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slippybird's review
dark
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
3.75
it was alright as far as horror novellas go, i wasn't expecting the supernatural element so that kind of came out of nowhere, paced pretty slow to the point that some parts were a bit boring. some unneeded elements in it as well. overall a very creepy tone and very well written. you could feel the main character Hettie's personality seeping all over the pages. a very interesting take on a disturbed, lonely, yearning teenage girl's outlook on life. i enjoyed the way the author wrote descriptions the most, especially towards the end of the novel when she meets the creatures and what not. interesting take on existentialism, like let's be dead forever,, together <333
postcorporeal's review
4.0
rly comes into its own in the latter half. i was waiting for more exposition before that (and i still don't think i would have complained abt getting that). can someone please tell me what the fuck weird fiction is.
thomaswjoyce's review
5.0
Grau is firmly at home in the Weird fiction genre and this is no exception. I first heard about this book through the This Is Horror podcast when they interviewed Grau and, from the little details they gave away, I had a small idea of what it was about. But not much. I was immediately gripped by his writing style. The protagonist, Hettie, is a teenage girl yet he manages to get her voice just right. There is an innocence to Hettie that is very endearing. Is it wrong that I related to her a bit? It probably says more about Grau's excellence as a storyteller more than anything else. He has the reader fully invested in Hettie's quest from early on in the book and we are rooting for her to save the day. But her methods and behaviour grow increasingly weirder until the brilliant ending. The cover art (designed by Ives Hovanessian and created by Candice Tripp) is beautiful and the interior design by Pye Parr is very high quality. As a publisher of horror novellas, This Is Horror are really setting a very high standard with both the writing within and the package as a whole. Overall, wonderful storytelling, great complex characters, and beautiful, poetic prose. This is an instant classic that will live long in the memory.
alyciajade93's review
5.0
I had to leave this for a couple of hours once I'd read it because I just could not wrap my head around how brilliant the ending was.
This has been on my to read list for quite some time and I wasn't really expecting it to be as good as it was.
I was intrigued by the blurb but I was pretty much hooked from the first page which is a rarity for me as it usual takes me at least a couple of chapters.
The horror builds in a really subtle way to the point where you're always wondering what you're actually scared about. There's always a new angle and what you think the danger is always seems to pale in comparison to the next situation you come across.
I found myself relating quite a lot to Hettie but at the same time I was increasingly worried for her as her obsession spiralled out of control. It was done really well though and as much as I sort of wanted to scream at her to stop and actually think about what she was doing, I understood her focus because when her background and family life is slowly revealed you kind of understand how she latches on to Avery as her only (in her view) link to the world simply because Avery saw her.
I loved the twist with what exactly Hettie was hunting for and the reveal story for how it became what it was. It was dark and gritty and excellently written.
I also liked how what you thought the story was at the beginning completely transformed by the end. It was a genuinely tense and captivating journey and I really felt for both Hettie and Avery.
The ending though is where I really got excited because the reveal was so good and I didn't see it coming and Hettie's reaction to it just made it all the more amazing because she's truly a twisted character and I love characters who own their darkness.
I was just seriously impressed with the whole book and will definitely be on the lookout for more by this author.
(I gave it another star upon reflection because I'm still quite giddy about this book hours later.)
This has been on my to read list for quite some time and I wasn't really expecting it to be as good as it was.
I was intrigued by the blurb but I was pretty much hooked from the first page which is a rarity for me as it usual takes me at least a couple of chapters.
The horror builds in a really subtle way to the point where you're always wondering what you're actually scared about. There's always a new angle and what you think the danger is always seems to pale in comparison to the next situation you come across.
I found myself relating quite a lot to Hettie but at the same time I was increasingly worried for her as her obsession spiralled out of control. It was done really well though and as much as I sort of wanted to scream at her to stop and actually think about what she was doing, I understood her focus because when her background and family life is slowly revealed you kind of understand how she latches on to Avery as her only (in her view) link to the world simply because Avery saw her.
I loved the twist with what exactly Hettie was hunting for and the reveal story for how it became what it was. It was dark and gritty and excellently written.
I also liked how what you thought the story was at the beginning completely transformed by the end. It was a genuinely tense and captivating journey and I really felt for both Hettie and Avery.
The ending though is where I really got excited because the reveal was so good and I didn't see it coming and Hettie's reaction to it just made it all the more amazing because she's truly a twisted character and I love characters who own their darkness.
I was just seriously impressed with the whole book and will definitely be on the lookout for more by this author.
(I gave it another star upon reflection because I'm still quite giddy about this book hours later.)
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