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herelieshenry's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
4.75
I really enjoyed this book; I think it’s the perfect extension of the things I liked about Waters’s previous works, tightened up into a cohesive, insightful piece of work. The allusions towards Southern Gothicism and the employment of traditional Gothic trappings in a Southern Appalachian setting, the bridging between Waters’s nuanced portrayal of lower-class characters from the broader south and recurring Appalachian elements in setting and atmosphere to extend that compassion to Appalachian people, and her ability to craft characters and interpersonal conflict that really roots itself into my emotions and gets me invested in it, all make this book a success for me.
The undercurrent of impostor syndrome as a theme, especially with the usage of possession relating to creative output in the story, is really interesting and insightful. The dark academia element at play is very strong, both thematically and atmospherically. I also was very happy with the disability representation in this book through Penny; I appreciate that there’s a lot of empathy for people experiencing chronic pain in the book and I found it to be a very authentic portrayal of one of the many ways chronic pain can manifest and affect people. In general, Waters’s works also all put forward a lot of effort towards normalizing queerness and non-cishet experiences in a casual, natural way, which is a big plus. To me, this is the best novel that Erica Waters has published so far and I’m looking forward to seeing what else she publishes in the future.
I will note that in the audiobook, the narrator does pronounce Appalachia wrong, and I wish audiobook producers would correct narrators on that more often (though the mispronunciation at least feels diegetic to a degree in this book because the POV character is from the flatland south, in comparison to some books where characters meant to be locals mispronounce it).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Gore, Blood, and Pregnancy
luckylulureads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Abandonment