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A review by kay_chan
My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Spook and creep vibes had me hooked, but plot ultimately flopped by the end 😮💨
LOVED the premise, characters and setting were interesting, if a bit shallow.
The POV switch off was what threw me off the most. Having the FMC become an omnipresent "future" narrator was not the shift the story called for. Distanced me too much to feel the creep because I knew it all worked out because she started narrating her story instead of letting it unfold.
The only ick I had was that I was never truly sure how old Roos was during her abuse and then her being "sold" to Agnes. Also, their "relationship" gave me weird vibes in general because of the odd power dynamics and Roos being so blatantly *ignorant* of being a victim most of her life. Agnes' savior complex hit me the wrong way, which i guess was also the point in comparing it to "Turn of the Screw".
Childhood innocence vs intentions
LOVED the premise, characters and setting were interesting, if a bit shallow.
The POV switch off was what threw me off the most. Having the FMC become an omnipresent "future" narrator was not the shift the story called for. Distanced me too much to feel the creep because I knew it all worked out because she started narrating her story instead of letting it unfold.
The only ick I had was that I was never truly sure how old Roos was during her abuse and then her being "sold" to Agnes. Also, their "relationship" gave me weird vibes in general because of the odd power dynamics and Roos being so blatantly *ignorant* of being a victim most of her life. Agnes' savior complex hit me the wrong way, which i guess was also the point in comparing it to "Turn of the Screw".
Childhood innocence vs intentions
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Body horror and Gore
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Incest, and Medical trauma