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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
So eerie and keeps you wanting more. Catriona Ward is a brilliant writer.
Audiobook.
Audiobook.
3 or 3.5 stars. Deeply unsettling, with overly beautiful language that makes it tough to follow at points. This is the second book I've read by Ward, and again the ending seems less good than the rest.
Gonna go for five stars because this Northern Gothic Novel (set in Scotland) gave me the creeps and I also dreamt about it.
Dinah and Eveline grow up under the care of the mysterious Uncle, a pseudo-religious figure for the two girls who grow up remotely in a ruined castle on a small island off the Scottish west coast together with two more children and two other women. But not everything is as it seems. Their daily lives are dominated by services to the island and to achieve the knowledge of the Adder, knowledge that only Uncle is privy to. But Eve wants to be his successor and tries her best to please Uncle. The group does not mingle a lot with the small Scottish town two hours away, but the loose contact is already enough to change things....
I know this summary is pretty vague but I'd really like to avoid spoilering you. If you want to be creeped out a lot, want to visit Scotland, have a bit of Celtic mythology and Scottish Gaelic, and have a really really Gothic experience, pick up this novel.
As I said, I dreamed about this - wildly, so I'll go for five stars. Also finished it in two sittings because I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep before finishing it.
Dinah and Eveline grow up under the care of the mysterious Uncle, a pseudo-religious figure for the two girls who grow up remotely in a ruined castle on a small island off the Scottish west coast together with two more children and two other women. But not everything is as it seems. Their daily lives are dominated by services to the island and to achieve the knowledge of the Adder, knowledge that only Uncle is privy to. But Eve wants to be his successor and tries her best to please Uncle. The group does not mingle a lot with the small Scottish town two hours away, but the loose contact is already enough to change things....
I know this summary is pretty vague but I'd really like to avoid spoilering you. If you want to be creeped out a lot, want to visit Scotland, have a bit of Celtic mythology and Scottish Gaelic, and have a really really Gothic experience, pick up this novel.
As I said, I dreamed about this - wildly, so I'll go for five stars. Also finished it in two sittings because I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep before finishing it.
It was ok. At no point was I pulled into the book. I had to force myself to finish it. It wasn't terrible, just not my speed.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
slow-paced
About time I got around to this book, isn’t it? It was an engrossing read, with the exception of a few spots where the writing style didn’t gel with me. For the most part, I loved the atmosphere, the setting, and the plot, as disturbing as it was. There are a handful of scenes with darker content, nothing I mind but I could see the need for preparation before going in. It is not exactly a book I would come back to several times, but after adjusting to the flow and getting into the author’s style, I enjoyed my time with it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape