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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Only four stars because I want more but I can’t have more!
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Fascinating and spooky read. If you like southern gothic/horror/religious themes, you'll like this. Well constructed characters and setting, and plenty of intrigue to get you through it. -0.25 for "daddy," and you'll know what I mean if you read it. Check CWs.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I certainly chose right for my first Kindle read, thanks to StoryGraph, as I blazed through this in a mere 19 days for me to complete, which in Cory reading time is hyper speed.
It’s 1948, and now-bootlegger Stella Wallace has received…some news. Her grandmother Motty has finally kicked the bucket. Fueled by mixed emotions and motives unclear to us, Stella travels back to the hauntingly beautiful place she grew up and swore to never go back to: the cove.
What unravels through a back and forth of past and present chapters is a story about blind faith, truth, love, and what family really means. Revelator is a spellbinding story that takes you on a ride involving moonshine, religion, the law, death, and a mystical god. Daryl Gregory finds a brilliant pace that doesn’t mince words, and when he wants to put you in a setting or make you feel a certain way, he knows the exact turn of phrase to get you there. 4.25/5 for me. Great read, and I’ll be reading another one of his tales again.
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
this book was nearly perfect for me. the pacing was absolutely immaculate. the structure of how the story is told going back and forth in time, which i usually cannot stand, was executed flawlessly and helped illuminate new parts of the story in such a great way. the main idea of the story itself is unique, interesting, and engaging. i think the only reason why i can't give a perfect 5 stars was because, for me, i would have preferred just a *few* more breadcrumbs as things were being revealed -- as opposed to leaving things left to be assumed, or for the reader to fill in some pretty wide blanks. this is part of what makes Revelator a challenging read (something i actually do enjoy about it), but at times i think it would have been better to be more clear about what is happening. i wish i could read this for the first time, again!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
3.5 Rounded Up.
Revelator is an interesting book with a good premise that draws deep from Southern Gothic, Stephen King and even a bit of Lovecraft. It doesn't however draw deep enough. You never feel the cosmic or the body horror as much as you should, the prose is not purple enough for Lovecraftian vibes nor terce enough for King, the atmosphere is barely opressive enough to qualify for Southern Gothic and in general the "vibes" are dissonant even as the story is engrossing. But the book delivers at a brisk pace and is well structured along two timelines (late 30s and late 40s) that complement each other.
Revelator is an interesting book with a good premise that draws deep from Southern Gothic, Stephen King and even a bit of Lovecraft. It doesn't however draw deep enough. You never feel the cosmic or the body horror as much as you should, the prose is not purple enough for Lovecraftian vibes nor terce enough for King, the atmosphere is barely opressive enough to qualify for Southern Gothic and in general the "vibes" are dissonant even as the story is engrossing. But the book delivers at a brisk pace and is well structured along two timelines (late 30s and late 40s) that complement each other.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Interesting premise and compelling story, I just couldn’t really get into it the way I would have liked. Still a good read!
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Good: this novel is atmospheric and the characters are striking. The conclusion is suspenseful and open-ended in a good way.
The Bad: The plot is a little slow even for me.
The Bad: The plot is a little slow even for me.