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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
finally done with this behemoth lol.
alabama family soap opera, capitalism and a dash of familial swamp frog monsters. maybe more insight into those swamp horrors instead of 1000 pages about buying xyz land would have landed a little better. hell, even the inherent horror of the times + location it's set in could have been worked in but everyone seems to be oblivious to that which feels bizarre.
came for the horror, stayed for messy southern family dynamics. excellent audiobook narration.
alabama family soap opera, capitalism and a dash of familial swamp frog monsters. maybe more insight into those swamp horrors instead of 1000 pages about buying xyz land would have landed a little better. hell, even the inherent horror of the times + location it's set in could have been worked in but everyone seems to be oblivious to that which feels bizarre.
came for the horror, stayed for messy southern family dynamics. excellent audiobook narration.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Racism, Rape, Murder, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Minor: War
This would be a 5 ⭐️ if I wasn’t bamboozled into believing this was suppose to be Southern Gothic Horror.
Blackwater was Southern Melodrama with a few paranormal scene but good nonetheless
Blackwater was Southern Melodrama with a few paranormal scene but good nonetheless
This book is a masterpiece. I wanted a spooky read for the season. With this you get chills AND laughter. This book follows the Caskey family for several generations after the mysterious Elinor Dammert is fished out of a flood and comes to settle in Perdido, AL and eventually marrying into the Caskey clan, the rich and most powerful family in town. Not everyone in the family likes Elinor, which influences the already interesting family dynamic. And then... monsters and ghosts! It's like a trashy family soap opera filled with horror & the supernatural. I'd love to see this adapted into a series (c'mon HBO!) Anyway, this book is about 30 years old I never heard of it or the author until a recent Audible 2-for-1 sale. Unfortunately the author passed away in the 90s but he has a backlist that sounds incredible. I'll be reading more of his stories! Also, the narration is outstanding. One narrator created distinctive voices and personalities for 50 years worth of characters in the family and the people who came in and out of their lives! I loved this book!
10/2021: reread - still so entertaining, and of course perfect for spooky season! Content note: problematic and outdated language regarding Black folks, fat folks, queer folks and women that is likely intended to reflect the historical setting of the story.
10/2021: reread - still so entertaining, and of course perfect for spooky season! Content note: problematic and outdated language regarding Black folks, fat folks, queer folks and women that is likely intended to reflect the historical setting of the story.
I listened to this on audio book. It was awesome. Weird, but excellent.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
5 Blackwater Stars
Southern Gothic at its finest! Great pacing, fully fleshed out characters and a complex story that was absolutely beautiful. That’s some damned good writing!
Southern Gothic at its finest! Great pacing, fully fleshed out characters and a complex story that was absolutely beautiful. That’s some damned good writing!
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No