Scan barcode
eeriemusick's review
dark
mysterious
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
heatherrenee1325's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
hauntedorchid's review
4.0
I loved this beautiful, evocative novella. Catherine McCarthy is definitely a writer to watch - her prose is delicate and skilled with a great deal of emotional depth. I can’t wait to read more of her work.
opheliasviolence's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
4.0
This was a haunting, quiet ghost story that deals with topics of grief and revenge. It's perfect for reading in one sitting with a cup of tea.
This was beautifully written. I just wish the story had been longer.
This was beautifully written. I just wish the story had been longer.
reads_vicariously's review
4.0
Immortelle is a haunting, woeful, beautifully written novella that resides in the nexus of two of my favorite sub-genres: grief horror and quiet horror. Though it's a story involving ghosts, it's much more on the slow-burn side of things, taking its time to build its characters, deepen its dread, and finally bring it all to heel in a shocking, decisive act of violent revenge.
McCarthy weaves an interesting story of strained relationships, loss, taboo delights, and hidden wickedness, but what really had me flying through the pages are the wonderfully realized characters and the author's strong writing style. I was concerned with Rowena, wondering what was bothering her and if she'd ever be able to talk to her mother about it. I felt for Elinor, who was balancing a desperate line of trying to help her daughter without pushing her further away, and I was intrigued at the lengths she would go to set things right after Rowena's death. Elinor's pain and grief is palpable, and there are numerous literary gut punches that hurt my heart (especially being a parent myself).
The book is written in an easygoing style that immediately draws you in and keeps you captivated. McCarthy writes with a quiet assurance and grace that I found compelling, and she knows just when to dip the story into darker waters to build the tension. I also really enjoyed the many uses of personification, and I felt like her gendering of the various natural elements - moon, sun, sea, wind, etc - really helped connect the role of Mother Nature with the overall topic of motherhood in the story.
I really appreciate that the author didn't feel the need to be explicit with the horror elements here. It's a testament to the power of quiet horror and it feels like a throwback to an older style of horror from the likes of Poe, Blackwood, Wharton, and James (both M.R. and Henry). Definitely recommend this book if you're in the mood for realistic, engaging characters and a more mournful sort of ghost story.
McCarthy weaves an interesting story of strained relationships, loss, taboo delights, and hidden wickedness, but what really had me flying through the pages are the wonderfully realized characters and the author's strong writing style. I was concerned with Rowena, wondering what was bothering her and if she'd ever be able to talk to her mother about it. I felt for Elinor, who was balancing a desperate line of trying to help her daughter without pushing her further away, and I was intrigued at the lengths she would go to set things right after Rowena's death. Elinor's pain and grief is palpable, and there are numerous literary gut punches that hurt my heart (especially being a parent myself).
The book is written in an easygoing style that immediately draws you in and keeps you captivated. McCarthy writes with a quiet assurance and grace that I found compelling, and she knows just when to dip the story into darker waters to build the tension. I also really enjoyed the many uses of personification, and I felt like her gendering of the various natural elements - moon, sun, sea, wind, etc - really helped connect the role of Mother Nature with the overall topic of motherhood in the story.
I really appreciate that the author didn't feel the need to be explicit with the horror elements here. It's a testament to the power of quiet horror and it feels like a throwback to an older style of horror from the likes of Poe, Blackwood, Wharton, and James (both M.R. and Henry). Definitely recommend this book if you're in the mood for realistic, engaging characters and a more mournful sort of ghost story.
kandicez's review
5.0
I recently read [b:A Moonlit Path of Madness|85122295|A Moonlit Path of Madness|Catherine McCarthy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1674602876l/85122295._SY75_.jpg|109597952] and was so enamored with it that I purchased the rest of [a:Catherine McCarthy|19258532|Catherine McCarthy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1581441140p2/19258532.jpg]'s books. There are, as of yet, not many, but I will be anxiously awaiting the next. How delicious is it to find an author who speaks to your soul fairly early in their career so that you can enjoy their writing journey as they take it? Delicious indeed!
This is not a horror novelette, and yet, as a mother it was horrific. It's a darkly gothic tale. A young girl, Rowena, is violated (spiritually, not physically, thank goodness!) by a priest. The opening of the book sets the stage for her mother's suspicions, affirmation of theory, and eventual revenge. The eventual deliverance of this revenge is incredibly satisfying as only private revenge can be.
McCarthy mentions in passing things that are not expanded upon. Suspicions, secrets, possible lies, that in a novel would be maddening, but in something this short they simply add to the mood and atmosphere. There is not room to tell the reader everything, so McCarthy chooses instead to pique interest by dropping breadcrumbs upon a trail the reader is unable to follow to it's conclusion. Doing so in a way that makes sense without causing intense frustration is a skill that many authors do not have. McCarthy has this skill in spades.
I had never heard of an immortelle before reading this, but after falling down a rabbit hole of research, find them fascinating. It seems as if McCarthy peppers her prose with the customs, myths and faith of her home. Because I have never been to Wales, this is all very foreign and charming to me. It may seem odd to use a word like charming when referring to a book about the death of a child, but I did find those parts so.
This is not a horror novelette, and yet, as a mother it was horrific. It's a darkly gothic tale. A young girl, Rowena, is violated (spiritually, not physically, thank goodness!) by a priest. The opening of the book sets the stage for her mother's suspicions, affirmation of theory, and eventual revenge. The eventual deliverance of this revenge is incredibly satisfying as only private revenge can be.
McCarthy mentions in passing things that are not expanded upon. Suspicions, secrets, possible lies, that in a novel would be maddening, but in something this short they simply add to the mood and atmosphere. There is not room to tell the reader everything, so McCarthy chooses instead to pique interest by dropping breadcrumbs upon a trail the reader is unable to follow to it's conclusion. Doing so in a way that makes sense without causing intense frustration is a skill that many authors do not have. McCarthy has this skill in spades.
I had never heard of an immortelle before reading this, but after falling down a rabbit hole of research, find them fascinating. It seems as if McCarthy peppers her prose with the customs, myths and faith of her home. Because I have never been to Wales, this is all very foreign and charming to me. It may seem odd to use a word like charming when referring to a book about the death of a child, but I did find those parts so.
ericarobyn's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Immortelle by Catherine McCarthy is a grief-soaked tale of mystery where readers quietly sit with the main character as she slowly works her way toward the answer she seeks while also losing herself in her work and her magic.
Living in a small ocean-side community, a mother and daughter have begun to drift apart. The mother tries to gently talk to her daughter to see if she will tell her what is going on. Meanwhile, the daughter has begun asking some big questions that only result in her drifting even further away from her mother.
But is the daughter just getting angsty as she approaches her teenage years, or is there someone in the community who is negatively influencing her?
When tragedy strikes and the daughter is found dead, the mother is forced to look for answers while everyone else believes the death was an accident or self-inflicted. However, her mother’s instinct has zeroed in on the new pastor.
This slow-burning tale is such a wonderful mix of tension, grief, darkness, and the beauty of memorializing the lost.
The feature of creating the immortelle’s was really interesting. While being created for a sad reason, the care and time the mother put into these were so wonderful to see. I also loved seeing the signs that the mother kept pointing out throughout the story. These two elements kept shining a light on the otherwise very dark tale.
And my, how dark it was… I won’t dive in here as you’ll need to experience these elements for yourself! Just know that the author has such a perfect blend here.
My Favorite Passages from Immortelle –
It is late February and the banks bordering the hedgerows are sugar-frosted with snowdrops, Rowena’s favorite flower.
Every single day, before I open my eyes, the shock of her death hits like a wave, and again and again I am swept away with the tide.
Rescuers, thigh deep in foaming waves, try their best to gain progress, but the ocean is enjoying the thrill of the chase and is unwilling to relinquish its contraband.
The crab, which scurries sideways, proving one’s life does not always follow a straight path.
My mind is as turbulent as a storm. It cannot decide in which direction to gust, not which towns to destroy.
My Final Thoughts on Immortelle –
I will never be able to get enough of quiet horror tales like this! I love how atmospheric this one felt from the start. That feeling sank deep into my bones, leaving me feeling like I was right there, still feeling the chill of the salty breeze and a set of eyes watching me long after I had closed the book.
If you’re a fan of woe-filled murder mystery tales with a heavy helping of ghosts, then this is a story for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Grief
lareinadehades's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
nikki_in_niagara's review
3.0
Set in the late 1800s or early 1900s, Elinor is a clay sculptor and she has an 11-year-old daughter who wants to move away from the village. The daughter, Rowena, secretly meets with the priest and knows his secrets. Then one day Rowena is found dead in the pig trough with a small amount of arsenic in her stomach. Elinor makes an Immortelle for Rowena's grave and becomes renowned for the art and at everyone's behest. An Immortelle is a detailed diorama under a glass dome and laid upon a grave.
I really enjoyed the book and the writing style. It was a very quiet and slow story with not much action. This did not stop me from liking the plot and the ending. The book is atmospheric with an aura of dread hanging over it. The ending was a bit gruesome but that is the only violence. I would read more of the author.
I really enjoyed the book and the writing style. It was a very quiet and slow story with not much action. This did not stop me from liking the plot and the ending. The book is atmospheric with an aura of dread hanging over it. The ending was a bit gruesome but that is the only violence. I would read more of the author.