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anarchist_al's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
3.75
A pretty disorienting read—we begin with a narrator whose storyline is simply abandoned for basically the rest of the book. It eventually makes sense, but was kind of a head scratcher for the majority of the book. I really liked the setting of Pastoral, with beautiful descriptions of trees and forest and darkness. I was really intrigued by Travis’s ability to read after images of an object’s history, and was disappointed that it wasn’t explored or explained more. It was very very light magical realism. Also, the idea of a charismatic cult leader works really well, and that he could lead a community to believe existential falsehoods is totally realistic. However, the whole thing being hypnosis was kind of a stretch. If it had been another bit of magical realism special ability thing, I would have liked it more and it would have mirrored Travis/Theo’s ability. Overall, cool concept and setting, cool mystery, interesting characters—an entertaining listen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Torture
shantastic_reads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Well constructed beautifully eerie atmosphere - I could clearly visualize Pastoral in all its lush greenery and creepy stillness. The multiple POVs were effective in building tension, revealing different pieces of information and letting the reader put it together, bit by bit. The plot takes some predictable and unrealistic turns, and I think Travis' special ability described at the outset of the book is an unnecessary trope that doesn't ultimately add much. That said, I enjoyed this story and had a hard time putting it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Pregnancy, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Medical trauma, Suicide, and Gun violence
gm_vak's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Violence, Ableism, Infidelity, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Medical trauma
constellation_library's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
3.0
This was quite the entertaining read, and far better than the other book of Ernshaw's that I read--The Wicked Deep, I think? That one was just average, but I felt that this one was done very well--serving some magical realism, psychological thriller, and cult vibes. I did have some issues with it, particularly in regard to certain content (involving babies) that was included as more of a shock-factor or emotional manipulation tactic instead of a necessary plot device or something to help with character development. I did call the twist at the end pretty early, but I still enjoyed seeing how it played out and the way in which Ernshaw chose to reveal everything. It was definitely a bit of a slower burn, but I do think the pace helped to build tension. Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it if you enjoy creepy stories that focus on cult behavior.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Medical trauma
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