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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
a great flow to the mystery and story, the ending falling a little flat
Lone Women starts off with a bang. When we meet Adelaide, she is running from her past, the death of her family, and she is going to try to make a go of it, alone, in Montana. I was invested from the beginning. Yes, in Adelaide, but also in finding out what she was keeping in the massive trunk she brought along. Along the way, we meet a variety of characters, although none are very fleshed out. I would have liked to learn more about a few of the characyers, especially Sam and his mom, Grace. This book surprised me. It didn't really fit into any one genre, which I liked more than I thought I would. It was a relatively short book, but it definitely packed a punch.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
What an incredible read! This is such a creative, fascinating book. I'm not even sure what genre to put it in — the cover looks like historical fiction, but I would say it's a historical fiction and fantasy horror mashup. I took a chance and got it from Book of the Month only because of the great reader reviews I'd been seeing.
The book hooked me from page one. We know that Adelaide Henry, a 31-year-old Black woman farmer in California is setting her house ablaze with her dead parents in it. The trio were a closed-off family from their neighbors, a Black farming community in 1915 California. Now, Adelaide is fleeing, dragging a heavy trunk with her that hides her family's secret. The young woman had read about women homesteaders in Montana, so that's where she heads. This is the cool historical part the author discovered and based his book around. On a book tour in Montana, he picked up a local book and was surprised to learn that women were allowed to homestead in Montana in the early 1900s on their own — without a man. More shockingly, Black women were allowed to do so.
So, Adelaide sets out for Montana to try to start a new life in the harsh climate. There, she meets other women but also must contend with what's in the trunk. Without giving anything away, I'll say this is not a trunk full of ordinary secrets. There is where the fantasy horror (and gruesome violence) comes in, and I loved it. The last one-half or so of the book wasn't as page-turning, for me at least, as the first half, but it was still a compelling, creative story.
The book hooked me from page one. We know that Adelaide Henry, a 31-year-old Black woman farmer in California is setting her house ablaze with her dead parents in it. The trio were a closed-off family from their neighbors, a Black farming community in 1915 California. Now, Adelaide is fleeing, dragging a heavy trunk with her that hides her family's secret. The young woman had read about women homesteaders in Montana, so that's where she heads. This is the cool historical part the author discovered and based his book around. On a book tour in Montana, he picked up a local book and was surprised to learn that women were allowed to homestead in Montana in the early 1900s on their own — without a man. More shockingly, Black women were allowed to do so.
So, Adelaide sets out for Montana to try to start a new life in the harsh climate. There, she meets other women but also must contend with what's in the trunk. Without giving anything away, I'll say this is not a trunk full of ordinary secrets. There is where the fantasy horror (and gruesome violence) comes in, and I loved it. The last one-half or so of the book wasn't as page-turning, for me at least, as the first half, but it was still a compelling, creative story.
I really loved this!!!!! Beautifully written, profound, powerful characters. Everything I love in a book
Rating: 2.5 stars
A solid premise, but after about the 30% mark, the story became extremely disjointed and chaotic. I see what LaValle was trying to do and I think it was a good idea, but the execution was not to my personal taste.
A solid premise, but after about the 30% mark, the story became extremely disjointed and chaotic. I see what LaValle was trying to do and I think it was a good idea, but the execution was not to my personal taste.
I liked this one a lot. A woman in the olde-timey West has something monstrous with her. That about sums it up. It’s about a bunch of people in a small town in Montana in 1915 and let me tell you, that is my least favorite setting ever. I am not all about old dirty, unwashed towns. But this was great despite that.
One thing that bothered me was the constantly-changing POV and I mean, like, from one paragraph to the next. And some stuff happened off-page that confused me because I thought for sure I had zoned out and missed something. But I don’t think I did. But all in all, I did enjoy it so, sure, be a little rambling and have a lot going on — as long as it’s interesting.
One thing that bothered me was the constantly-changing POV and I mean, like, from one paragraph to the next. And some stuff happened off-page that confused me because I thought for sure I had zoned out and missed something. But I don’t think I did. But all in all, I did enjoy it so, sure, be a little rambling and have a lot going on — as long as it’s interesting.
This book was excellent. The story was gripping, gritty, relatable. I loved the complicated characters—Adelaide and her parents, Grace and Sam, Fiona and Bertie and the Reeds. Highly recommend!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.
The trauma and rage of being “other” courses through this book so much that it sometimes leaves you breathless. Its been a while since I’ve read horror that knows its roots as a genre. And this one hits the nail on the head.