Reviews

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

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maddyjmll's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

gillianhagenus's review against another edition

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5.0

One chapter into this book and I knew I would give it a five star review. In the beginning, it was the language that captured me; the ache of these women rendered so tangibly, the stark presence of their lives, the way you could feel yourself so solidly on the headlands of a small island in Norway in 1620 without ever having been anywhere even remotely like it. By the end, I knew I would have to give it five stars despite every visceral thing it pulled out in me. Because of every visceral thing it pulled out in me. It sounds dramatic; it sounds full on. But trust me when I say, if you are a woman, Hargrave's book will grip you tight and never let you forget it. It was at once tender and achingly beautiful, and storm-tossed and harrowing.

makemereadmore's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad 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

5.0

jammyoliver's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

5.0

kimouise's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced

3.0

abi_sarah's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

A candidly human story of love, lust and loss.

When the men of Vardø disappear in the midst of a storm on Christmas Eve, answers are at the top the agenda of the men of the surrounding Norwegian villages. Whilst they search for the truth, they squirm and writhe in the uncomfortable new reality of Vardø. Only women live there.

The discomfort of the men is apparent and their seeking of the truth in order to bring reason to what has happened is portrayed by Hargrave in such a powerful way. The lengths the men go to in order to find out the truth is extreme and violent. Soon foul accusations against the women are made and are swiftly followed with threats of harm and even death.

An extraordinary read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Norway in a historical fiction.

“This was a story of people and how they lived, before how they died defined them”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Content Warnings