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3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
Whelp, this won’t go well because I rarely take the time to tap out a review on GoodReads. Did not finish, I probably got 55-60% through. It takes A WHOLE LOT to give up on a book. There is a lot of promise in the premise but I’m afraid Brashears suffers from the typical mistakes any MFA-fresh writers makes. Most of the super low reviews are people outraged by the graphic sex, which is the least of my cares. I’m annoyed at the painfully one-dimensional characters, the drifting and meandering plot, and the grating dialogue + constant culture drops that are incessantly reminding us that even though this is marketed as “gothic,” it is indeed in current times. As a White reader, I was pretty conflicted in the first third trying to decide if Brashears was constructing an inflammatory version of Southern Appalachian Black poverty (“barefoot and pregnant” teenage girl who overdraws her account with her Netflix subscription) or if she was simply revealing the experiences of her region. It may be that the author is challenging the comfort level of her readership (scan the 1-star reviews here; some reviewers may want to pause and wonder WHY they are so disgusted by Magnolia’s choices and ask what this says about their notions of morality and policing Black bodies). Representation matters so much and I am grateful for her voice, but I’m afraid poorly written work is still just that. I’m pretty confused by the glowing bylines and public reviews crowning Brashears an integral and unique new voice. I just don’t see it. I never give 1-star reviews unless something is outrageous. Two stars because for a debut novel from a young writer, the setting is richly evocative.
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The prose is so gorgeous, the plot haunting. Come snuggle up with a dark southern gothic novel.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
It took me quite a bit to get used to how dreamy and quick-cut feeling this writing was like. It mostly felt like photos taken with vaseline on the lens, but that is probably because the characters were so inebriated so much of the time??
Magnolia Brown stole my heart from the beginning, though. Every alluded to (and then later confirmed) horror she experienced was the epitome of "evil is People."
There's so much about this book I'm not sure I fully understand and things I need to think on more, but I don't know how to talk about this story without spoiling things and ... maybe talking too much about myself on accident, so!!! I'll say this -
It's always so refreshing when the gruesome thing isn't the bad thing, when it's just something missed. It's desperate, it's grief, it's loving something even if it's falling apart and don't we all just want that.
Tldr; Magnolia goes THRU it, copes in ways that's so familiar to me, and I loved her every single second.
Magnolia Brown stole my heart from the beginning, though. Every alluded to (and then later confirmed) horror she experienced was the epitome of "evil is People."
There's so much about this book I'm not sure I fully understand and things I need to think on more, but I don't know how to talk about this story without spoiling things and ... maybe talking too much about myself on accident, so!!! I'll say this -
It's always so refreshing when the gruesome thing isn't the bad thing, when it's just something missed. It's desperate, it's grief, it's loving something even if it's falling apart and don't we all just want that.
Tldr; Magnolia goes THRU it, copes in ways that's so familiar to me, and I loved her every single second.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
What a strange (and ultimately disappointing) read! I wish it had done a lot more with the unsettling nature of being in/living in/working for a funeral home with a creepy boss.
🫀Unlike other readers, I did not have a problem with the main character’s random hookups. It clearly showed how lonely she felt, and the validation that she thought she so desperately needed from men.
🫀I did have a MAJOR issue with the ending. This would maybe have been a 3 if it weren’t for that. It didn’t make sense, it was rushed, and it was unsatisfying, to say the least.
🫀I loved the weird concept of “modeling” for a funeral home and the religious/social commentary, but I needed more of everything (I did like the supernatural elements and how the author did not shy away from darker themes)
🫀Was this a gothic horror, though? I would say no. A funeral home setting & a weird guy don’t automatically make a story “gothic.”
🫀Unlike other readers, I did not have a problem with the main character’s random hookups. It clearly showed how lonely she felt, and the validation that she thought she so desperately needed from men.
🫀I did have a MAJOR issue with the ending. This would maybe have been a 3 if it weren’t for that. It didn’t make sense, it was rushed, and it was unsatisfying, to say the least.
🫀I loved the weird concept of “modeling” for a funeral home and the religious/social commentary, but I needed more of everything (I did like the supernatural elements and how the author did not shy away from darker themes)
🫀Was this a gothic horror, though? I would say no. A funeral home setting & a weird guy don’t automatically make a story “gothic.”
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content
dark
sad
medium-paced
I don’t know what this did to my brain. I liked it and also hated it. It’s weird and graphic and definitely not for everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Abortion
dark
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Depressing, begining to end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Rape, Abortion
dark