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dungareece's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I can’t even begin to express how much I fell in love with the women in this book. Their stories, their strengths, their vulnerabilities. I am so not ready to leave their world behind.
It is deliciously gothic and eerie with the suitably damp, dark and mushroom infested setting of a secluded Scottish mansion, Lichen Hall. Lichen Hall doubles as a mother and baby home for unwed mothers. The history of which I was only vaguely aware of prior to reading this book.
I adore a book with multiple narrators, and CJ Cooke is so wonderful at braiding seemingly unrelated narratives together in the most intricate ways. This book is the perfect love letter to women and being othered from society. Beautifully sad stories of motherhood and queerness are intertwined with a wonderful sprinkling of magic. A full on rollercoaster of emotions, I had moments of being in tears followed by moments of kicking my feet in joy.
Ps I have never cried at an authors note before so that was new
It is deliciously gothic and eerie with the suitably damp, dark and mushroom infested setting of a secluded Scottish mansion, Lichen Hall. Lichen Hall doubles as a mother and baby home for unwed mothers. The history of which I was only vaguely aware of prior to reading this book.
I adore a book with multiple narrators, and CJ Cooke is so wonderful at braiding seemingly unrelated narratives together in the most intricate ways. This book is the perfect love letter to women and being othered from society. Beautifully sad stories of motherhood and queerness are intertwined with a wonderful sprinkling of magic. A full on rollercoaster of emotions, I had moments of being in tears followed by moments of kicking my feet in joy.
Ps I have never cried at an authors note before so that was new
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dementia, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Rape
Moderate: Animal death and Vomit
Minor: Homophobia
full_kay's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
First part of the book was good - spooky, atmospheric… the ending was a mess
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Body horror and Rape
wordsandnocturnes's review against another edition
4.0
Cooke has that ability to rapidly hook readers in with odd happenings, wild speculations, and an air of intrigue. I didn’t get too far before wanting to speed through the whole book just so I could find out what exactly happens, to discover the solution behind the mystery. The writing is also engaging so that the reader is immersed in the characters’ points-of-view, seeing what they see and feeling what they feel. This immersive experience made the book more of an excitement to go through and prompts imagination to run and create according to the descriptions provided.
I enjoyed the characters’ complexities and contrasting personalities as well as the way womanhood is portrayed. As it is in my other recent read The Queen of Dirt Island, both manage to display both conventional and modern beliefs of what a woman were expected to be, and how there is no definite way that a woman should be. In The Ghost Woods, this ties in to the themes of motherhood, how one can grow fond of a child yet will need to part with them. It did make me wonder if there could be anyone who does not develop an attachment to their child and gives them away at Lichen Hall, which is precisely what the expectant mothers initially went there for in the first place. It was a little contradictory in the book, where a character gives up a child just to take in another, so while it wasn’t directly shown, it would be common sense to believe that there would be parents who genuinely do not want their children or would need to give them up, and although I may not understand the subject fully, it would have been interesting to be able to read these differing views when it comes to motherhood.
When it came to the plot, I liked how Cooke weaved the intricate world of fungi into the story, how they are used in place of human nature and shown as both beautiful and horrendous, and how it sparked an interest in me to look up the types of fungi mentioned. It is indeed true that nature can be both exquisite yet deadly, how we need to be reminded of it and respect it all the same. The story was fast-paced and I do wish we had some more exposure to the horror, to the effects of said horrors, and the possibilities or implications that await, but it was still a thrilling ride nonetheless.
In the end, I greatly enjoyed The Ghost Woods, and having absolutely sped through the book, I realise just how entertaining it is. So if you’re looking for a haunting yet gripping story to sit back with, you know what book to look out for.
From Words & Nocturnes
I enjoyed the characters’ complexities and contrasting personalities as well as the way womanhood is portrayed. As it is in my other recent read The Queen of Dirt Island, both manage to display both conventional and modern beliefs of what a woman were expected to be, and how there is no definite way that a woman should be. In The Ghost Woods, this ties in to the themes of motherhood, how one can grow fond of a child yet will need to part with them. It did make me wonder if there could be anyone who does not develop an attachment to their child and gives them away at Lichen Hall, which is precisely what the expectant mothers initially went there for in the first place. It was a little contradictory in the book, where a character gives up a child just to take in another, so while it wasn’t directly shown, it would be common sense to believe that there would be parents who genuinely do not want their children or would need to give them up, and although I may not understand the subject fully, it would have been interesting to be able to read these differing views when it comes to motherhood.
When it came to the plot, I liked how Cooke weaved the intricate world of fungi into the story, how they are used in place of human nature and shown as both beautiful and horrendous, and how it sparked an interest in me to look up the types of fungi mentioned. It is indeed true that nature can be both exquisite yet deadly, how we need to be reminded of it and respect it all the same. The story was fast-paced and I do wish we had some more exposure to the horror, to the effects of said horrors, and the possibilities or implications that await, but it was still a thrilling ride nonetheless.
In the end, I greatly enjoyed The Ghost Woods, and having absolutely sped through the book, I realise just how entertaining it is. So if you’re looking for a haunting yet gripping story to sit back with, you know what book to look out for.
From Words & Nocturnes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Gaslighting
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