At first blush, this seems like a Romeo and Juliet, enemies to lovers, YA fantasy. Everline, of the Wardens, stands guard against Ravel and the bloodthirsty Vespertines, while living and fighting in a magic-infused, gothic wasteland. Delving deeper, you find forbidden secrets, betrayal, romance, and the question of who, or what, makes up a family? With decadent prose, I could almost taste the decay and honey rising off the pages. Great read for October spookiness!
This is a perfect October read for Horror newbies and veterans alike. As a prime example of Gothic Folk Horror, it relies on atmosphere and implication as a means to unnerve as we watch a land's history mingle with a couple's grief in eerie and sinister ways. Never has a rabbit sitting on a lap been so foreboding.
This blistering debut took me on quite a journey within the single sitting it took for me to consume it. Full of tension and foreboding, it delves into the relationship between memory and truth, the ripple effect of trauma and the damage we inflict upon those who remind us of the most hidden parts of ourselves. Love it.
This books is as unrelenting as the abuse endured within its pages. Its equal parts Shirley Jackson, Charles Dickens and Angela Carter. This beautifully written suburban gothic is cut through with shards of magical realism and propped up by the sympathetic voice of the protagonist. It surveys the laborious nature of trauma and the dissociation required to cope.
This beautifully strange novel leaves quite a distinct and lingering impression. In this tale of mystery and isolation we are met by two sisters cut off from the world. They live alone, happily and ferally in their dilapidated family home in an almost mundanely mystical lifestyle à la Grey Gardens. Delivering an effortless sense of unease, this captivating and understated story will leave you in a satisfying state of unknowingness.
