starrysteph's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
3.75
A clever piece of comedic horror that takes complicated family dynamics to a whole new level.
Vesper left her isolated religious community at eighteen and is stumbling her way through adulthood a handful of years later, waitressing at chain restaurants and keeping everyone at a distance. But when she mysteriously receives an invitation to the wedding of her cousin & closest friend, she journeys home. Back to her callous film star mother, her crisis of faith, and the people she thought she would never see again.
But as family secrets come to life, Vesper realizes she’ll have to face her community … and the truth of her upbringing.
I loved witnessing Vesper’s fight for independence, especially as more and more of her past memories are revealed. She’s cynical, sarcastic, and callous, but I found her likable and relatable. Her internal struggle is compelling, as she contemplates nature versus nurture and who she is outside of the bounds of family.
I do think the pacing was a bit off at times (too slow at the start - and too rushed in the second segment), and I would have loved more time exploring the family dynamics and getting to know the supporting characters. Constance (Vesper’s mom) in particular had a very choppy arc and I wanted to dig deeper there.
It’s more dark humor than horror, though there are some supernatural elements (and a bit of gore) towards the final segments. Overall though, the tone is playfully sinister and it never takes itself too seriously. I really enjoy Rachel Harrison’s writing style - super easy to read and sarcastically delightful.
CW: murder, animal death, blood, gaslighting, injury, gore, emotional abuse, fire, cannibalism, body horror, torture, grief, religious bigotry, abandonment, sexual harassment
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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Blood, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Torture, Grief, Abandonment, Cannibalism, and Sexual harassment
teatunesandtales's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Gore
Religious trauma, cult trauma.nonfictionfeminist's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
While the book takes its time to build to the climax, it still managed to be bingeable. Another solid bite of storytelling from Harrison. While YouI could see the twist coming with my eyes closed, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Cannibalism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Animal death
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