sarah winchester was the lady from the late 1800s/early 1900s who built that whacky mansion out in california because she was certain that the ghosts of everyone who’d been killed by a winchester rifle were out to get her.

i received a review copy of this book from the publisher.

teenagedeathsongs's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5