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A review by helynalc
The Binding of Bloom Mountain by Siggy Chambers
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I had the privilege to follow the journey of this book a little bit on social media and reading some early versions, and I'm so happy I can be here now talking about the ARC, and hopefully having a physical copy on my shelf very soon. The Binding of Bloom Mountain is the spooky, but somehow still comforting journey of Celeste, a woman finding herself without work and real goals one late August day. Out of necessity and perhaps some defiance, she takes on a mysterious job that leads her back into the forests and valleys of her half-forgotten childhood vacations and reveals a world that was carefully hidden from her thus far.
I loved discovering the "hike" and its nature along with Celeste. The people she met in and around the town of Milton were memorable additions to her journey and made me want to visit as well, although, well, maybe it's not the safest part of the wilderness. :D This parallel world was so interesting and I hoped to get to know more and more about it. Celeste was a protagonist I could relate to, from the anxiety attacks she went through to the guts she showed when confronted with the otherwordly (and psychological) dangers (I can only hope to also show that quiet but forceful sass in my own life, hehe).
I also loved the little bits of the mosaic of lore that infused the whole setting and the people living in it. There's so much space for worldbuilding still, and it's all very intriguing. The steps of the ritual were immersive, the creatures she met terrifying and lovely, and I was there with Celeste every step of the way. The descriptions were great, they really took me into that world. And then of course, we have some reveals and the solutions to some mysteries, and I already can't wait to read more about this world! :)
I also loved her realization during the final steps of the ritual. The growing will that she can, that she has to do this. Something new and wild that will help people and prove it to herself that she is able. And even though her blood sweat and tears performed the job, there was so much comfort that I found in the fact that to me, she was continuing something already ongoing. It was like she was part of a natural cycle that happened to help her in her personal life too. It was quite beautiful to me.
The peculiar mood and pace of the story truly remained with me after closing the book on the last lines. The image of Celeste trudging forward in the woods listening to the audio recording that told her the steps of the ritual will be something I won't forget very soon. I really recommend this novel to those who would like a quiet, mysterious, but somehow still familiar book about woods and the spookies and all the stories (human and otherworldly) living there.
I had the privilege to follow the journey of this book a little bit on social media and reading some early versions, and I'm so happy I can be here now talking about the ARC, and hopefully having a physical copy on my shelf very soon. The Binding of Bloom Mountain is the spooky, but somehow still comforting journey of Celeste, a woman finding herself without work and real goals one late August day. Out of necessity and perhaps some defiance, she takes on a mysterious job that leads her back into the forests and valleys of her half-forgotten childhood vacations and reveals a world that was carefully hidden from her thus far.
I loved discovering the "hike" and its nature along with Celeste. The people she met in and around the town of Milton were memorable additions to her journey and made me want to visit as well, although, well, maybe it's not the safest part of the wilderness. :D This parallel world was so interesting and I hoped to get to know more and more about it. Celeste was a protagonist I could relate to, from the anxiety attacks she went through to the guts she showed when confronted with the otherwordly (and psychological) dangers (I can only hope to also show that quiet but forceful sass in my own life, hehe).
I also loved the little bits of the mosaic of lore that infused the whole setting and the people living in it. There's so much space for worldbuilding still, and it's all very intriguing. The steps of the ritual were immersive, the creatures she met terrifying and lovely, and I was there with Celeste every step of the way. The descriptions were great, they really took me into that world. And then of course, we have some reveals and the solutions to some mysteries, and I already can't wait to read more about this world! :)
The peculiar mood and pace of the story truly remained with me after closing the book on the last lines. The image of Celeste trudging forward in the woods listening to the audio recording that told her the steps of the ritual will be something I won't forget very soon. I really recommend this novel to those who would like a quiet, mysterious, but somehow still familiar book about woods and the spookies and all the stories (human and otherworldly) living there.