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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
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
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 attackspowellki'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
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