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kajalhalwa's review against another edition
4.0
I missed quick fun reads like these. I'm grateful that the women characters had so much screentime. Will seek out more from this author.
alixgb's review
3.0
Very quick read, but I was hoping it would be scarier. The story was told almost from entirely women's points of view, which was interesting. And while the focus was on a few relationships, it had the pacing and feel of a monster movie. I felt like there was a lot of alluding to a deeper meaning that never quite materialized.
Spoiler
The "bad" men, in this case, the 2 blatantly abusive men, don't fall victim to the monster. I'm not sure what that was supposed to mean. Also, the "lure" being either sexual or a damsel in distress (depending on the man) was also a little, I don't know, too much of a stereotype? Like it said, I felt like I was being led to something that I never figured out.stewie's review against another edition
4.0
Woman in White excels in a lot of areas, most noticeably the sense of isolation and dread that permeates throughout. Author Kristin Dearborn makes exceptional use of the incoming blizzard that is threatening the town, and you can easily believe that these people, especially the men, are doomed. There's nowhere to escape from either the blizzard or the thing hunting them, and there's no one to turn to for help. This is a favorite plotline of mine, this apocalyptic-but-not-really situation the townspeople are in, not unlike what you see in The Shining, The Thing, 30 Days of Night, and other media of this type. The idea that you are so close to help yet so far away terrifies me.
You can read my entire review at HorrorTalk.com.
You can read my entire review at HorrorTalk.com.
truebookaddict's review
4.0
The author has brought together the perfect pairing of horror and science fiction. We're treated to a mysterious woman in white...seemingly a ghost by the traditional standard. Turns out she is much more. It makes for a spooky story indeed.
The character development in this short novella is extraordinary. Each character had such depth, I could actually visualize them in my mind. Usually in a novella, or even a short story, it's over so quickly, there isn't time to feel anything for the characters. That's not true in this excellent little novel.
Frankly, I couldn't put it down. Dearborn has grabbed my attention with this one. I now plan to check out her past offerings, the novels Sacrifice Island and Trinity, and I look forward to her future work. Well done!
(I received an eBook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
The character development in this short novella is extraordinary. Each character had such depth, I could actually visualize them in my mind. Usually in a novella, or even a short story, it's over so quickly, there isn't time to feel anything for the characters. That's not true in this excellent little novel.
Frankly, I couldn't put it down. Dearborn has grabbed my attention with this one. I now plan to check out her past offerings, the novels Sacrifice Island and Trinity, and I look forward to her future work. Well done!
(I received an eBook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
lilyn_g's review
3.0
Woman in White wasn’t nearly what I was hoping it would be. I had been looking forward to reading this book for over a year now, and when it was on sale, eagerly snatched it up. I thought surely I was in for a treat because while I was familiar with the lady in white myth, I hadn’t really read a full book based around it. And I still haven’t read a full book around it. So, yes, I’m a tad bit disappointed.
And I can’t even really talk about the most awesome part of the book without spoiling something! Argh! Let’s just say that Kristin Dearborn had the most inventive take on the Lady in White myth that I’ve ever read. It made me perk up and pay attention to Woman in White. Unfortunately, this aspect of the book was the only thing I wanted to pay attention to. The rest of it was pretty much an insertion of cliche stereotypes, mostly of the small-town variety, and boring human drama cast against the backdrop of this massive snowstorm. Been there, done that, in pretty much every winter-weather horror tale ever.
To me, the potential of this book was hidden by too much people drama and not enough monsters. It is okay if that’s what you’re looking for, but it left me the bitter taste of a good idea being wasted.(Yes, I’m a blood, guts, and gorehound with a dash of supernatural. I can’t help it.)
So overall Woman in White had a lot of potential and a great view on the myth. If the author had chosen to spend more time drawing out the reveal of what the woman in white was, I think it could have been more fun. Instead, the reveal, and everything felt a bit rushed. Unfortunately, as it was, a cool take on the myth is just not enough to make it stand apart from the crowd, especially when the rest of the novel falls so flat. It has too many cons and not nearly enough pros to make it something that I could recommend.
And I can’t even really talk about the most awesome part of the book without spoiling something! Argh! Let’s just say that Kristin Dearborn had the most inventive take on the Lady in White myth that I’ve ever read. It made me perk up and pay attention to Woman in White. Unfortunately, this aspect of the book was the only thing I wanted to pay attention to. The rest of it was pretty much an insertion of cliche stereotypes, mostly of the small-town variety, and boring human drama cast against the backdrop of this massive snowstorm. Been there, done that, in pretty much every winter-weather horror tale ever.
To me, the potential of this book was hidden by too much people drama and not enough monsters. It is okay if that’s what you’re looking for, but it left me the bitter taste of a good idea being wasted.(Yes, I’m a blood, guts, and gorehound with a dash of supernatural. I can’t help it.)
So overall Woman in White had a lot of potential and a great view on the myth. If the author had chosen to spend more time drawing out the reveal of what the woman in white was, I think it could have been more fun. Instead, the reveal, and everything felt a bit rushed. Unfortunately, as it was, a cool take on the myth is just not enough to make it stand apart from the crowd, especially when the rest of the novel falls so flat. It has too many cons and not nearly enough pros to make it something that I could recommend.
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