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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
dark
slow-paced
“I am no garden.”
by the end of it, I had so many emotions that all I could do was cry. cry for all the wrongs and pain women endure, cry for Ada, and cry by just how beautiful and meticulously written this novel was. seriously- I cried by just how well written this is and how much thought and care was put into it.
I cannot believe this is Elliot Gish’s first novel.
Very slow burn horror, will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s my kinda cup of tea.
by the end of it, I had so many emotions that all I could do was cry. cry for all the wrongs and pain women endure, cry for Ada, and cry by just how beautiful and meticulously written this novel was. seriously- I cried by just how well written this is and how much thought and care was put into it.
I cannot believe this is Elliot Gish’s first novel.
Very slow burn horror, will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s my kinda cup of tea.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This is an epic gothic, historical, horror novel that details a woman's descent into either madness or something more sinister.
Set in 1902 primarily, the setting is moody and atmospheric. The author has done a fantastic job at establishing that time period and the characters within.
Ada is a spinster school teacher with a traumatic past. She takes a position at a single room school in a small countryside town as a last resort. Something happened at her last post, leaving her options very limited.
She attempts to be the kind of woman that would be expected at that time. Prim, proper, and not given to hysterics. But her issues are with those very expectations. As we learn about her past there's a realization that it's only because she's a woman these things have happened. A gay woman at that. As was (and still is in some societies) a woman is considered guilty of impropriety even if she's not at fault.
She begins to feel a anger inside and then, terrifying things start to happen. Voices calling her name, the sense of always being watched, horrific visions that only she can see even in her waking hours.
Her slow but steady decline oozes off the page in a menacing way and bleeds tension in almost every chapter.
This town has... something... living in the woods. And it wants Ada for itself.
This is a literary horror novel and doesn't have extreme scenes of gore. Instead, it has a truly frightening narrative, a visceral and compelling story, and gives a female led horror book the justice it deserves.
If you like your horror beautifully written, engaging, and filled with dread, this is one you don't want to miss. I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Set in 1902 primarily, the setting is moody and atmospheric. The author has done a fantastic job at establishing that time period and the characters within.
Ada is a spinster school teacher with a traumatic past. She takes a position at a single room school in a small countryside town as a last resort. Something happened at her last post, leaving her options very limited.
She attempts to be the kind of woman that would be expected at that time. Prim, proper, and not given to hysterics. But her issues are with those very expectations. As we learn about her past there's a realization that it's only because she's a woman these things have happened. A gay woman at that. As was (and still is in some societies) a woman is considered guilty of impropriety even if she's not at fault.
She begins to feel a anger inside and then, terrifying things start to happen. Voices calling her name, the sense of always being watched, horrific visions that only she can see even in her waking hours.
Her slow but steady decline oozes off the page in a menacing way and bleeds tension in almost every chapter.
This town has... something... living in the woods. And it wants Ada for itself.
This is a literary horror novel and doesn't have extreme scenes of gore. Instead, it has a truly frightening narrative, a visceral and compelling story, and gives a female led horror book the justice it deserves.
If you like your horror beautifully written, engaging, and filled with dread, this is one you don't want to miss. I highly recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.25 - had to do a lot of thinking on this one. The last 1/3 of the book escalates so quickly into the horror genre, it took me by surprise. The description of this book is far from accurate in my opinion. The idea that feminism is boiled down to bodily control (not bathing or wearing shoes), trauma in childbirth and sexual experiences, and delusions and hallucinations to feel accepted and loved by another entity that may or may not exist (or even, if existing, held on a pedestal, as they refer to the Grey Dog as the God of the Outside). there's an excellent Reddit post that goes into how this book went far beyond the reaches of feminism and how the main character "overshot" the concept through behaviors in the book.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced