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darumachan's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
What stays with me most powerfully are the lovely prose and the rich atmosphere-- especially the unsettling sense of deep and sinister ties to the family and their wedding cake house.
I was initially captivated by the mystery of the haunting at the core of the novel, but that was also where I was most frustrated. I don't mind an ambiguous ending that leaves you pondering, but I realize here that I do take issue with patterns or "clues" that are either abandoned or that are later contradicted for no reason, pointing the reader to a ridiculously broad conclusion that the problem is men and marriage in general, rather than following through on the more subtle relationships between heteronormative marriage and homophobia, misogyny, medical gaslighting, mental illness, gun violence, and family cultures founded on authoritarianism.
I also am dissatisfied with how the MC was developed. I'm fine with an unlikeable MC, but here she seemed to be a faded copy of her elder sisters rather than her own person, even though she was the one who survived to tell her story. She doesn't want to be compared to men, but she has no problem taking advantage of her romantic partner to do the emotional and intellectual labor expected of women married to "genius" male artists, for example. This is especially problematic given that this is a mixed-race partnership. The MC's sexuality was also handled rather clumsily and her attraction to women seemed tacked on to an otherwise asexual character.
I was initially captivated by the mystery of the haunting at the core of the novel, but that was also where I was most frustrated. I don't mind an ambiguous ending that leaves you pondering, but I realize here that I do take issue with patterns or "clues" that are either abandoned or that are later contradicted for no reason, pointing the reader to a ridiculously broad conclusion that the problem is men and marriage in general, rather than following through on the more subtle relationships between heteronormative marriage and homophobia, misogyny, medical gaslighting, mental illness, gun violence, and family cultures founded on authoritarianism.
I also am dissatisfied with how the MC was developed. I'm fine with an unlikeable MC, but here she seemed to be a faded copy of her elder sisters rather than her own person, even though she was the one who survived to tell her story. She doesn't want to be compared to men, but she has no problem taking advantage of her romantic partner to do the emotional and intellectual labor expected of women married to "genius" male artists, for example. This is especially problematic given that this is a mixed-race partnership. The MC's sexuality was also handled rather clumsily and her attraction to women seemed tacked on to an otherwise asexual character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Self harm
Minor: Cultural appropriation, War, Lesbophobia, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Homophobia
rachaelwho's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Bro... This was so. Boring. I thought I'd love it. I wanted to love it. It was so so so so so boring. So dry and so on the nose. Years and years and years long. Maybe I am just not Victorian enough for this.
Extremely skilled voice acting by the narrator.
Extremely skilled voice acting by the narrator.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Blood, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, and Suicide
brianna_moye's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Confinement, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault and Self harm
Minor: Gun violence and Suicide
atsundarsingh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I wanted so much to know what happened at every step of this novel. The fact that so much remains a mystery is both annoying and alluring. Still, the narrator has such a compelling voice, and I loved that the author's note gives further people to look for and read about, as well as partially explaining who Walker was influenced by in the creation of this work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Confinement
yellow_ylugbug's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
elisabethreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Cursing, Alcohol, and Sexual assault
mondovertigo's review
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Misogyny, and Suicide
Moderate: Pregnancy, Self harm, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, and Car accident
readundancies's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I’ve seen some reviews contest the practice of labelling this book as a gothic novel and I don’t agree. It’s not a traditional gothic tale in the sense that the setting is not mid 19th-century with all of the Gothic Revival architecture, but despite it’s more modern take on the genre with it being set in 50s Illinois, it’s still gothic in nature. There’s stronger horror elements paired alongside paranormal aspects, but at its core, this does appear to be historical gothic fiction.
The writing is very atmospheric. It’s gloomy and melancholic, with a main character that’s ill fitting in the world she finds herself in and a mother figure whose misanthropy is steeped in what is either curse or delusion and it’s captivating. The suspense is strong and it helps in traversing the rather slow pace of the novel. I really enjoyed the way that Sarai Walker set the scenes of each chapter and the subdivision of the parts within. However, I think a lot of the foreshadowing was a bit too heavy-handed and in your face as the reader; it reinforced the atmosphere of the story, but also made it seem like the suspense was overly dramatic at times.
There’s also a bit of a misconception that this is more of a mystery novel. Which I can understand, but upon finishing this story, ambiguity is the name of the game and the mystery surrounding the Chapel family is not the focus of the novel. There are no answers given to the reader upon finishing this tale because there are no real questions with which the Chapel curse is of importance. The whys and why nots behind the curse are not addressed, it simply exists and so we instead explore how the Chapel sisters grapple with the curse.
The characters are definitely distinct but what you get as a reader from them is little; they’re not very open to Iris as our narrator and so we don’t get to really see what makes them tick. Iris is an interesting lead character because her interpretation of the world around her and her family is coloured by the fact that she could be an unreliable narrator. I could never be sure that what she was saying about her past was entirely truthful, whether that’s because she was addled in the head like her mother or because of the paranormal events that occur throughout the story.
I will say that I think the ending makes the tale feel rather unfinished. The ending itself is not the problem, I actually think the abruptness and the finality of it works well, but the execution feels a bit muddled. I wanted more of a punch to send me off at the end, more of a tighter KO than the jumbled flurry of things happening that all culminated to a single hanging dash.
The pacing was also slow, and it really started to feel that way by Calla and Daphne’s almost joint demise. Then Zelie just became an annoyance to deal with. It felt too long in that there were almost too many paired sisters (we could’ve stopped at 5 I think because there was also Belinda to contend with), and yet not long enough with respect to how much is packed in that last chapter and glossed over. Sylvia Wren didn’t get enough page time for me in lieu of Iris Chapel’s slow moving story because the synopsis seemed to advertise that we’d get to know this alias a little more than we actually get to.
I think one of the strongest aspects of the novel are the themes that are tackled, especially those of sexuality, misogyny and motherhood. The way that motherhood specifically was explored through Belinda, a troubled mother who never wanted children or marriage, and the impact her actions had on her children, really showcased how poorly women have been treated throughout time and how stifled and powerless their situations often were, even in the context of extreme wealth. The madwomen trope was alive and kicking in this story, and I truly loved how Sarai Walker constructed such a juxtaposition between marriage and weddings (which are normally displayed as positive and happy events) with this idea of incarceration and institutionalization, in that the Chapel girls literally attributed their family home to that of a wedding cake.
All in all, though I didn’t fall in love with this read, I don’t regret picking it up and trying it, and so if you’re in the mood for a gothic novel with strong feminist themes and strange unsettling deaths, this may just fit the bill.
The writing is very atmospheric. It’s gloomy and melancholic, with a main character that’s ill fitting in the world she finds herself in and a mother figure whose misanthropy is steeped in what is either curse or delusion and it’s captivating. The suspense is strong and it helps in traversing the rather slow pace of the novel. I really enjoyed the way that Sarai Walker set the scenes of each chapter and the subdivision of the parts within. However, I think a lot of the foreshadowing was a bit too heavy-handed and in your face as the reader; it reinforced the atmosphere of the story, but also made it seem like the suspense was overly dramatic at times.
There’s also a bit of a misconception that this is more of a mystery novel. Which I can understand, but upon finishing this story, ambiguity is the name of the game and the mystery surrounding the Chapel family is not the focus of the novel. There are no answers given to the reader upon finishing this tale because there are no real questions with which the Chapel curse is of importance. The whys and why nots behind the curse are not addressed, it simply exists and so we instead explore how the Chapel sisters grapple with the curse.
The characters are definitely distinct but what you get as a reader from them is little; they’re not very open to Iris as our narrator and so we don’t get to really see what makes them tick. Iris is an interesting lead character because her interpretation of the world around her and her family is coloured by the fact that she could be an unreliable narrator. I could never be sure that what she was saying about her past was entirely truthful, whether that’s because she was addled in the head like her mother or because of the paranormal events that occur throughout the story.
I will say that I think the ending makes the tale feel rather unfinished. The ending itself is not the problem, I actually think the abruptness and the finality of it works well, but the execution feels a bit muddled. I wanted more of a punch to send me off at the end, more of a tighter KO than the jumbled flurry of things happening that all culminated to a single hanging dash.
The pacing was also slow, and it really started to feel that way by Calla and Daphne’s almost joint demise. Then Zelie just became an annoyance to deal with. It felt too long in that there were almost too many paired sisters (we could’ve stopped at 5 I think because there was also Belinda to contend with), and yet not long enough with respect to how much is packed in that last chapter and glossed over. Sylvia Wren didn’t get enough page time for me in lieu of Iris Chapel’s slow moving story because the synopsis seemed to advertise that we’d get to know this alias a little more than we actually get to.
I think one of the strongest aspects of the novel are the themes that are tackled, especially those of sexuality, misogyny and motherhood. The way that motherhood specifically was explored through Belinda, a troubled mother who never wanted children or marriage, and the impact her actions had on her children, really showcased how poorly women have been treated throughout time and how stifled and powerless their situations often were, even in the context of extreme wealth. The madwomen trope was alive and kicking in this story, and I truly loved how Sarai Walker constructed such a juxtaposition between marriage and weddings (which are normally displayed as positive and happy events) with this idea of incarceration and institutionalization, in that the Chapel girls literally attributed their family home to that of a wedding cake.
All in all, though I didn’t fall in love with this read, I don’t regret picking it up and trying it, and so if you’re in the mood for a gothic novel with strong feminist themes and strange unsettling deaths, this may just fit the bill.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, and Blood
closedcassket's review
dark
emotional
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Death, Grief, and Misogyny
Minor: Car accident, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, and Rape
qi_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
didn't expect to like this as much since it look a second to get into the plot but once the ball was rolling, i was hooked. the plot was so unique and i loved how sarai walker structured the uncovering of each detail (it felt like she was spreading out a bit rather than just dumping it)
it grapples with so many relevant themes that interest me (motherhood, feminism, relationships, grief, etc.) in an accessible and natural way. the prose was well written and it really able to shine once in the latter part of the book with the descriptions of art.
my one gripe was that there were some lags in the story that meandered too long between impactful plot points, in my opinion. especially in in the last section of the book. the pacing slowed way down and the weight of the events beforehand kind of fizzled out (if that makes sense).
other than that really enjoyed the story and thank you for the arc !
it grapples with so many relevant themes that interest me (motherhood, feminism, relationships, grief, etc.) in an accessible and natural way. the prose was well written and it really able to shine once in the latter part of the book with the descriptions of art.
my one gripe was that there were some lags in the story that meandered too long between impactful plot points, in my opinion. especially in in the last section of the book. the pacing slowed way down and the weight of the events beforehand kind of fizzled out (if that makes sense).
other than that really enjoyed the story and thank you for the arc !
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Car accident and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
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