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mykeyendres's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
hollispaige's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
Okayyy, I just finished this book and i’m here browsing other readers reviews because i THINK i followed everything but damn….how can i even be sure i know that i fully understood/followed it?
i’m with a lot of the other reviewers of this one. The first plot line of wilder, harper and nat could’ve been a solid 4-5 ⭐️ read if it ended there. Hell, I even enjoyed the first narrative of Sky, (though his rude ass move made me angry AF). I almost even could’ve been okay with the Wilder returns to the cottage as a grumpy old man story & how that turned out (prob would’ve been closer to a solid 3 ⭐️ at that point.)
Now the last 30 ish pages really made me second guess if i understood the who’s who of it all. Are Skye, Sky, Pearl & Harper the same person at some point? Was harper successful & they end up “trapped forever” or was that her wishful thinking? Idk like i said, the beginning of this book until the last few chapters could’ve been a solid 3.75 ⭐️ read. However, my rating on this book is a generous 2.75⭐️ (rounded up to 3⭐️).
Would i recommend it? only to people who really would spend the time reading and attempting to understand/follow it.
also those long ass chapters? i almost stopped before getting through the first 50 pg “chapter.”
also (last one i promise) was Sky always a female? (it doesn’t matter, but im just trying to figure out if that situation was from the book inside of the book inside of the book)
i’m with a lot of the other reviewers of this one. The first plot line of wilder, harper and nat could’ve been a solid 4-5 ⭐️ read if it ended there. Hell, I even enjoyed the first narrative of Sky, (though his rude ass move made me angry AF). I almost even could’ve been okay with the Wilder returns to the cottage as a grumpy old man story & how that turned out (prob would’ve been closer to a solid 3 ⭐️ at that point.)
Now the last 30 ish pages really made me second guess if i understood the who’s who of it all. Are Skye, Sky, Pearl & Harper the same person at some point? Was harper successful & they end up “trapped forever” or was that her wishful thinking? Idk like i said, the beginning of this book until the last few chapters could’ve been a solid 3.75 ⭐️ read. However, my rating on this book is a generous 2.75⭐️ (rounded up to 3⭐️).
Would i recommend it? only to people who really would spend the time reading and attempting to understand/follow it.
also those long ass chapters? i almost stopped before getting through the first 50 pg “chapter.”
also (last one i promise) was Sky always a female? (it doesn’t matter, but im just trying to figure out if that situation was from the book inside of the book inside of the book)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual assault
stressicalessica's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
jasmeaniethebookish's review
5.0
I will probably reread and review this immediately after getting my physical copy because I LOVED this story. I need to say that I love Catriona Ward’s absolutely fantastic imagination. It seemed like it might be hard to compete with The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial, but in my opinion, this is superior writing.
This book cemented Ward as a definite top-five author for me. Full review to come around publication day :)
This book cemented Ward as a definite top-five author for me. Full review to come around publication day :)
burghbooksandbrews's review
5.0
This book had such a vibe, and I loved it. This psychological horror left me confused at times but wanting to continue the story and figure out what was going on. This book involves stories within stories and other unique plot devices, and I am just once again in awe of what a queen Catriona Ward is.
This book follows multiple parts of the same characters’ lives and the childhood trauma that affected all of them and left them grappling with anxiety and depression for the rest of their lives. The first part of the book is a relatively straightforward story of three friends and the summers they spend together on the Maine coast (talk about the perfect gothic setting). If you are a fan of coming of age stories, you will love this section. Lots of mystery and adventure occur, and this becomes the impetus for the rest of the story. This had some Stephen King vibes, particularly with the Maine setting.
After this first main section, the story becomes more about dealing with trauma and is a little confusing in some parts and requires the reader to really be tuned in and ready to grapple with which stories and characters we can believe. I came to love this section of the book the more I read it because I couldn’t believe what Ward was able to pull off here. The way she demonstrates the struggles each character went through to survive their past was truly something.
The latter section of this novel is also about writing and who a story truly belongs to. Is it okay for an author to use another person’s life story in a fictionalized sense, and does it then become the author’s story? I think this is a really interesting conundrum and obviously one that Ward is very interested in as well. This is a book that if you are willing to put the time and focus into, it will pay off exponentially.
This book follows multiple parts of the same characters’ lives and the childhood trauma that affected all of them and left them grappling with anxiety and depression for the rest of their lives. The first part of the book is a relatively straightforward story of three friends and the summers they spend together on the Maine coast (talk about the perfect gothic setting). If you are a fan of coming of age stories, you will love this section. Lots of mystery and adventure occur, and this becomes the impetus for the rest of the story. This had some Stephen King vibes, particularly with the Maine setting.
After this first main section, the story becomes more about dealing with trauma and is a little confusing in some parts and requires the reader to really be tuned in and ready to grapple with which stories and characters we can believe. I came to love this section of the book the more I read it because I couldn’t believe what Ward was able to pull off here. The way she demonstrates the struggles each character went through to survive their past was truly something.
The latter section of this novel is also about writing and who a story truly belongs to. Is it okay for an author to use another person’s life story in a fictionalized sense, and does it then become the author’s story? I think this is a really interesting conundrum and obviously one that Ward is very interested in as well. This is a book that if you are willing to put the time and focus into, it will pay off exponentially.
quasimodo_dragon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
liter_amy's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Jesus. Talk about whiplash. I had to look up an explanation to make sure everything I comprehended actually happened
kiki_13's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
5.0
sargasso_c's review against another edition
The story is just fine but the narrator is god awful with a girl's voice. I'll have to pick this one up in print and try again.