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aparker89's review
- 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
Absolutely fantastic writing!
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Murder, Abandonment, Bullying, Gaslighting, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Blood, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Stalking, Terminal illness, Violence, Chronic illness, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Toxic relationship
bookeduntil's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Body horror, Sexism, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual assault, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child death, Suicide, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Incest, Cannibalism, Classism, Infertility, and Infidelity
coobugz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I appreciated the interspersed different POVs, and looked forward to the doctor’s POV/case notes. I felt defensive and protective of Roos, and have respect for Dr. Montague. Not gonna lie, Ruth weirds me out and pissed me off sometimes, but that’s plot for ya.
A solid 2 claps for the ending and epilogue. 👏👏
I received the book through Goodreads giveaways as an advanced copy and was super excited to read it before the release date, and to give my first review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Graphic: Death, Vomit, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death of parent, Incest, Murder, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Cursing, Cannibalism, and Infertility
kristinareadz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Bullying, Blood, Violence, Murder, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Dementia, Terminal illness, Self harm, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Vomit, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, and Gore
Minor: Sexual assault
bookishmillennial's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Thank you to Sourcebooks for the ARC (pub date: May 14, 2024) — I am providing an honest review on my own accord.
This was a fantastic piece of historical horror! Roosje practices seances with her Mama to get by, and when the widow Agnes Knoop attends one, she becomes enamored by Roos. Little does anyone know, Roos and her mama have simply conjured up a little ~*~ruse~*~ (ha ha GET IT?!) & their seances are not real. Roos instead lets her spirit friend Ruth inhabit her body, and they put on a performance of others’ loved ones visiting them for their patrons. Agnes becomes interested in 21-year-old Roos and pays Mama for Roos to come live with her. I won’t give away too much else, as I don’t want to spoil it, but the story moves down surprising and dark paths after this!
There are interview transcripts in between every few chapters between Roosje and a doctor, who clearly believe Roos is schizophrenic and does not entertain the presence of the spirit Ruth. They are short, but eventually unravel what has happened and why Roos is even being interviewed (and seemingly investigated/being accused) by a doctor. I thought this was so clever and it built up so much curiosity and intensity for me as the reader!
In the beginning, Van Veen mentions that though there are incredibly darker contents in this book, at the core, it is a love story and that absolutely rings true. I was fascinated by the dynamic between Roos and Ruth, as well as the dynamic between Ruth and Agnes. Regardless of what you believe (whether Ruth is real/spirits are real or if Roos has made her up as a coping mechanism for her traumatic childhood), you can feel the fierce protection, care, and possessiveness of Ruth when it comes to Roos. Additionally, the beliefs that Roos and Agnes share deeply connect them, as well as their painful pasts, and it’s so lovely to see them finally find solace and hope in the other.
Honorable mention to the ending doctor/litigator & how he presents his patients’ experiences. I sometimes stan cishet men doing the bare minimum, what can I say? 😭
The sexual content is not particularly explicit or smutty btw. Not a bad or good thing, I just like to note the steaminess of any sexual content in books to help level others’ expectations 🫶🏽
see content warnings below & take care while reading (the author does include a few in the beginning of the book)
Overall, I highly recommend this gothic horror & I will read anything JVV writes in the future!
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Rape, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Homophobia, Sexism, Child death, Medical content, Gore, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Child abuse, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Death, and Abandonment
sissix_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My Darling Dreadful thing is a tale woven from the perspective of Roos, our troubled first person narrator, and notes from the doctor tasked with ascertaining her mental state - because she’s been accused of a gruesome murder.
The clever combination of the two means you’re constantly on edge: chasing more details to put together the story, left wondering what the truth is, and feeling like you’re always a step away from finding it out but not quite close enough.
Roos’ voice is compelling and at times deeply unnerving. Her animalistic descriptions of her spirit companion Ruth are both horrifying and (grossly) delightful. There was never a moment in reading this book that I wanted to put it down - although there were points where I had to so I could digest what I’d just read.
If you like queer (specifically sapphic) gothic horror you absolutely need to read this book.
Graphic: Vomit and Gore
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Death, Incest, Sexual assault, and Self harm
gothbaby's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I am enamoured and awed and completely, utterly devoted to this story. I wanted to be explicit in my review and provide a thorough deconstruction of my thoughts but I simply don’t think I can. This book was nearly perfect—so nearly perfect—and is, in a way, my own darling dreadful thing. Two things I wish had been better executed: the passage of time was a mystery to me, and I felt a disconnect between the year(s) this story takes places versus when it felt like it should be taking place (late 1800s, in my opinion!).
I loved Ruth with my whole heart. Her attachment to Roos felt so sacred and fragile; I sobbed and sobbed on chapter 32 until I remembered I had a few more chapters to go.
The writing was sublime and I yearned for more of Ruth and Roos’s interactions. I adored Agnes, please don’t get me wrong, but something about Ruth shifted something in me.
I cannot wait to read this as a finished work as I know it will be a favourite again. Thank you to the author, Johanna van Veen, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Graphic: Vomit, Gore, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Racism, and Incest