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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
“If ye give not willingly, the lords will rise”
I wanted to read something from the horror genre right now and this definitely filled that void for me! It falls into the fantasy/horror genre. It reminded me a bit of Stephen King’s Mr Mercedes books in that way. Although it was a quick read for me, the the characters were fairly well developed for the length of the story, the two most developed being Ada and Sorrow. I enjoyed the parallels between the two characters- seeing how similar circumstances set them to make very different choices.
I would definitely read Nicole’s next book! And the ending sort of leaves this one open for a sequel if she wanted!
I wanted to read something from the horror genre right now and this definitely filled that void for me! It falls into the fantasy/horror genre. It reminded me a bit of Stephen King’s Mr Mercedes books in that way. Although it was a quick read for me, the the characters were fairly well developed for the length of the story, the two most developed being Ada and Sorrow. I enjoyed the parallels between the two characters- seeing how similar circumstances set them to make very different choices.
I would definitely read Nicole’s next book! And the ending sort of leaves this one open for a sequel if she wanted!
*3.5/5
Loved the atmospheric gothic vibes and the quietly creepy setting of Tidepool and its residents. However, the characters weren't explored well enough and I was more intrigued by Mrs. Oliver's storyline than the protagonist's.
Loved the atmospheric gothic vibes and the quietly creepy setting of Tidepool and its residents. However, the characters weren't explored well enough and I was more intrigued by Mrs. Oliver's storyline than the protagonist's.
First, thanks to Parliament House Press for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
If ye give not willingly, the Lords will rise…
More like, Abandon hope all ye who enter here!
Wow, I normally don't read horror (I'm a big scaredy-cat), but this story really sucks you in and takes you on a terrifying ride that doesn't stop until the last page. I actually had to look up Lovecraftian, but this story is the definition of Lovecraftian horror. We're pulled along as Sorrow attempts to figure out what happened to her brother. There's the frustrating gaslighting the town does to convince her he just went elsewhere (though we know he didn't). Then as the truth/horrors reveal themselves to her, the men that should be helping her don't believe her and keep her trapped in the town.
This was atmospheric and claustrophobic and gruesome. I really liked Quentin and wish we could have seen more of him/had him take a bigger role. I didn't love Charlie (but I'm not sure I was supposed to).
Definitely check it out if you're a fan of the genre (and even if you're not!).
If ye give not willingly, the Lords will rise…
More like, Abandon hope all ye who enter here!
Wow, I normally don't read horror (I'm a big scaredy-cat), but this story really sucks you in and takes you on a terrifying ride that doesn't stop until the last page. I actually had to look up Lovecraftian, but this story is the definition of Lovecraftian horror. We're pulled along as Sorrow attempts to figure out what happened to her brother. There's the frustrating gaslighting the town does to convince her he just went elsewhere (though we know he didn't). Then as the truth/horrors reveal themselves to her, the men that should be helping her don't believe her and keep her trapped in the town.
This was atmospheric and claustrophobic and gruesome. I really liked Quentin and wish we could have seen more of him/had him take a bigger role. I didn't love Charlie (but I'm not sure I was supposed to).
Definitely check it out if you're a fan of the genre (and even if you're not!).
mysterious
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:
No
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
I read very little horror. I don't really know why, because unlike from horror movies, I don't get weeks of nightmares, but it's just not a genre I have on my radar. And since my sample size is so small, I can't help but to compare Tidepool to All the Murmuring Bones, which I read earlier this year. Both center around the sea and [redacted], and it's just unfortunate that my only other experience with horror is apparently Dracula and its retelling A Dowry of Blood (I was not aware that Dracula counts as horror to be fair, so I'm inclined to just not count it). I try to rate this without being influenced too much, but it was bad timing.
Tidepool is a small village in, I believe, Maine, US. It's 1913, and some rich dudes want to turn Tidepool into a resort town. Tidepool does decidedly not want this.
After her brother disappears from the face of earth, Sorrow (ngl I love her name) makes her way to the last place he's been seen alive. Yep, it's Tidepool. And well, Tidepool isn't happy to see her. Even less so when she starts asking uncomfortable questions and starts poking the wrong sleeping bears.
I had fun though. I mean, it was grisly and dark and everything felt very wet (you'll get it), but it was pretty well written and once I actually started it, I breezed through Tidepool. I did not need the Epilogue at all, it would've worked better for me personally if that had been missing, but otherwise, a solid novel(la? it's prettys short). And because it's so short, I won't talk about how some characters were a bit flat, just because you can't give every major character 50 pages of background if your story is only 200 pages long. I did like Quentin a whole lot though. He was probably my favourite, and it was really cool to read about his interaction with all the other characters.
(Also, did you see that incredibly cool cover???? It's great. I love it. I am not above admitting that I requested this purely because of the cover. But it was also fun and short to read, so it was a win-win for me!)
@NetGalley and The Parliament House: Thank you guys for this ARC!
Tidepool is a small village in, I believe, Maine, US. It's 1913, and some rich dudes want to turn Tidepool into a resort town. Tidepool does decidedly not want this.
After her brother disappears from the face of earth, Sorrow (ngl I love her name) makes her way to the last place he's been seen alive. Yep, it's Tidepool. And well, Tidepool isn't happy to see her. Even less so when she starts asking uncomfortable questions and starts poking the wrong sleeping bears.
I had fun though. I mean, it was grisly and dark and everything felt very wet (you'll get it), but it was pretty well written and once I actually started it, I breezed through Tidepool. I did not need the Epilogue at all, it would've worked better for me personally if that had been missing, but otherwise, a solid novel(la? it's prettys short). And because it's so short, I won't talk about how some characters were a bit flat, just because you can't give every major character 50 pages of background if your story is only 200 pages long. I did like Quentin a whole lot though. He was probably my favourite, and it was really cool to read about his interaction with all the other characters.
(Also, did you see that incredibly cool cover???? It's great. I love it. I am not above admitting that I requested this purely because of the cover. But it was also fun and short to read, so it was a win-win for me!)
@NetGalley and The Parliament House: Thank you guys for this ARC!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
First, I was given a free copy of this book by Netgalley for an honest review. Second, this is more of a 3.5 rating versus just three stars.
Anyway, this was a fun, quick read. Normally, horror novels usually don't scare me, so it's not a surprise to say that this book falls into that category. Having said that, I still enjoyed the mystery and the horror in this book. The main character, Sorrow Hamilton, goes to Tideland against her father's wishes in search of her missing brother. There, she discovers more than what she expected and finds that no matter how hard she tries, she just can't leave Tideland.
What I found fascinating about reading this book was how inquisitive and independent Sorrow is in comparison to the majority of the male characters. The men are constantly trying to force her into the damsel in distress role, and she's just not having it. It's both amusing and annoying to read because the repressive culture of the early 20th century is still there, still looming even as the main character takes ownership of her own agency.
The setting itself is oppressive, and dark. The author succeeds and just conveying the unearthliness of Tideland. The strangeness. The evil just lurking beyond sight. By the end of the novel, I wanted more. And because of the way the novel ended, there were some things that just didn't make sense or needed a bit more of an explanation.
Either way, this was a fun read, and if you are a fan of horror, then this won't disappoint.
Anyway, this was a fun, quick read. Normally, horror novels usually don't scare me, so it's not a surprise to say that this book falls into that category. Having said that, I still enjoyed the mystery and the horror in this book. The main character, Sorrow Hamilton, goes to Tideland against her father's wishes in search of her missing brother. There, she discovers more than what she expected and finds that no matter how hard she tries, she just can't leave Tideland.
What I found fascinating about reading this book was how inquisitive and independent Sorrow is in comparison to the majority of the male characters. The men are constantly trying to force her into the damsel in distress role, and she's just not having it. It's both amusing and annoying to read because the repressive culture of the early 20th century is still there, still looming even as the main character takes ownership of her own agency.
The setting itself is oppressive, and dark. The author succeeds and just conveying the unearthliness of Tideland. The strangeness. The evil just lurking beyond sight. By the end of the novel, I wanted more. And because of the way the novel ended, there were some things that just didn't make sense or needed a bit more of an explanation.
Either way, this was a fun read, and if you are a fan of horror, then this won't disappoint.
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:
No
Not my cup of tea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Murder