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rubybastille's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A slow and atmospheric tale about a group of isolated Scottish islanders dealing (or refusing to deal) with trauma and grief from twin sources: WWII and the sluagh, which raise hell on the island every October and which are accepted as an increasingly dangerous yet inescapable annoyance. Characters deal with assorted flavors of survivor’s guilt, compounded by their existence on the island, which is simultaneously stifling and comfortingly familiar. The book had a very slow start, and some reveals were left a little too late for my liking, but overall I thought it was well done and I’ll probably revisit it for some moody October reading in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Animal cruelty, War, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death and Sexual assault
Minor: Misogyny
jess_vitale's review
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I read this book before and during a trip to the Scottish Highlands and for me the book really captured the feeling of the islands (even though I never went as far north as Orkney or Shetland, which I'm guessing is where this is meant to take place). The scene setting and story were engrossing and I really enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Death, and Death of parent
blewballoon's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was really excited for this book. I loved the idea of the setting and something a little spooky going on with some crows and maybe a murder mystery. It wasn't what I expected, the tone is pretty bleak and grim throughout and the mysteries stay mysteries without much concrete resolution. I do think the ending is okay and that helps, but overall my time reading the book was unpleasant. The characters have suffered a lot in the past and aren't doing so hot in the current timeline either, and that's just the way it goes really. A lot of reflection on "the war", but without much detail. A lot of reflection on loss, grief, and guilt from multiple characters. The things that happen during the course of the story are confusing and painful most of the time, up until the end. I almost DNF'd towards the beginning of the book because There is an awful scene of animal death where a character graphically beats one of the crow creatures (presumed to be supernatural, but that didn't help) to death with a rock. Shortly after this, one of the male characters tries to sexually assault the main female character. Things don't really pick up from there. I'm not sure it was worth continuing, honestly. If you like depressing books and the idea of a small island town with lots of sad people and some weird crows thrown in that may or may not be a metaphor for grief and suffering, you will probably like this?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Animal death
Moderate: Sexual harassment, War, Child death, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content
pich's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
i regret having not read this in a shorter amount of time, because had i done so, i definitely would’ve rated it higher solely for the fact that when i would go to read it, the plot would get only slightly jumbled. but nonetheless, i adored this book, definitely a lot more than i had originally thought. the writing creates a really eerie and unsettling yet somehow serene atmosphere, and i really liked the setting. my only complaint is that i would’ve liked maybe a bit more backstory and history on some of the older island boys that passed—maybe what they did specifically in the war, their experiences with the sluagh, etc..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, War, Body horror, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Sexism and Gore
bi_n_large's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, Child death, and War
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Violence
Minor: Suicide and Animal death
ka_cam's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
I felt like this book had a lot of potential to be a moving reflection on postwar trauma (and war trauma) along with massive cultural and tech changes impacting a small community and their spiritual life/ancestral connection, and/or a spooky mystery, but kind of failed to land either. The characters were just a bit deeper than cliches and I found it hard to track who was from on and off the island (esp when it came to Iain, Caroline, and her mother knowing or not knowing each other and others from the past). Some of the repetition (everything was violet or lilac, sometimes whole sentences repeated) ended up being jarring rather than evocative. The premise of both the characters and the plot was intriguing but failed to deliver for me. I like historical fiction but am not a particular fan of UK or WWII/surrounding years settings, so maybe others with that special interest would be more intrigued. Still, it kept me reading til the end so 3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, War, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, and Child death
Minor: Sexism, Gun violence, and Medical content
Content warning: bird swarms and bird attackskamreadsandrecs's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It’s not often that a book makes me weepy, but this one definitely did. I went into it expecting it to be a horror novel of some kind, or a murder mystery with hints of horror around the edges, but it didn’t turn out to be that at all. Oh, there was a murder for sure, and there were definitely spooky goings-on, but that’s not what this novel’s about. No: it’s a novel about grief, loss, and guilt, and about letting go and moving on - but a very specific kind of moving on. It’s the kind that involves soul-wrenching pain, the kind that makes you want to scream yourself hoarse, because what you’re losing is so intrinsic, so important to you, that you will hang onto whatever of it you can by the skin of your teeth.
But that’s not how the world works. Time moves on. People move on. And it does no one any good to live in the past. Remember it, of course, that’s important, but not holding onto it like it’ll come back if you don’t let go. To hang on is to die - but to let go is to finally live.
One downside: this book is a bit of a slog in the first half. Things only really get rolling around Chapter 15 or thereabouts, but before that it’s can feel like a bit of a drag. Still, if you hang in there, it’ll be worth it.
But that’s not how the world works. Time moves on. People move on. And it does no one any good to live in the past. Remember it, of course, that’s important, but not holding onto it like it’ll come back if you don’t let go. To hang on is to die - but to let go is to finally live.
One downside: this book is a bit of a slog in the first half. Things only really get rolling around Chapter 15 or thereabouts, but before that it’s can feel like a bit of a drag. Still, if you hang in there, it’ll be worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, War, and Death
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide
powellki's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, War, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Physical abuse, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Gun violence
laceystairs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Leigh Welles and Iain MacTavish have returned to their island homeland in the Scottish highlands. The island is dealing with the fall out from WWII and learning what life is with the missing family members, and the scars endured by the families left behind.
Leigh is relearning her place now that her father has passed and her brother has moved to a mainland city for work and a new kind of life. Left with the dog, two goats and a non working farm, Leigh feels that her once familiar home town is strange and strained.
Iain is stuck. His father has left him some money so without the need to work and without the war to make him feel a part of something, he spends a lot of days aimless and kept to himself. Only the thoughts of his war and the ghosts of the past keep him company, until this strange October when the sluagh come back terrorizing the island.
October is a time for spirits and the like. On the island a festival is held to keep the celetic bird-like creatures at bay. The sluagh have steadily been responsible for more dead farm animals and wreaking havoc on the villagers.
After a local teen lashes out at them during the ceremonial bonfire, the creatures seem to enactac a revenge on the island.
Now Leigh and Iain have a common goal, to investigate a missing person, and deal with the demons. Both internal and the omen flying through the skies.
This was a great historic horror book. Full of creepy dark foggy moors, ancient Celtic beasts and superstition. There was a good mix of post war and small town reality mixed into the tale making it just the right amount of creepy and realistic.
This book put me in the spooky season spirit. I wanted to put on my sweaters and light my jack-o-lantern. I'm going to be recommending it for sure!
Leigh is relearning her place now that her father has passed and her brother has moved to a mainland city for work and a new kind of life. Left with the dog, two goats and a non working farm, Leigh feels that her once familiar home town is strange and strained.
Iain is stuck. His father has left him some money so without the need to work and without the war to make him feel a part of something, he spends a lot of days aimless and kept to himself. Only the thoughts of his war and the ghosts of the past keep him company, until this strange October when the sluagh come back terrorizing the island.
October is a time for spirits and the like. On the island a festival is held to keep the celetic bird-like creatures at bay. The sluagh have steadily been responsible for more dead farm animals and wreaking havoc on the villagers.
After a local teen lashes out at them during the ceremonial bonfire, the creatures seem to enactac a revenge on the island.
Now Leigh and Iain have a common goal, to investigate a missing person, and deal with the demons. Both internal and the omen flying through the skies.
This was a great historic horror book. Full of creepy dark foggy moors, ancient Celtic beasts and superstition. There was a good mix of post war and small town reality mixed into the tale making it just the right amount of creepy and realistic.
This book put me in the spooky season spirit. I wanted to put on my sweaters and light my jack-o-lantern. I'm going to be recommending it for sure!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and War
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