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marleywrites's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
If you’re looking for an example of cozy horror, you’ve found it with The Binding of Bloom Mountain.
This story follows Celeste as she unknowingly returns to the Valley she once knew after seeing an advertisement in the newspaper. In the Valley, she learns of the town’s history and its curse. She agrees to take on the task of binding the mountain before she really knows what it means. She meets some townsfolk who help her prepare for this day and a half journey. Then, we follow Celeste as she takes on the mountain and the town’s curse.
This story has cozy elements, such as a small town hidden away in the mountains, cafes, scones, an animal familiar. The sapphic romance in this book isn’t really a main focus, but it does encourage Celeste to keep going on her quest. The love interest is a super sweet woman. I hope we see more of her in book two.
I really loved the magic of the connection Celeste uncovers with the forest. The further she goes on this journey, the deeper the connection becomes. I felt like I was in Celeste’s shoes while reading this. The author does an amazing job of immersing the reader into this world. I read this book in the middle of summer and multiple times while reading, I found myself looking up and expecting to see autumn leaves outside my window. I was extremely impressed with the way the forest and nature was written, it was clear the author has a lot of love and passion for supporting nature and respecting it.There is a scene towards the end of the book where Celeste witnesses the memories of the trees and it is such a magical scene- Celeste describes it as religious. It felt religious to read it, too.
I know the book probably sounds really cute and cozy right now, and on one hand it is, but it is also deeply unsettling as Celeste continues on her journey. There are multiple scenes where forest spirits and creatures and spooky happenings occur. The descriptions of the events that happen truly made me feel shocked and afraid at times. I could imagine myself as Celeste, experiencing the horrors she did. Don’t expect this book to be just cozy. It’s also quite chilling.
Lastly, I wanted to add that I really appreciated the autism representation in this book. Celeste is, according to the author, an undiagnosed autistic woman, and it was clear in the book while reading it. If you want to see an autistic being a badass and connecting with the soul of the forest/the Valley, this is the book for you.
Overall, I’m really excited to see if another book happens. I rated this book as five stars, I truly enjoyed myself the entire time I read this story. The prose was beautiful and I highlighted numerous passages. My favorite descriptions were all describing how beautiful the autumn forest was.
This story follows Celeste as she unknowingly returns to the Valley she once knew after seeing an advertisement in the newspaper. In the Valley, she learns of the town’s history and its curse. She agrees to take on the task of binding the mountain before she really knows what it means. She meets some townsfolk who help her prepare for this day and a half journey. Then, we follow Celeste as she takes on the mountain and the town’s curse.
This story has cozy elements, such as a small town hidden away in the mountains, cafes, scones, an animal familiar. The sapphic romance in this book isn’t really a main focus, but it does encourage Celeste to keep going on her quest. The love interest is a super sweet woman. I hope we see more of her in book two.
I really loved the magic of the connection Celeste uncovers with the forest. The further she goes on this journey, the deeper the connection becomes. I felt like I was in Celeste’s shoes while reading this. The author does an amazing job of immersing the reader into this world. I read this book in the middle of summer and multiple times while reading, I found myself looking up and expecting to see autumn leaves outside my window. I was extremely impressed with the way the forest and nature was written, it was clear the author has a lot of love and passion for supporting nature and respecting it.
I know the book probably sounds really cute and cozy right now, and on one hand it is, but it is also deeply unsettling as Celeste continues on her journey. There are multiple scenes where forest spirits and creatures and spooky happenings occur. The descriptions of the events that happen truly made me feel shocked and afraid at times. I could imagine myself as Celeste, experiencing the horrors she did. Don’t expect this book to be just cozy. It’s also quite chilling.
Lastly, I wanted to add that I really appreciated the autism representation in this book. Celeste is, according to the author, an undiagnosed autistic woman, and it was clear in the book while reading it. If you want to see an autistic being a badass and connecting with the soul of the forest/the Valley, this is the book for you.
Overall, I’m really excited to see if another book happens. I rated this book as five stars, I truly enjoyed myself the entire time I read this story. The prose was beautiful and I highlighted numerous passages. My favorite descriptions were all describing how beautiful the autumn forest was.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit and Cancer
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