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honeyvenom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Dementia, Stalking, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Medical content and Abortion
geminisoul's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
mandi_lea's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
coatpocketcreature's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Suicide, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia and Grief
gg2019's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment and Alcohol
lianavalente's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Child death, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy
amandasbookreview's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
“Everyone around here talks about the cape like it exists for the sole purpose of either killing or blessing them. Curses or Mermaids. They forget…” She sipped the vodka, willing it to stay down. “It’s all about the mothers.”
There is a lot happening in this story. It is about multiple generations of women who endure trauma and can’t escape a family curse. It all starts with one mother who would do anything, even kill, to keep her children. But is that really what happens? At first, I thought I knew where this story was headed but I am not going to lie the last quarter of the book did lose me a little bit. The finale of the book is heartwrenching, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry–because I totally did. But the portion before the finale could have used a little polishing. It just didn’t flow as well as the rest of the story.
Many people will hate the different timelines and perspectives but I loved it. It really dove into the inner workings of the mother-daughter relationships within this single family. The quote above states, “It’s all about the mothers.”–and it is so true. We watch Meredith go from unsure and broken from being in a terrible marriage, not being able to connect with her mother, and doubting her abilities as a mother to knowing precisely what to do and to heal the trauma of multiple generations. This book is wonderfully gothic and eerie and I was not disappointed! I definitely plan to read more of Katrina Monroe!
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
3.75
Meredith Strand returns to her childhood home in Cape Disappointment with her young daughter, Alice, after separating from her wife.
The women in her family are said to be cursed, pulled to the call of the water. This story mainly focuses on Meredith, in the present, but the stories of the women you came before are woven in, creating a multi-timeline story that slowly comes together.
A dark, creepy, gothic atmosphere prevails throughout the book. The several different, non-linear timelines and characters can be confusing at times, and the pacing was a bit too slow at times. Over-all an enjoyable read though.
Graphic: Suicide, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
breezer's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
"Like her father and her husband, he knew what was best by virtue of his gender. Grace aspired to be so confident in her ignorance."
Although I absolutely loved the first two thirds, the last third threw me out of the story a bit with its change in tone/pace. The ending did cause some mixed feelings and at the time I wished it had ended on a different message but I do understand the choice behind it.
"Could a person see with their soul? Hear with their heart? She believed so."
This was a queer, feminist story of grief, heartbreak and the love that binds families together set around the chilling power and beauty of the ocean. Although there was some parts that didn't work for me I will probably be checking out Katrina Monroe's future works.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced reader's copy.
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Grief
CW: Drowning