maddys_needful_reads's review
5.0
Brief synopsis: Maggie has fled from her abusive husband, ending up in Florida living with her son and father. When she discovers a mysterious man in some ruins near her father's home, she begins a journey and... well, I can't say any more without taking away the experience of discovering this story for yourself. But I will tell you that it's a dark, atmospheric Florida gothic full of Spanish moss and humid nights that has beasts, witches, the occult, horror films, and terrifying real life horrors.
The Beasts of Vissaria County is one of those special books that I genuinely didn't want to end. I'm actually sad that my time experiencing these characters for the first time is over – in particular, Martian and Helia (with an "H" like "Hell yeah"). The mobile library, the Pundertaker… seriously, we have a huge cast of diverse, authentic, multi-dimensional characters in this book that I loved.
Maggie, the main character, is one of those rare strong female characters whose strength does not come from masculine traits. She's strong because she's clever, steadfast, resourceful, and protects those whom she loves.
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book, and it will stick with me for a long time.
A genuine thank you to Douglas Ford for a copy of The Beasts of Vissaria County in exchange for an honest review.
The Beasts of Vissaria County is one of those special books that I genuinely didn't want to end. I'm actually sad that my time experiencing these characters for the first time is over – in particular, Martian and Helia (with an "H" like "Hell yeah"). The mobile library, the Pundertaker… seriously, we have a huge cast of diverse, authentic, multi-dimensional characters in this book that I loved.
Maggie, the main character, is one of those rare strong female characters whose strength does not come from masculine traits. She's strong because she's clever, steadfast, resourceful, and protects those whom she loves.
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book, and it will stick with me for a long time.
A genuine thank you to Douglas Ford for a copy of The Beasts of Vissaria County in exchange for an honest review.
brunoshort's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Torture, Violence, Sexual violence, Death, Murder, Gore, Domestic abuse, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cannibalism, Cursing, and Vomit
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