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darquedreamer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
The Narrow was beautiful, haunting, and breathtaking. It was atmospheric, emotional, and deeply satisfying. It was eerie, elegant, and thrillingly captivating.
I devoured this one in a day. I was pulled under from page one and held there until the very end, where I was finally able to catch my breath again. It was everything I had wanted it to be, and so much more!
There was so much to love about The Narrow. The writing was descriptive and gripping and really painted a creepy picture. The plot was well developed and it was full of twists that I did not expect. The setting was isolating, full of fall vibes, and very well detailed. But, it was the characters that really made this one stand out.
I loved each and every one of them (well, except for a couple obvious ones, but no spoilers). The author put so much effort in to their storylines, even the "non-main" characters. They were diverse, authentic, unique and extremely fleshed out. And, the friendship/sisterhood felt between Eden and her friends was astounding. I lived for it!
This one has easily become one of my top reads this year. I don't think I had any complaints. If you love creepy boarding school settings, haunting ghost stories, powerful friendships, and mystery, then this is the one for you!
I devoured this one in a day. I was pulled under from page one and held there until the very end, where I was finally able to catch my breath again. It was everything I had wanted it to be, and so much more!
There was so much to love about The Narrow. The writing was descriptive and gripping and really painted a creepy picture. The plot was well developed and it was full of twists that I did not expect. The setting was isolating, full of fall vibes, and very well detailed. But, it was the characters that really made this one stand out.
I loved each and every one of them (well, except for a couple obvious ones, but no spoilers). The author put so much effort in to their storylines, even the "non-main" characters. They were diverse, authentic, unique and extremely fleshed out. And, the friendship/sisterhood felt between Eden and her friends was astounding. I lived for it!
This one has easily become one of my top reads this year. I don't think I had any complaints. If you love creepy boarding school settings, haunting ghost stories, powerful friendships, and mystery, then this is the one for you!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Drug abuse, Violence, Addiction, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
immovabletype's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
3.0
i happily read it, despite all of my notes starting with a variation on "but then why--"
i didn't have it all figured out from the beginning like i thought i did but it was still fairly predictable, and i think most readers will figure out the big "reveal." i also didn't really buy into the romance. just felt like it moved too fast to be authentic (even taking into account their being teenagers). however, i did quite like the characters, eden felt like a well defined protagonist, and i was invested in her relationships with her friends. i wasn't really confident of the author's ability to tie all of the emotional threads together but it was actually done well and thoroughly. mostly i was really excited to be able to read a ghost story and still sleep at night. i briefly dnf'd when the ghost shenanigans kicked up a notch, because they always make me have to sleep with the lights on for like a month, but then i realized i am way too exhausted always to have any trouble sleeping, so I picked it back up. turns out there's finally a use for parental exhaustion!!
i didn't have it all figured out from the beginning like i thought i did but it was still fairly predictable, and i think most readers will figure out the big "reveal." i also didn't really buy into the romance. just felt like it moved too fast to be authentic (even taking into account their being teenagers). however, i did quite like the characters, eden felt like a well defined protagonist, and i was invested in her relationships with her friends. i wasn't really confident of the author's ability to tie all of the emotional threads together but it was actually done well and thoroughly. mostly i was really excited to be able to read a ghost story and still sleep at night. i briefly dnf'd when the ghost shenanigans kicked up a notch, because they always make me have to sleep with the lights on for like a month, but then i realized i am way too exhausted always to have any trouble sleeping, so I picked it back up. turns out there's finally a use for parental exhaustion!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Murder
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Medical content, and Sexual content
jessiep33's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
thissagreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
1.0
Honestly I was hoping and expecting a mystery with a plot that made sense. This was a mystery but the plot was hard to believe and confusing. Unfortunately, the more romance that was added to this book the less and less I was interested. And the main character CONSTANTLY made poor choices. If it weren’t for the narrator I wouldn’t have finished it. THIS BOOK WAS SO FRUSTRATING! 🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Child death
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A haunting, a love story, and a mystery.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked that it wasn't predictable. As well as how it dealt with mental health and dysfunctional relationships.
The only thing I didn't like was the "I'll die for love" mentality of quite a few characters. I know teenagers are overall dramatic, but that part was a bit over the top.
Overall, an amazing book!
I really enjoyed this book. I liked that it wasn't predictable. As well as how it dealt with mental health and dysfunctional relationships.
The only thing I didn't like was the "I'll die for love" mentality of quite a few characters. I know teenagers are overall dramatic, but that part was a bit over the top.
Overall, an amazing book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Drug abuse, Child abuse, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual content
hobbithopeful's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you Penguin for this ARC
Tense, mysterious, and queer, The Narrow is must read horror novel that will leave you gasping for air.
We follow Eden, returning to her boarding school and discovering that her parents chose not to pay her tuition. (Key word: chose!) Her only option is a scholarship by way of being a companion to the mysterious Delphine, a student confined to her quarters because of her mysterious illness. The house that is odd, locks all over the doors, cameras and one very important rule. Don't let the water in.
I will never get tired of reading horror books that have to do with water and drowning. Like bread and butter, it just goes together so well.
It took me a second to get into the story, but once I got past the beginning I found it very thrilling and and full of suspense. We are given enough breadcrumbs and clues to kind of piece together the mystery, but there were still still so many twists and turns that kept me on my toes.
I really interpreted a lot of the story to be symbolism for abusive relationships. Eden is so constantly making excuses for other people and her family. Even with the support of her friends she still falls into a bad situation, and seems to think she deserves it, and they aren't meaning her harm. She ends up very isolated and alone, and even gets to the point of failing her classes. Eden is so intent on hiding the pain she is in that it takes a good chunk of the book for her to even go to the hospital and get a splint for her arm. (Also the tooth scene creeped me out...gross!)
Queer horror is a genre that I have been dipping my toe in lately, and this book does it so well. Not only is Eden queer and we some lovely sapphic romance, but it is a core component of the whole plot. Whether it be homophobia, or presuming what you know about strangers, it really pulled the rug out from under me. When the reveal happened at the end, I COULD NOT HANDLE IT! I had to facetime my friend and freak out because I was so shocked!
One of the aspects I found most enjoyable was the friendship group that Eden had. It is always so refreshing to healthy and supportive friendships, and I loved how they were trying so hard to be there for Eden. There was a very beautiful quote that Veronica tells to her that really stuck with me: "You fall in love with all your friends. It's kind of a beautiful thing about you." That really just hit the nail on the head in regards to Edens' personality. She doesn't realise it, but she is truly such a caring and good person who just loves so deeply and purely. She will love someone to the point where she will let herself be harmed, because as long as they say they love her, or she assumes that they do, she would let them do anything to her.
I can honestly say I truly didn't know who was going to survive till the end. Usually in mystery/horror books I can get a good guess and suss out the plot, and while I did get a few things right to my great enjoyment the ending was still one I didn't see coming.
A great sapphic thriller book rec, I recommend this one and I am definitely going to check out Kate Alice Marshalls' other books.
Also. I just want to say that Eden having a crush on that one teacher was so relatable.
Tense, mysterious, and queer, The Narrow is must read horror novel that will leave you gasping for air.
We follow Eden, returning to her boarding school and discovering that her parents chose not to pay her tuition. (Key word: chose!) Her only option is a scholarship by way of being a companion to the mysterious Delphine, a student confined to her quarters because of her mysterious illness. The house that is odd, locks all over the doors, cameras and one very important rule. Don't let the water in.
I will never get tired of reading horror books that have to do with water and drowning. Like bread and butter, it just goes together so well.
It took me a second to get into the story, but once I got past the beginning I found it very thrilling and and full of suspense. We are given enough breadcrumbs and clues to kind of piece together the mystery, but there were still still so many twists and turns that kept me on my toes.
I really interpreted a lot of the story to be symbolism for abusive relationships. Eden is so constantly making excuses for other people and her family. Even with the support of her friends she still falls into a bad situation, and seems to think she deserves it, and they aren't meaning her harm. She ends up very isolated and alone, and even gets to the point of failing her classes. Eden is so intent on hiding the pain she is in that it takes a good chunk of the book for her to even go to the hospital and get a splint for her arm. (Also the tooth scene creeped me out...gross!)
Queer horror is a genre that I have been dipping my toe in lately, and this book does it so well. Not only is Eden queer and we some lovely sapphic romance, but it is a core component of the whole plot. Whether it be homophobia, or presuming what you know about strangers, it really pulled the rug out from under me. When the reveal happened at the end, I COULD NOT HANDLE IT! I had to facetime my friend and freak out because I was so shocked!
One of the aspects I found most enjoyable was the friendship group that Eden had. It is always so refreshing to healthy and supportive friendships, and I loved how they were trying so hard to be there for Eden. There was a very beautiful quote that Veronica tells to her that really stuck with me: "You fall in love with all your friends. It's kind of a beautiful thing about you." That really just hit the nail on the head in regards to Edens' personality. She doesn't realise it, but she is truly such a caring and good person who just loves so deeply and purely. She will love someone to the point where she will let herself be harmed, because as long as they say they love her, or she assumes that they do, she would let them do anything to her.
I can honestly say I truly didn't know who was going to survive till the end. Usually in mystery/horror books I can get a good guess and suss out the plot, and while I did get a few things right to my great enjoyment the ending was still one I didn't see coming.
A great sapphic thriller book rec, I recommend this one and I am definitely going to check out Kate Alice Marshalls' other books.
Also. I just want to say that Eden having a crush on that one teacher was so relatable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Homophobia
brucethegirl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Homophobia, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Addiction, and Suicide
Minor: Body shaming
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