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starrysteph's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
The setup is an unassuming tale of domestic dysfunction, though it soon elevates and spirals into the realm of horror. We follow Rob, an English teacher & mother struggling with her deeply unstable family. Her husband Irving is abusive and dangerous, her older daughter Callie has been acting strange, and her younger daughter Annie is sweet and frail.
Callie has begun to display some peculiar & disturbing behavior - she's collecting and displaying animal bones, talking to imaginary creatures, and may wish to harm her little sister. Rob feels she must take action and flees with Callie to Sundial - her family's compound in the Mojave desert - in an attempt to improve their bond and understand Callie's behavior. (Irving wholeheartedly disagrees.)
Once they arrive, the plot expands in a flash and Rob's tumultuous history is slowly revealed. As dark secrets come to light, Rob knows she's at a critical decision point for her family's safety.
We as readers are constantly being manipulated, tossed back and forth by the unreliability of the characters’ minds. Catriona Ward is skilled at sharing little specific moments that illuminate the core of a person (thinking of the French restaurant scene here). Though are a lot of plot threads, it is overall a straightforward story.
The setting is excellent - you feel the grittiness and expansiveness of the desert. The depiction of the Sundial compound is also really well done; I could picture every part of it.
One of the big thematic questions is nature vs nurture, specifically in regards to violent impulses . Some of the characters tackle this through extreme medical experimentation (huge trigger warning for animal cruelty & death, specifically with dogs). Though many of the actual instances of cruelty happen "offscreen", please be wary if you are sensitive to depictions of animal harm.
Overall - I enjoyed Sundial (if enjoyed is even the right word to describe the experience). I'll be chewing on these concepts for a while (I have some THEORIES!).
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Violence
nisima's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Torture, Kidnapping, Confinement, Animal death, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Infidelity, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abortion
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
Much of the plot and setting revolves around animal experimentation specifically on dogs and a coyote. Things go horribly wrong, and the premise of the experimentation is debateably ableist. The rest of the plot and setting basically revolve around a woman escaping a deeply abusive relationship, and worries that one of her two daughters might be a serial killer. There are multiple violent confrontations. The end is happy but may be too ambiguous for some given the tension.nicoles_reading_corner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Grief, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Medical content, Pregnancy, Blood, Death, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse and Miscarriage
readmeem's review against another edition
2.0
Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Murder, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Mental illness, family, twins, abuse, crueltycyanide_latte's review
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, Abandonment, Child death, Confinement, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
vixenreader's review
- 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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Violence, Animal cruelty, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Self harm
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Gaslighting
If you are afraid of dogs, this book will prove to be quite triggering. Plus no one likes when the dog dies.catwhisperer's review
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Medical trauma, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
darkefyres's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Medical content, Blood, Addiction, Gore, and Pregnancy
hmatteson's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Murder, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Violence, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Blood, Addiction, and Child death
kerrygetsliterary's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy