Reviews with content warning for Pandemic/Epidemic - Sister, Maiden, Monster

Three women loosely related to each other experience the effects of a viral infection that has devastating consequences for humanity. It is so hard to give a synopsis for this book, so maybe just words: queer, apocalypse, eldritch horror, Catholic imagery, biblical angels, feminine rage, cannibalism.

This definitely made me squirm a couple of times! The descriptions are vivid and full of gore and viscera, including descriptions of taste. So, there's a warning. But what the book has to say about the roles of women in society, their expectations and how they're viewed is so well done. I loved the use of the three POVs from women who were all so strong and all so different. I loved how science was used, the explanation of the virus was so so good. It is hard to say much more without spoiling. The only thing was the ending was a little bit disappointing. But only because I think I wanted just a little bit more.

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shinyopals's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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bibliomich's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Umm, I'm not even sure where to begin with this review.

That was a trip, and one that I'm not sure I ever need to go on again. The world that Lucy A. Snyder created in Sister, Maiden, Monster was one that I was able to get swept up in immediately. The exposition moves quickly, as the first of three protagonists (and the reader) are thrust into a new, post-COVID pandemic, the impact of which seems dire. Over the course of the book, we follow three different narrators, whose stories ultimately overlap in meaningful ways, as they navigate illness, exposure, and survival in a rapidly changing world.

I was invested in all of their stories, and I found the story moved pretty quickly, but ultimately the ending fell flat for me. It felt like a lot of buildup with a somewhat anticlimactic conclusion. I think as the book became more and more unhinged, I just expected the ending to live up to that level of build up. I'm interested in reading the short story on which this book was based, and I would definitely read Snyder's work again. Just probably not this one...

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