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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
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
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was hooked on this book from that opening scene: a group of armed grandparents with nothing left to lose driving to what could be their deaths to save their grandchildren from the cult they led their families into. Holy hell, what a way to start. And it only gets better from there. Jumping ahead 30 years, the town is as much a character as the cult's surviving children, now adults who think the past is behind them. It's gothic, it's folk, it's return home to evil, it's even got a touch of coming of age, it's gross, it's heartwarming. It's everything I want in a horror novel.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you love the sprawling, cinematic prose and excellent characterization of writers like Ronald Malfi and Stephen King, this book is for you. While not as wordy as the King, Keisling has a way of making the setting so integral to the story that it almost becomes a character itself. The actual characters themselves are multi-layered and sympathetic and, at times, I felt so badly for them. Definitely check your triggers, as there are some heavy hitters here. 4.75 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When six small children are rescued from the clutches of a small-town death cult, they are the only living survivors after the church is burned down. Even with the taunts and whispered fears of their fellow townsfolk, they have a chance at normalcy. But 30 years later, that all changes when something long buried under the earth begins to stir.
This book reminded me of many others before it, pieces of it inspired by other works, and yet it came together in a refreshingly new take. Many of the characters were given real voices and even though despicable, had intriguing stories and reasons behind their actions. I was immersed in this tale.
I also loved, with the physical version at least, as the corruption sank deeper into the town and the layers were peeled back to show the true darkness, the parts of the book had darker and darker print. You can see it on the side and I thought it was a very clever use of the very paper the story was printed on.
Towards the end, some of the actions got to be repetitive but it didn't bog the story down, just was a "and here we go again" moment.
I enjoyed this quite a bit and given the use of the print on the pages, am tickled I own a physical copy. I do recommend it if you're a fan of good vs. evil, cosmic evil, and/or death cults. Or, if you just want something dark to dive into, this has it covered.
This book reminded me of many others before it, pieces of it inspired by other works, and yet it came together in a refreshingly new take. Many of the characters were given real voices and even though despicable, had intriguing stories and reasons behind their actions. I was immersed in this tale.
I also loved, with the physical version at least, as the corruption sank deeper into the town and the layers were peeled back to show the true darkness, the parts of the book had darker and darker print. You can see it on the side and I thought it was a very clever use of the very paper the story was printed on.
Towards the end, some of the actions got to be repetitive but it didn't bog the story down, just was a "and here we go again" moment.
I enjoyed this quite a bit and given the use of the print on the pages, am tickled I own a physical copy. I do recommend it if you're a fan of good vs. evil, cosmic evil, and/or death cults. Or, if you just want something dark to dive into, this has it covered.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story starts with fast action, and then becomes a slow burn as it works its way to an inevitable conclusion. Focused on a religious cult and the supernatural, the characters are well written, with some you like and others to like to hate. The narrator is ok, and delivers an enjoyable story.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes