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sophiareads_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings: Murder, death of a child, death of an animal, miscarriage, suicide, ableism
Estranged childhood friends Cathy and Elena share a fixation with Ilsbeth Clark - a supposed 'witch' who was killed by the townspeople almost 200 years ago. Their possessiveness over Ilsbeth's story turns dark, and when Elena is found dead, Cathy becomes the prime suspect.
This book leads you through the intertwining stories of these three women, showering the reader with questions and mysteries to unfold. The story unravels through various found footage-esque sources: namely Elena's journal and Cathy's open letter to her neighbours after being accused of murder. I thought this was a really cool way to tell the story, and I think it's particularly effective in highlighting how unreliable both women are as narrators. While the intersections from Ilsbeth's narration were a little harder to buy for me (they're still presented as 'transcripts' and are definitely meant to have a similar vibe to the other narratives), I did eventually get on board. Also, these were story-wise my favourite bits, so all is forgiven. Bruce does a great job of making each POV feel distinct, even though my main critique is that I found Elena and Cathy to be a bit caricatured. I also wished the reveal of the mystery was a bit more elegant and less info-dumpy, but ultimately it was still a pretty satisfying reveal.
Overall, this is definitely a strong 3.5, and an enjoyable read!
Thanks to Transworld for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Child death
Moderate: Miscarriage, Animal death, Suicide, and Ableism
Minor: Alcohol and Cannibalism
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