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lydiarama 's review for:
If I Stopped Haunting You
by Colby Wilkens
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-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 super interesting blend of modern horror and romance that I don’t think I’ve experienced before. The Henry James-level spookiness combined with the Ali Hazelwood-esque slow burn made for a truly impressive amount of tension, which kept me hooked (insert corny sexual innuendo/pun of The Turn of the Screw).
Pen and Neil are literary rivals when the story begins, with years’ worth of pent up frustration towards one another that recently reached a very dramatic, very public boiling point at an author event where they were both invited to discuss their work. Sparks, and hardbacks, fly—cementing their status as nemeses.
When a mutual friend tricks them both into joining a writing retreat in a remote, haunted castle in Scotland, they are unable to avoid one another and the stark passion of their feelings for one another—both those of animosity and of attraction. The apparent haunting of their rental brings them closer together as they embark to unravel the mysteries of the estate.
I really enjoyed the discussion of the Native American experience as it related to the writing world. The choices that either character made, which were largely impacted by their cultural identities, served as the basis of the friction between them. Pen’s convictions surrounding harmful portrayals of Native characters and Neil’s early induction to the publishing industry being fraught with Eurocentric pressures come to a head once they’re forced to write alongside each other. Both of their experiences were very compelling, and it was very refreshing and informative to read from their perspectives.
The last five chapters or so felt a bit rushed, packed with action that I didn’t believe fit with the creepy, slow-paced nature of the majority of the book. The characters’ motivations became a bit confusing, and I felt that there were some loose strings/logistical issues that kept me from being wholly satisfied with the ending (small spoiler warning, but Neil was for sure concussed by the end, right? I just didn’t see the need to 1. Make him hit his head so much in a short amount of time and 2. Not treat it as an emergency?).
Otherwise, a very good debut and super promising author. Will for sure BOLO for her next project.
Pen and Neil are literary rivals when the story begins, with years’ worth of pent up frustration towards one another that recently reached a very dramatic, very public boiling point at an author event where they were both invited to discuss their work. Sparks, and hardbacks, fly—cementing their status as nemeses.
When a mutual friend tricks them both into joining a writing retreat in a remote, haunted castle in Scotland, they are unable to avoid one another and the stark passion of their feelings for one another—both those of animosity and of attraction. The apparent haunting of their rental brings them closer together as they embark to unravel the mysteries of the estate.
I really enjoyed the discussion of the Native American experience as it related to the writing world. The choices that either character made, which were largely impacted by their cultural identities, served as the basis of the friction between them. Pen’s convictions surrounding harmful portrayals of Native characters and Neil’s early induction to the publishing industry being fraught with Eurocentric pressures come to a head once they’re forced to write alongside each other. Both of their experiences were very compelling, and it was very refreshing and informative to read from their perspectives.
The last five chapters or so felt a bit rushed, packed with action that I didn’t believe fit with the creepy, slow-paced nature of the majority of the book. The characters’ motivations became a bit confusing, and I felt that there were some loose strings/logistical issues that kept me from being wholly satisfied with the ending (small spoiler warning, but Neil was for sure concussed by the end, right? I just didn’t see the need to 1. Make him hit his head so much in a short amount of time and 2. Not treat it as an emergency?).
Otherwise, a very good debut and super promising author. Will for sure BOLO for her next project.
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Racism, Pregnancy, Colonisation