Reviews

The Elementals by Michael McDowell

treeofbluegreen's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

terriblelynne's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

3.75

zosiablue's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book at first feels like a cute little Southern drama with a little weirdness & then suddenly, McDowell gives you the creepiest sentence you've ever read. And then the creepy sentences outnumber the cute ones until you're drowning in them, just like the sand in the book covers the houses in Beldame. Really well done. Except for, you know, that special brand of 1980s racism that's trying to wink at you "I know this is racist but I'm just doing it for the plot!", but is actually just plain racist. 

Bonus: My dad is from Mobile and this takes place in that area, so it was fun to picture places my dad would've been. (But hopefully he wasn't getting devoured by sand creatures.) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Infidelity, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Violence, and Racism

maxinescastle's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

marplatense's review

5.0

Second book I read from McDowell (although Blackwater are more like 6 books I think) and the great impression I got from his horror abilities is still there. This book is a weird class of gothic where all damp forests and foggy landscape are replaced by white sand and blistering sun. In spite of this, the horror is no lessened and cruel events start pilling up until the grotesque ending

yaredimpp's review against another edition

4.0

4.5
Me sentí en una película del cine de oro mexicana, tipo El niño de piedra o Veneno para las hadas, que son de mis películas favoritas. De hecho creo que mientras leía me la iba imaginando.
Es una novela muy ambientalista, y aunque al principio parece que no pasa mucho, poco a poco te va sumergiendo en la trama.
Y quiero decir que tuvo muchas frases que me gustaron porque me hicieron reír ( y eso es muy pero muy raro).

iphianassa's review against another edition

5.0

This is definitely one of my favorite horror books. It's a slow burn, but ho boi is it worth it. McDowell's descriptions are so good, they had me sweating just imagining Beldame. The families, the characters, their relationships were pretty interesting, specially that between Lukar and India. 100% recommended.

baddoctor's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• 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? No

3.75

floubert's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

sukidev's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• 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? No

3.0