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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
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner for the eARC of The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker!
The characters were each complex, fully developed to stand on their own. The writing was excellent and held my attention throughout the novel. The story switches between the present and the 1950s through Iris’ flashbacks. I enjoyed the flashbacks the most but the present POV was also interesting, especially in the end!
I’m a scaredy cat when it comes to scary movies so this book was the best parts of scary movies for me, particularly ghost/haunting based films. It takes the great plot/storyline and ghostly vibes without any of the jump scares 👻
Lately I’ve been reading my kindle during workouts and have started listening to music as well to drown out the EDM gym music. I really like finding instrumental playlists that fit the type of book I’m reading! I’ve found a dark mystery music playlist that made the book feel slightly spookier and added to my reading experience of it.
Great ending! Loved finding out that my hunch was right about one of the characters and their story being loosely inspired by the legend of Sarah Winchester. I became attached to the Chapel sisters and felt sympathy for Iris, definitely a story that will stay with me for awhile!
You’ll enjoy Cherry Robbers if you like:
🌸Sarah Winchester’s life and legend
🌸gothic ghost stories
🌸healing generational trauma
🌸difficult family relationships
🌸strong women
🌸you like scary movies for the plot
TW/CW: pregnancy, death, suicide attempt, death of sibling, marital rape (brief mentions), grief, blood, vomit, suicide, sexual content, body shaming (brief), forced institutionalization, gun violence, childhood trauma, panic/anxiety disorder (brief)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, Suicide, Grief, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Pregnancy, Blood, Gun violence, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Rape, Vomit, Body shaming, and Panic attacks/disorders
wateringpages's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I'd like to thank HMH/Mariner Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a huge fan of the gothic genre, and the sort of revival that we've been seeing of the gothic within the contemporary scene has been very enjoyable for me. The Cherry Robbers is no exception. It's a beautifully constructed novel about femininity, sexuality, and grief.
The Cherry Robbers follows the Chapel daughters, who are heiresses to the Chapel firearms fortune. But their story doesn't begin with them, it has always existed. We open with Sylvia Wren, a renowned, yet elusive artist living in New Mexico. We learn that she is, in fact, Iris Chapel, the fifth (of six) daughter of the Chapel family. The majority of the novel is set as a flashback to when the six girls were growing up, and the fates that befell them. We learn that their father is very detached, and their mother, Belinda, never really wanted the life that she has. She's believed to be insane because she thinks that their house is haunted by the ghosts of people killed by the firearms produced by Chapel.
While there's not a lot of horror involved, the eerie atmosphere that Walker sets and maintains is extremely captivating. It took me a while to be fully engrossed because I wasn't sure of the direction the story would take at the beginning, but it's well wrapped-up with a very satisfying arc throughout.
The Cherry Robbers is set to be published in February 2022.
I'm a huge fan of the gothic genre, and the sort of revival that we've been seeing of the gothic within the contemporary scene has been very enjoyable for me. The Cherry Robbers is no exception. It's a beautifully constructed novel about femininity, sexuality, and grief.
The Cherry Robbers follows the Chapel daughters, who are heiresses to the Chapel firearms fortune. But their story doesn't begin with them, it has always existed. We open with Sylvia Wren, a renowned, yet elusive artist living in New Mexico. We learn that she is, in fact, Iris Chapel, the fifth (of six) daughter of the Chapel family. The majority of the novel is set as a flashback to when the six girls were growing up, and the fates that befell them. We learn that their father is very detached, and their mother, Belinda, never really wanted the life that she has. She's believed to be insane because she thinks that their house is haunted by the ghosts of people killed by the firearms produced by Chapel.
While there's not a lot of horror involved, the eerie atmosphere that Walker sets and maintains is extremely captivating. It took me a while to be fully engrossed because I wasn't sure of the direction the story would take at the beginning, but it's well wrapped-up with a very satisfying arc throughout.
The Cherry Robbers is set to be published in February 2022.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
Minor: Death of parent
mesal's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Apart from a few mostly insignificant issues, I loved this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Death of parent
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