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sampetsdogs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Urban Indian Kari James has had a hard life, and it gets even harder after her cousin Debby unearths an old family bracelet that belonged to Kari's mother. When Kari touches the heirloom, it unlocks something within her and she begins having visions of her mother's ghost and a monster from Chickasaw lore. To put her mother's spirit to rest and defeat the monster, Kari embarks on a journey to discover what happened to her mother all those years ago.
I have conflicted feelings about this book. I was hesitant to pick it up because it was advertised as horror, but after finishing it I would say it's more of a magical realism mystery. I did find the first half of the book to be mildly creepy with Cecilia's ghost and the Lofa monster. There was a creep factor in the second half of the book as well, but only because of the way that Debby's abusive husband and the appearance of a child molester are handled...this part really gave me the ick. Disclaimer -- these issues weren't technically handled improperly, but I just don't vibe with that whole "be the bigger person" and "the victim can't grow and move on without forgiving their abuser" tripe. Some people don't deserve second and third and fourth and millionth chances. Some people don't deserve forgiveness. Some people should have to live with the awful things they've done without being exonerated. But I'm getting personal, let's get back to the review.
I stuck with it because the mystery of Kari's mom was very compelling. While this storyline overall was satisfying, the resolution felt very rushed and tied together a little too neatly. I also really liked Kari herself, although she was mildly irritating at times. Without warning, she would have a flashback to her childhood and her best friend who died young, and it messed with the pacing of a story that, quite frankly, already has pacing issues.
Even with the issues, I enjoyed Wurth's writing and would be willing to try her next novel.
I have conflicted feelings about this book. I was hesitant to pick it up because it was advertised as horror, but after finishing it I would say it's more of a magical realism mystery. I did find the first half of the book to be mildly creepy with Cecilia's ghost and the Lofa monster. There was a creep factor in the second half of the book as well, but only because of the way that Debby's abusive husband and the appearance of a child molester are handled...this part really gave me the ick. Disclaimer -- these issues weren't technically handled improperly, but I just don't vibe with that whole "be the bigger person" and "the victim can't grow and move on without forgiving their abuser" tripe. Some people don't deserve second and third and fourth and millionth chances. Some people don't deserve forgiveness. Some people should have to live with the awful things they've done without being exonerated. But I'm getting personal, let's get back to the review.
I stuck with it because the mystery of Kari's mom was very compelling. While this storyline overall was satisfying, the resolution felt very rushed and tied together a little too neatly. I also really liked Kari herself, although she was mildly irritating at times. Without warning, she would have a flashback to her childhood and her best friend who died young, and it messed with the pacing of a story that, quite frankly, already has pacing issues.
Even with the issues, I enjoyed Wurth's writing and would be willing to try her next novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Incest, Murder, and Rape
magneto's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
3.5
This was a tough one to rate. There were elements of this story I really enjoyed which made for a quick, engrossing read however there were other aspects that were so frustrating to sit through. The constant complaining denial of the supernatural, mentions of Metallica and David Mustaine, her cousin's controlling husband - these happened so often it was tedious to read, you could start taking shots when they're mentioned and pass out drunk before finishing the book. However, the story itself was interesting and made me keep reading in the span of a couple sittings to find out the key to the mystery. Unfortunately, this wrapped up rather quickly and the epilogue put a neat bow on everything in a rushed manner. I'll never begrudge a character a happy ending but the pacing made it feel off. This also barely felt like a horror novel, more a dark supernatural mystery centering a theme of grief and discovery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Drug use, Grief, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Gun violence and Sexual content
rhiannonafternoon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Three things to take away from this book:
1. It is incredibly hard to get over loss, whether it’s a known or unknown circumstance.
2. It is incredibly scary to open up to work on getting over those losses - which adds to the depth of this story.
3. Magical realism coupled with Native American heritage will keep you enamored and waiting for the next big reveal.
Bonus: If you love references to heavy metal and the Shining, pick this up. And will someone please get Carrie a non-watery cup of coffee.
1. It is incredibly hard to get over loss, whether it’s a known or unknown circumstance.
2. It is incredibly scary to open up to work on getting over those losses - which adds to the depth of this story.
3. Magical realism coupled with Native American heritage will keep you enamored and waiting for the next big reveal.
Bonus: If you love references to heavy metal and the Shining, pick this up. And will someone please get Carrie a non-watery cup of coffee.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Alcohol, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Gun violence and Violence
Minor: Xenophobia and Child abuse
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