Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - A History of Wild Places

oooooookay. where do I start.
this is really badly written—not just the plot construction (which wasn't good, either) but the writing itself. I call it "fanfic voice" and I legitimately have not read something written this way since middle school. first person present tense. short, abrupt sentence fragments. italicizing the narrator's thoughts. multiple narrators with identical voices. I'm sorry, it was truly so bad. also, there were multiple typos and grammar/punctuation issues in my library ebook copy, which... come on. that's embarrassing.
the other big issue: using blindness as a plot device, ESPECIALLY

curing the character of their blindness as part of said plot device

is really shitty, and even if this author doesn't feel embarrassed about her writing, I hope she feels ashamed of that narrative decision.

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paronomaniac's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. Based on the description, I thought it would be about exposing the secrets of a cult and people trying to escape and, at a superficial level, there is some of that. But there are themes and ideas running much deeper through the book: ideas around self-discovery, the family we choose compared to the family we are born into, the power of memories, the power of fear, who we love and why. Shea Earnshaw writes beautifully descriptive passages about both the characters and the settings and really grounds the reader in the world that is Pastoral. Early in the book, a character looks up the definition of "pastoral" and, throughout the book, Earnshaw plays with those different definitions as she builds the world and the characters.

So many thrillers rely on characters keeping secrets and this book is no different, but secrets are revealed at a good rate, which I appreciate. Yes, there are big reveals at the end but there are smaller secrets shared among the characters throughout the book, which helps to build the tension and create a fuller story.

It's also no mistake that the cover of the book shows a Rorschach inkblot. Like the different characters, different readers will have varying opinions on the story and the setting. I can't stop thinking about it.

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readwithanne's review

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adventurous 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

4.25

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kristie_deaver's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

I could not put this book down. I loved the mystery slowly unfolding, yet the book never feeling slow. My only confusion was timeline. There where times when I felt confused about when we were with Calla, Theo and Bee. Overall, I would have loved to see more diversity called into the book. This story is a chilling tale that will take you into the world of Pastoral; the only way out is through.

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foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The History of Wild Places gave me Twin Peaks meets The Sun Down Motel and Tana French. Not my favourite, I thought there would be more flashes through time. Instead, this book mostly focused on the setting of Pastoral. But even the purpose of focusing so much on a setting, such as building a sense of dread, or even giving us time to connect with the characters and community, were missing. If you enjoy cultish elements and slow burn plot-focused books, then this is for you!

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jazhandz's review

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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onemorepagecrew's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This psychological mystery follows the story of two missing people and the lives of three primary characters in a secluded commune. The first person to go missing is a well-known author and the second is a private investigator looking for her. The investigator’s search leads him to the commune and that’s as much as the reader knows before we switch to the perspectives of the commune residents.

As the secrets unfold and the seclusion of the community is tested, it’s a page-turning pace with quick chapters and high curiosity for it all to become clearer. There were enough clues for me to see some of the plot, but enough mystery to still have some surprise and unfolding. I also appreciated that the actions of one didn’t detract from the goals of many in the long run and there was closure on the characters next steps.

I enjoyed the sub-plot on power, influence, control, and psychological abuse. The author gave enough information to know something wasn’t right and left the right amount blurriness for the reader to have a puzzle in front of them. If you’re in a bit of a reading slump and need a quick mystery, this would be a great choice.

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beccasherman's review

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adventurous sad 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? No

2.0

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