Scan barcode
A review by bookedbymadeline
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I’m stuck between giving this 3 stars or 2.5 stars so for now it’s a 3. Strange writing style at times, occasionally telling over showing and the attempts at humor felt so out of place I ended up rolling my eyes.
Feels less like horror and more like fantasy in the beginning because of the fake country and language, with Alex going on monologues about Gallacian pronouns. But it’s too short and not enough world building to be fantasy as the MC assumes we know things “as I’m sure you read in the Galician periodical” LIKE NO WE HAVENT BECAUSE ITS MADE UP TELL US?! While also not being scary enough for me to consider it horror-it is creepy but only for a very short time. I’d say it’s less horror and more gothic mystery as most horror I’ve read give me genuine nightmares and this was just eh 🤷🏻♀️
Made it feel like the book was trying to do too much in such a short amount of pages. I think if the made up country and language was abandoned while keeping the queer rep, instead using the already established they/them pronouns, it could’ve been more focused on the mystery (or horror for some I guess)!
I didn’t love it or hate it, it’s a story that was engaging enough while reading it, and despite my initial desire to DNF it did get better by the 3rd/4th chapter. I didn’t have any strong feelings while reading most of it nor any strong opinions after finishing feeling like “that was it?” by the end. so for that it lacked in execution trying to juggle too many things making it a forgettable read as a result.
If you want something in a similar vein but that actually executes it well, I’d recommend reading Mexican Gothic instead. The author herself mentions it and why she set this book aside feeling like she couldn’t do a better job…she was right. She also mentions in the authors note that she hated how in the OG Fall of the House of Usher there weren’t explanations for things AND YET SHE ALSO DOESNT GIVE EXPLANATIONS! So much potential for this retelling but alas
Feels less like horror and more like fantasy in the beginning because of the fake country and language, with Alex going on monologues about Gallacian pronouns. But it’s too short and not enough world building to be fantasy as the MC assumes we know things “as I’m sure you read in the Galician periodical” LIKE NO WE HAVENT BECAUSE ITS MADE UP TELL US?! While also not being scary enough for me to consider it horror-it is creepy but only for a very short time. I’d say it’s less horror and more gothic mystery as most horror I’ve read give me genuine nightmares and this was just eh 🤷🏻♀️
Made it feel like the book was trying to do too much in such a short amount of pages. I think if the made up country and language was abandoned while keeping the queer rep, instead using the already established they/them pronouns, it could’ve been more focused on the mystery (or horror for some I guess)!
I didn’t love it or hate it, it’s a story that was engaging enough while reading it, and despite my initial desire to DNF it did get better by the 3rd/4th chapter. I didn’t have any strong feelings while reading most of it nor any strong opinions after finishing feeling like “that was it?” by the end. so for that it lacked in execution trying to juggle too many things making it a forgettable read as a result.
If you want something in a similar vein but that actually executes it well, I’d recommend reading Mexican Gothic instead. The author herself mentions it and why she set this book aside feeling like she couldn’t do a better job…she was right. She also mentions in the authors note that she hated how in the OG Fall of the House of Usher there weren’t explanations for things AND YET SHE ALSO DOESNT GIVE EXPLANATIONS! So much potential for this retelling but alas
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Death and War
Minor: Suicide