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plandocalrisian's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for a honest review. **Please check trigger warnings before reading this book.**
I believe Catriona Ward just became an instant-buy author for me. This is the first book I've read by her, and it blew me away. I highly recommend this smart, gothic and atmospheric cult horror(-ish) story.
We follow Dinah and Eve's perspectives throughout the story set in the early 1900s, while learning about their life in the cult and who might have committed the murders in the beginning of the story. You are also taken on a journey of the human psyche. Questions apart from the main plot arise - like how well can one's subconscious pick up on details we don't think we notice? How can isolation and starvation effect the mind?
My only critique is that I wish that the dialogue reflected that this took place in Scotland. Although minor, and clearly the author's choice, it wasn't consistent. Jamie's dialogue was written with a bit of a brogue and Scottish verbiage, while none of the other characters did. I feel like it would've helped the setting a bit more.
-multiple pov
-murder mystery/whodunnit
-cult/religious abuse
-gothic Scottish backdrop
-not what it seems
**Potential spoiler**
*
*
*
-unreliable narrator
I believe Catriona Ward just became an instant-buy author for me. This is the first book I've read by her, and it blew me away. I highly recommend this smart, gothic and atmospheric cult horror(-ish) story.
We follow Dinah and Eve's perspectives throughout the story set in the early 1900s, while learning about their life in the cult and who might have committed the murders in the beginning of the story. You are also taken on a journey of the human psyche. Questions apart from the main plot arise - like how well can one's subconscious pick up on details we don't think we notice? How can isolation and starvation effect the mind?
My only critique is that I wish that the dialogue reflected that this took place in Scotland. Although minor, and clearly the author's choice, it wasn't consistent. Jamie's dialogue was written with a bit of a brogue and Scottish verbiage, while none of the other characters did. I feel like it would've helped the setting a bit more.
-multiple pov
-murder mystery/whodunnit
-cult/religious abuse
-gothic Scottish backdrop
-not what it seems
**Potential spoiler**
*
*
*
-unreliable narrator
rain_97's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Interested read.
librarian_erinn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kpeareads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
lachimolala981's review against another edition
4.0
A great spooky read for October. Definitely gothic, with bleak planes for settings and very troubled characters. Catriona has an interesting writing style; this was vastly different from The Last House on Needless Street and just as good.
novelswithnora's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
This was a wild ride
ashleylynne920's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I'm not typically interested in fiction that revolves around cults, but this kept my interest. While some moments felt unnecessarily confusing and sloppily constructed, there were two twists I never saw coming.
jojodabom's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Ok this book was good. I enjoyed the writing…. But I needed a trigger warning….. I got this book because it is a historical horror story, I love both those genres and thought it would be right up my alley.
Ya I was in no way shape or form expecting a horror story built around a cult whose leader focuses on indoctrinating small girls, in more ways than one.
Little Eve is a young girl growing up in a castle by the sea with her “uncle” and “sisters”…. As the story progresses you realize how messed up this little girls life is, she and her sisters are starved fed with small amounts of bread, broth and honey while they toil and clean for their uncle, who gets served full meals by the girls. When the girls don’t behave they are shunned by the rest of the family
The one little boy in the household is tortured even more than anyone else and you know it is just because he is a boy, constantly being shunned for “misbehaving”
When the main character escapes she longs to return… and fights tooth and nail to go back to the torture because it is all she has ever known…. I just couldn’t….
The book is a hard read and honestly completely devastating… I am all for cults but not the pedophilia that is in this book
Ya I was in no way shape or form expecting a horror story built around a cult whose leader focuses on indoctrinating small girls, in more ways than one.
Little Eve is a young girl growing up in a castle by the sea with her “uncle” and “sisters”…. As the story progresses you realize how messed up this little girls life is, she and her sisters are starved fed with small amounts of bread, broth and honey while they toil and clean for their uncle, who gets served full meals by the girls. When the girls don’t behave they are shunned by the rest of the family
The one little boy in the household is tortured even more than anyone else and you know it is just because he is a boy, constantly being shunned for “misbehaving”
When the main character escapes she longs to return… and fights tooth and nail to go back to the torture because it is all she has ever known…. I just couldn’t….
The book is a hard read and honestly completely devastating… I am all for cults but not the pedophilia that is in this book