Reviews

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

meaghanelizabook's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Body horror, Terminal illness, and Mental illness

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Animal cruelty, and War

Minor: Suicide

beige_b's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

nicolerosebooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

star_charter152's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Alcohol, Body horror, Terminal illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death, Grief, and Vomit

Minor: War

sierracreads's review

5.0

Spoiler

from the author’s note: “it’s not malicious; it has no way of knowing that humans really, really hate it when you make dead things walk around”

my half theory was right, but Sally Field's voice still echoed in my head at the twist


at the end I was still a little jarred on 'how?' it happened or even more so 'what was driving it?' but I think those are just the right lingering questions for a horror book to leave me with. Similar to Hill House, it seemed like maybe the environment itself was just inexplicably bad but wouldn't stand to go uninhabited.

Kingfisher did a great job of clarifying what it was in the author's note and that we would not learn the answers from the narrator because of the science available in 1890whatever. That said, I'm choosing to believe there's a supernatural element to it. Maybe that makes it scarier for me in the moment, maybe that just makes it seem less tangible the longer I dwell on it. Maybe both. Either way, I'll be keeping my distance from lakes for a little bit.

abitsybat's review

Couldn't get past the narration style. It did not pair well with the historical dialogue/setting

asle's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

cato_g's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

sopharesogood's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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? No

4.0

This was very unsetteling! But at the same time very, very good.

The references to the 'original' text are well paced and make it feel both like a retelling but still original enough. The way Kingfisher made my skin crawl a few times during this narration is incredible.

Would recommend for a creepy, subtle but horrifying story based on a gothic classic.

kathrynjonesreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

This was a fun novella based on Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher. I am steadily making my way through T Kingfisher titles and having a good time.