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kier__'s review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Blood, Death of parent, Child death, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Classism, Death, and Grief
sidekicksam's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Animal death, Child death, Death, and Violence
henrygravesprince's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Blood, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Ableism
Graphic depiction of child birth; Depictions of parentification; Discussion of historical grooming of a young girl into marriage with an older manfree_the_bookshelf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book is masterfully written for the perfect gloomy vibe; picture a rainy beach day. This is the perfect book for the salty feminists out there. The strong female protagonist has you rooting for her to have one easy day. I will say, this is the kind of book you read when you’re in a certain mood.
As always, check the triggers. There is a lot of pregnancy/baby stuff that’s hard to handle, but it’s set in the 1800s so it’s not exactly like medical science was up to snuff.
Graphic: Violence, Child death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Misogyny
ogik's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Stalking, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Death, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Body horror, Dementia, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Blood
ericarobyn's review
4.5
Domestic abuse, pregnancy, stillbirth, death of a child, blood, suicide, medical trauma, and murder.
“Oh, I don’t know. What’s usual when comes to this?”
Graphic: Pregnancy and Child death
Moderate: Death, Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Violence, Blood, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism
biblio_creep's review
4.0
Read if you're looking for:
- A cold, wind swept, gothic setting in Scotland
- A new twist on a well known horror story, from a woman’s POV
- Characters you can empathize with
- A lot of body horror
- Incorporation of the real-life legends of the island of Eynhallow
This is a gothic, horror story set in the Orkney Islands of Scotland in 1797. Agnes lives on the island with her four children, and her unpleasant and abusive husband, scratching out a meager living from the sea. The island is desolate, with only four families living there. One day, a mysterious outsider arrives to rent a croft that has long been abandoned and rumors spread regarding his intentions. Agnes' husband volunteers her to cook and clean for this new renter, much to her chagrin. As she gets to know this new man, strange and terrifying events begin to unfold.
<<<[I don't consider the following a spoiler because it happens early on, and it is in the publisher's synopsis. But don't read this paragraph if you want to go in completely blind] It is soon revealed that this man is Victor Frankenstein, who fled to this remote island in an attempt to complete his work, as he is hounded by something dangerous and vile. Agnes soon gets wrapped up into his unpleasant doings, and ends up paying an awful price. >>>
I really enjoyed the reading experience of this book. There are great descriptions of the stark setting that really give you the feeling of the cold and windswept island. I also enjoyed the characterization of the main character, Agnes, and the journey that she goes on to lose herself, and find herself. I definitely had empathy for her situation, and how much of POS her husband was. There was a good amount of body horror, and gruesome yet beautiful descriptions of decay and disintegration. The ending also gives a certain sense of catharsis, as well. There is a decent amount of trauma that occurs in this book, so make sure to check the content warnings before reading.
The main criticism I have, is that the pacing seemed a little bit off for me at the end. There are several chapters after the main climax, which I did appreciate having the information they provided, but it seemed to throw off the flow a little bit. It's a little bit of a slow build at the beginning, but the action really kicks off in the second half of the book, which worked fine for me.
Overall, I would say that this is a solid, gothic horror story with great body horror, and I would recommend picking it up if those are things you enjoy.
CW: Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Birth trauma
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Body horror
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Infidelity and Suicidal thoughts
aedoran08's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Body horror, and Misogyny
Moderate: Infidelity