A review by corneliusmcstrawberry
The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

dark reflective tense medium-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? No

4.0

this book was dark. personally i am a fan of dark, challenging pieces of literary fiction, so this was up my alley. this author's use of different types of perspective (first person, third person omniscient/limited) is genius; once i realized why she chose to play around with perspective the way she did, it all clicked, and i loved it. good use of motifs as well, and great attention to detail/subtlety. the fox and the wolf are recurring motifs throughout this book and i enjoyed the symbolism. this is a story about patriarchal violence, and how society has allowed it to fester and ruin the lives of so many women across generations, in ways big and small. potential spoiler ahead (?):
the character maggie was my favourite - such a complex character, and her dialogue is a breath of fresh air that cuts through the fog and unapologetically hands you the message of the novel.
also, the prologue of this novel!!!! one of the best i have read. it sets the tone for the novel and frankly, it did have me hooked on the book from the beginning. i found parts of this book to be quite thrilling, as well as blunt and - as i have already stated - dark. if you are looking for a distinctly feminist novel, this is a great book to try. it was weaved together so well, the stories of the three women - sarah, ruth, and viviane - as well as those of the side characters have been braided together. this was a great read. 
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