A review by inkedwxtchreads
Below, by Laurel Hightower
5.0
Oh wow! This short little novella actually ended up being one of my favorite things to read in a while! I love cryptids, and mothman has a special place in my heart. I’ve been advocating for him not being a villain for years, and went into this hoping this book wouldn’t disappoint me by how it represents him. It didn’t disappoint at all! Take that as you will… knowing what I told you. I did struggle with the first few pages. But I stuck with it and I’m glad I did. It got a lot better!
Also, mothman is not the only creature, in this. And there are actually many villains/predators to go around! So also, take that as you will. So much so that while you will get mothman, and I loved the moments we had him…..Just know, there is so much more to be wary of! The scares and atmosphere of this were so vivid! I genuinely think this should be a movie. There are also some body horror/ gruesome scenes in here. It was very claustrophobic as well. Think, along the lines of “the descent” sort of claustrophobic! So it’s got a bit of everything. The MC was super relatable. Dumb at times. But relatable, too.
Annnnnd Theres was also a feminist undertone! This is very much a story of a woman finding herself and her own voice. There’s a portion of it where I doubted her, and fell prey to the entire point of what the author is trying to say. People doubt women when they say things have happened to them, or they’ve witnessed things. And the author shows this really well imo.
Will be reading this author again! I adored this! To the point I doubt my review did it justice.
Also, mothman is not the only creature, in this. And there are actually many villains/predators to go around! So also, take that as you will. So much so that while you will get mothman, and I loved the moments we had him…..Just know, there is so much more to be wary of! The scares and atmosphere of this were so vivid! I genuinely think this should be a movie. There are also some body horror/ gruesome scenes in here. It was very claustrophobic as well. Think, along the lines of “the descent” sort of claustrophobic! So it’s got a bit of everything. The MC was super relatable. Dumb at times. But relatable, too.
Annnnnd Theres was also a feminist undertone! This is very much a story of a woman finding herself and her own voice. There’s a portion of it where I doubted her, and fell prey to the entire point of what the author is trying to say. People doubt women when they say things have happened to them, or they’ve witnessed things. And the author shows this really well imo.
Will be reading this author again! I adored this! To the point I doubt my review did it justice.