Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Eynhallow by Tim McGregor

2 reviews

biblio_creep's review

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

4 stars

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

DISCLAIMER: I received this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.
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aedoran08's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • 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

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