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tobin_elliott's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I've so much to say here, I hope I can get it all out.
First and foremost, this book...this damned book. It's incredible. After finishing McGregor's WASPS IN THE ICE CREAM I'd been looking for more from him. At the time, the bookstore was out of everything except this one, which I bought without even bothering to read the back.
I'm typically not too enamoured of historical settings, but in the last couple of months, I've been entranced by Brom's SLEWFOOT and even moreso by Alex Grecian's RED RABBIT but I have to say, of the three, this one absolutely grabbed me.
McGregor's strengths are all on display here:
His characters live and breath and settle into your heart as real people. I ached for Hester. And Will, for all of that. But every single character is finely crafted and carefully drawn. Which ties into one of McGregor's other strengths...don't come into one of his novels expecting slam bang action in the first three-quarters of the book. McGregor is an absolute master of slowly building both the story and the tension, building not with big bricks, but specifically chosen small stones, carefully fitted into place. You may think, as the reader, that he's overloading you with extraneous detail, but he's not. All that detail pays off. ALL of it. So, all those things you learn about the people, the town, their attitudes and their behaviours...your patience is rewarded.
And finally, there's the sheer storytelling ability of the author. Very much like WASPS you'll feel very little horror in the first half, and only some in the third quarter. But that last bit?
Damn.
Without spoiling anything, I will say that McGregor crafted—and I choose that word carefully, because this guy does magic with words that goes beyond writing—scenes that left me teared up, heartbroken. I went through one entire sequence, and it actually, honestly, hurt to swallow because I had a lump in my throat through the entire scene. Other scenes left my heart thudding in my chest. Several times, I know I whispered expletives, or things like, "oh no..."
There's books that are a great read. And I love those. I can examine the language, the style. They're a great experience.
But then there's books that go far beyond that. They become the reader's reality for a time. You slip out of your own life, and you fall into the world inside that book. That's a far more rare experience for me, but it happened here. I found myself two hundred years in the past, and I lived this book.
Why Tim McGregor doesn't have a major book deal and is lauded as one of the premiere authors of our time—not just a horror author, but an Author—is a mystery to me.
This is a brilliant book.
First and foremost, this book...this damned book. It's incredible. After finishing McGregor's WASPS IN THE ICE CREAM I'd been looking for more from him. At the time, the bookstore was out of everything except this one, which I bought without even bothering to read the back.
I'm typically not too enamoured of historical settings, but in the last couple of months, I've been entranced by Brom's SLEWFOOT and even moreso by Alex Grecian's RED RABBIT but I have to say, of the three, this one absolutely grabbed me.
McGregor's strengths are all on display here:
His characters live and breath and settle into your heart as real people. I ached for Hester. And Will, for all of that. But every single character is finely crafted and carefully drawn. Which ties into one of McGregor's other strengths...don't come into one of his novels expecting slam bang action in the first three-quarters of the book. McGregor is an absolute master of slowly building both the story and the tension, building not with big bricks, but specifically chosen small stones, carefully fitted into place. You may think, as the reader, that he's overloading you with extraneous detail, but he's not. All that detail pays off. ALL of it. So, all those things you learn about the people, the town, their attitudes and their behaviours...your patience is rewarded.
And finally, there's the sheer storytelling ability of the author. Very much like WASPS you'll feel very little horror in the first half, and only some in the third quarter. But that last bit?
Damn.
Without spoiling anything, I will say that McGregor crafted—and I choose that word carefully, because this guy does magic with words that goes beyond writing—scenes that left me teared up, heartbroken. I went through one entire sequence, and it actually, honestly, hurt to swallow because I had a lump in my throat through the entire scene. Other scenes left my heart thudding in my chest. Several times, I know I whispered expletives, or things like, "oh no..."
There's books that are a great read. And I love those. I can examine the language, the style. They're a great experience.
But then there's books that go far beyond that. They become the reader's reality for a time. You slip out of your own life, and you fall into the world inside that book. That's a far more rare experience for me, but it happened here. I found myself two hundred years in the past, and I lived this book.
Why Tim McGregor doesn't have a major book deal and is lauded as one of the premiere authors of our time—not just a horror author, but an Author—is a mystery to me.
This is a brilliant book.
steve_pagechewing's review
5.0
If you are familiar with my reviews you know I try really hard to not spoil anything other than the very basics that you'd get from a cover. I even try to avoid stuff in the synopsis most times. So this one will be tough to give my thoughts without spoiling any surprises.
The setting for this book is in the 1820's, the time period is perfect for this type of horror story. Our main character is Hester, a young woman living in a small village. A stranger arrives one day and people in the village start getting sick and dying.
From there Hester and the townsfolk have to deal with keeping their loved ones alive, unravel the mystery of where the stranger came from, what he's done and what to do about the illness.
When our characters want to find what happened in another village or town, they have to send someone on a journey to find out. This means sending this person potentially into danger or death. And they wait for a response. Days and weeks go by without hearing anything. The waiting is torture. The isolation and unknown creeps up on you. Fear spreads quickly in places like this, ripping them apart. In the smaller villages where everyone knows everyone and they have their practices, people often do things they wouldn't normally do when panic sets in. Even with a vast amount of open land around them to explore they feel trapped. That panic makes people do the craziest stuff you can think of, all in the hopes of normalcy.
We spend a lot of time getting to know the Hester, her family and the village. I feel closer to Hester than I do almost any other horror story I've read. I feel like I know everything about her and how she thinks. Hester is the readers eyes into this world, making sense of the strange customs and traditions.
It's a bit of a slow burn, but by the end the end of the book you can walk around this village and waive to the people in it. It took a turn I didn't see coming, although I really should have and the traditions are historically accurate. Even with the slower pace, I was never bored or wondering where the story was going, I was hoping it wouldn't end so I could learn more about Hester and the illness. Towards the end of the third act things really pick up and there are some paragraphs you want to turn away from but you can't stop reading.
Hearts Strange and Dreadful is a wonderful historical horror story that leaves you thinking well after you turn over the last page.
The setting for this book is in the 1820's, the time period is perfect for this type of horror story. Our main character is Hester, a young woman living in a small village. A stranger arrives one day and people in the village start getting sick and dying.
From there Hester and the townsfolk have to deal with keeping their loved ones alive, unravel the mystery of where the stranger came from, what he's done and what to do about the illness.
When our characters want to find what happened in another village or town, they have to send someone on a journey to find out. This means sending this person potentially into danger or death. And they wait for a response. Days and weeks go by without hearing anything. The waiting is torture. The isolation and unknown creeps up on you. Fear spreads quickly in places like this, ripping them apart. In the smaller villages where everyone knows everyone and they have their practices, people often do things they wouldn't normally do when panic sets in. Even with a vast amount of open land around them to explore they feel trapped. That panic makes people do the craziest stuff you can think of, all in the hopes of normalcy.
We spend a lot of time getting to know the Hester, her family and the village. I feel closer to Hester than I do almost any other horror story I've read. I feel like I know everything about her and how she thinks. Hester is the readers eyes into this world, making sense of the strange customs and traditions.
It's a bit of a slow burn, but by the end the end of the book you can walk around this village and waive to the people in it. It took a turn I didn't see coming, although I really should have and the traditions are historically accurate. Even with the slower pace, I was never bored or wondering where the story was going, I was hoping it wouldn't end so I could learn more about Hester and the illness. Towards the end of the third act things really pick up and there are some paragraphs you want to turn away from but you can't stop reading.
Hearts Strange and Dreadful is a wonderful historical horror story that leaves you thinking well after you turn over the last page.
smrw's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this, but I must admit, I found the ending unsatisfying. Overall, solid writing and characters. Mr. McGregor's writing is vivid and brings the scenes to life.
mel_c_bell's review
5.0
This book is a fckn trip. I was scared at parts, tearing up at others, and I found myself actually SOBBING at one point. SOBBINGGGGGGGGG and it was all because I felt so incredibly sorry for the main character.
I am in love with how the author makes you care so much about the characters, and in such a subtle way that you don’t even realize it til it’s too late. Even when most of the characters are just being the absolute worst you still kinda want them to be ok. NGL I may have been a bit too invested in one of the possible pairs and was ultimately, and rightfully, devastated when that did not work out. I’m not bitter about it. At all.
Also, it’s always a treat when a book written by a man, so effortlessly, describes how some men can just be awful.
I am in love with how the author makes you care so much about the characters, and in such a subtle way that you don’t even realize it til it’s too late. Even when most of the characters are just being the absolute worst you still kinda want them to be ok. NGL I may have been a bit too invested in one of the possible pairs and was ultimately, and rightfully, devastated when that did not work out. I’m not bitter about it. At all.
Also, it’s always a treat when a book written by a man, so effortlessly, describes how some men can just be awful.
shellycampbellauthor's review
5.0
Incredibly relatable main character, engaging writing and amazing pace!
Hearts Strange and Dreadful starts out quiet and eerie before building to the type of story you know will keep you up far too late at night. Hester’s outward shield of practicality paired with her vulnerable inner core make a fantastic contrast. The quiet small settlement devolving into a hellish nightmare is believable and horrifying.Tim McGregor’s writing is practical with the sort of inner elegance, complexity and strength that shines through Hester herself. I loved this character. She was easy to cheer for every step of the way, even when we knew she was stepping in the wrong direction. Very much enjoyed this read!
Hearts Strange and Dreadful starts out quiet and eerie before building to the type of story you know will keep you up far too late at night. Hester’s outward shield of practicality paired with her vulnerable inner core make a fantastic contrast. The quiet small settlement devolving into a hellish nightmare is believable and horrifying.Tim McGregor’s writing is practical with the sort of inner elegance, complexity and strength that shines through Hester herself. I loved this character. She was easy to cheer for every step of the way, even when we knew she was stepping in the wrong direction. Very much enjoyed this read!
onikaj's review
4.0
I truly enjoyed the book. It was well written and I did connect with Hestor as a main character. I do believe some elaboration was needed for the character of the Widow Fiske but the lack thereof did not ruin the story for me. Also this book is proof that the happy ending you want is not necessarily the happy ending you will get.
raforall's review
5.0
STAR Review in the April 2021 issue of Library Journal: https://www.libraryjournal.com/?reviewDetail=hearts-strange-and-dreadful-2113705
and on the blog [link live 4/5/21]: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2021/04/what-im-reading-april-horror-reviews.html
Three Words That Describe This Book: Pervasively Creepy, Strong Sense of Place, Slow Burn
Draft Review:
It’s 1819 in Rhode Island. Hester, our narrator, lives with her uncle’s family after her own was killed in a fire a few towns away. When an ailing stranger rides in from Hester’s former hometown, a sickness and a terrifying story of a town gone mad follows him infecting Hester’s family, friends and neighbors, spreading death. But there may be more than a plague behind this nightmare. Led by the strong, sympathetic, but damaged Hester, the terror of this story is driven by the three dimensional characters and the extremely well rendered setting. Readers will become immersed in the place and its people, feeling their loss as townsfolk succumb to disease and cower in horror as the occult origins of their situation is revealed. Pervasively creepy and featuring a dread that compounds upon itself until it bursts in horrific fashion, this is a story that will be enjoyed by a wide range of readers.
Verdict: An excellent example of historical horror, this novel holds obvious appeal to fans of Alma Katsu’s The Hunger but it is also reminiscent of the captivatingly creepy occult fable The Boatman's Daughter by Andy Daivdson with its rich and compelling characters and strong sense of ominous place.
and on the blog [link live 4/5/21]: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2021/04/what-im-reading-april-horror-reviews.html
Three Words That Describe This Book: Pervasively Creepy, Strong Sense of Place, Slow Burn
Draft Review:
It’s 1819 in Rhode Island. Hester, our narrator, lives with her uncle’s family after her own was killed in a fire a few towns away. When an ailing stranger rides in from Hester’s former hometown, a sickness and a terrifying story of a town gone mad follows him infecting Hester’s family, friends and neighbors, spreading death. But there may be more than a plague behind this nightmare. Led by the strong, sympathetic, but damaged Hester, the terror of this story is driven by the three dimensional characters and the extremely well rendered setting. Readers will become immersed in the place and its people, feeling their loss as townsfolk succumb to disease and cower in horror as the occult origins of their situation is revealed. Pervasively creepy and featuring a dread that compounds upon itself until it bursts in horrific fashion, this is a story that will be enjoyed by a wide range of readers.
Verdict: An excellent example of historical horror, this novel holds obvious appeal to fans of Alma Katsu’s The Hunger but it is also reminiscent of the captivatingly creepy occult fable The Boatman's Daughter by Andy Daivdson with its rich and compelling characters and strong sense of ominous place.