A review by biancarosesmith
In Darkness, Shadows Breathe by Catherine Cavendish
3.0
This was a really interesting read and I have mixed thoughts. The premise is incredibly original and I loved the gothic undertones and creepy parts throughout. I found parts confusing but it felt like too much was going on at once.
The setting was perfection - a hospital that used to be an asylum. I have never seen this before in a horror novel. Love. The story revolves around both Carol and Vanessa who end up in the present day hospital for different treatments. Both women begin to have dark visions and realise a portal to the past is open in which the crazy Arabella Marsden and Dr Franklyn are conducting torturous experiments on patients within the asylum and are intent on doing the same to Carol and Vanessa. Sounds great, am I right?
This was all very well and quite enjoyable for a while but things started to get a bit weird and confusing with me when things were added in that didn’t really feel necessary such as demons. Personally I think the narrative would have worked better just based on a portal in an old asylum where crazy ghosts are luring present day women in to do horrible experiments. It all felt a bit confusing and messy for my liking and didn’t feel tied up in a way I could completely understand by the end.
The story switches between two time periods and this was great. I particularly loved the descriptions of the Victorian clothing and era. Plenty of eerie and unsettling moments too.
As a whole, very unique and still an enjoyable and creepy read.
The setting was perfection - a hospital that used to be an asylum. I have never seen this before in a horror novel. Love. The story revolves around both Carol and Vanessa who end up in the present day hospital for different treatments. Both women begin to have dark visions and realise a portal to the past is open in which the crazy Arabella Marsden and Dr Franklyn are conducting torturous experiments on patients within the asylum and are intent on doing the same to Carol and Vanessa. Sounds great, am I right?
This was all very well and quite enjoyable for a while but things started to get a bit weird and confusing with me when things were added in that didn’t really feel necessary such as demons. Personally I think the narrative would have worked better just based on a portal in an old asylum where crazy ghosts are luring present day women in to do horrible experiments. It all felt a bit confusing and messy for my liking and didn’t feel tied up in a way I could completely understand by the end.
The story switches between two time periods and this was great. I particularly loved the descriptions of the Victorian clothing and era. Plenty of eerie and unsettling moments too.
As a whole, very unique and still an enjoyable and creepy read.