A review by bryonyindecisivereader
The Haunting Scent of Poppies by Victoria Williamson

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Despite being less than 100 pages long, Victoria Williamson still managed to fit a lot into The Haunting Scent of Poppies. 

The main character Charlie keeps as much from the reader as he does all the people in the story. He pretends to be someone else so much that we don’t really get a sense of who he is and what he’s done – I’m not even sure we know his age. 

There was a lingering scene of unease – of a haunting or a repressed trauma. It was difficult to know what was real and what was not – it was a really effective gothic story.