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A review by flissrobyn
Burntcoat by Sarah Hall
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
I read this after it was recommended by StoryGraph. It’s not my usual read, and I went in not knowing what to expect.
My only response is… wow. I finished it within 4 hours of starting it, and couldn’t tear myself away.
It was confusing to start, and that felt intentional. The lack of chapters left you having to really try to figure out at which point of time you were in.
The book is written as if a letter to someone. As the book progressed, in tandem you learned more about the narrator, and their life and illness. It was mysterious and haunting.
The first half read like a love letter, and then it becomes clear that it’s not.
The story, the writing, made me feel a lot of emotions, and I’m still reeling from it!
My only response is… wow. I finished it within 4 hours of starting it, and couldn’t tear myself away.
It was confusing to start, and that felt intentional. The lack of chapters left you having to really try to figure out at which point of time you were in.
The book is written as if a letter to someone. As the book progressed, in tandem you learned more about the narrator, and their life and illness. It was mysterious and haunting.
The first half read like a love letter, and then it becomes clear that it’s not.
The story, the writing, made me feel a lot of emotions, and I’m still reeling from it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Xenophobia, and Abandonment