Reviews

Figurehead by Carly Holmes

kirstycarson1's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

laney623's review against another edition

4.0

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

Figurehead is a collection of macabre and surreal stories that range from flash fiction to short stories. Holmes dances along the psychological and graphic, creating a feeling of something lurking at the edges of every page, something dark and often sinister, but also curiously intriguing. Many of these stories begin in a confusing manner, leaving the me wondering who-or what-the narrator is, yet that only added to my addiction to consume them.

As with most collections of short stories, some stood out more than others, and in this instance it was (usually) the longer pieces that felt more fleshed out and absorbing. The few that will take up space in my mind for awhile are Sleep (I cannot even begin to explain the way this one affected me) , Ghost Story, Three For a Girl, They Tell Me, and A Small Life. I will definitely be reaching for a full length novel by Holmes.

coldsoup's review against another edition

3.0

This book is a collection of "strange" fiction short stories, told from a female perspective.

My favorite short story was "Ghost stories", usually I don't like horror, least of all body horror, but I guess the shorter length of the stories made it palatable.

In general, Holmes' writing is good, it is easy to follow and enjoyable to read. However, I found her style the best and strongest at the beginning of the short stories, but then it peters out towards the middle and end of the stories.

margpope's review against another edition

5.0

I was thoroughly confused by this collection of short stories when starting. Whether by accident or design each story flowed into the next without a break or title. While this threw me off initially I ended up enjoying this as it forced me to pay special attention to each story and not take any section for granted. Each story was moving on its own and together they fit in a way I struggle to articulate coherently. I would gladly read another book by this author and especially collections of short stories. There were some that felt like non-fiction, others felt like a folk tale, and others felt like mythology. The breath of type was refreshing and kept me interested to the last story. I have recommended this book to friends and will continue to do so as it was a great read that I found very enjoyable.

mexigingerale's review

challenging mysterious sad

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

sophiezhu's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

st_ender's review

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

Figurehead is an impressive collection. I am sure that everyone can find something for themselves here, no matter what length, voices, or themes they are looking for. 
I would not necessarily call this collection a horror collection. The themes can get heavy, but it was not particularly terrifying, and very rarely the emotional impact of the stories originated in gory scenes or plot twists. For me, the strength lies in the short stories dealing with loneliness and loss. The nostalgic, melancholic tone really fits the more traditional haunted house stories, family stories, and folk tales. Out of the entire collection, the slower stories that were more sad than scary will certainly stay with me. 
I think the collection could benefit from mixing up the order a bit. The first story didn't convince me at all, and I felt like all the best was packed into the second half. My recommendation for people considering reading would be to just skip it if it doesn't catch you- there is enough in the book that not connecting with one story really shouldn't ruin your experience. I would also recommend getting a physical copy - I only wish I could read it one by one, in the evening, rather than running through my pdf. I will certainly come back to it in the autumn, when I can properly enjoy my favourites. 

blueinkandpaperstars's review against another edition

dark mysterious

4.5

There is an almost fairytale-like felling about these short stories. Carly Holmes writes in such a lyrical and beautiful way that helps to evoke that feeling. From the very first sentence the author pulls the reader into the story and makes them experience whatever happens next in such personal way.

All these stories speak of recognizable feelings, emotions, they explore recognizable themes and experiences, but do so by turning them into something darker, more twisted, and even surreal at times. I do have to say that some of the stories really made me believe that there was something lurking in the shadows 😳

This short story collection reminded me of one I read last year and quite enjoyed, “Salt Slow” by Julia Armfield, so I would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed that one, as well as, to any horror fans out there, and to anyone who is even remotely intrigued by it. I will be definitely checking out more works by this author, and there are some short stories in this collection that I will absolutely return to every once in a while.

Thank you to @netgalley and @parthian_books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!