A review by baxstarjonmarie
A Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think this is my new favorite book. It is gloriously fat, absolutely terrifying, wildly enchanting, and viscerally uncomfortable through the main character's first-person experiences of violence, loss, grief, and freedom.
The author does an especially excellent job bringing in new perspectives on body horror and general spookiness intertwined with the main character's fatness that do not denigrate or monsterize her size, but rather see her fully embody herself and her power.
I was riveted by the story, I loved how much Derry (the main) and her siblings love language and play with it. And sometimes it was so scary that I was peeking between my fingers like at the movies. Just a perfect debut novel, I cannot wait to preorder the author's next book!
The author does an especially excellent job bringing in new perspectives on body horror and general spookiness intertwined with the main character's fatness that do not denigrate or monsterize her size, but rather see her fully embody herself and her power.
I was riveted by the story, I loved how much Derry (the main) and her siblings love language and play with it. And sometimes it was so scary that I was peeking between my fingers like at the movies. Just a perfect debut novel, I cannot wait to preorder the author's next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Child death, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gore, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Torture and Car accident
Minor: Cursing