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A review by terzza
And he shall appear by Kate van der Borgh
5.0
"It was beautiful and horrible all at once."
Thank you 4th estate for asking me to review this book! When the request landed in my inbox I knew I was in for a treat.
I read it almost exclusively late at night by my fake oil lamp which was perfect. Reading it felt like walking down a familiar road late at night, when before you know it a fog has rolled in and someone might be following you and also it might not be human and can you hear that scratching sound?
This book is about so many things:
Fear, love, ghosts, grief, music, friendship, obsession, the occult, memory, class, academia, magic.
It's quickly become one of my favourites of the year and I'm in awe of how beautifully it's crafted. This made me FEEL THINGS !!
💀
Out: 16th January 2025
💀
When I tell you I RAVED about this book as I was reading it to anyone who would listen, I'm not exaggerating.
Looking beyond this incredible title and cover and there exists the most incredible first chapter I've ever read. It was so instantly terrifying and unnerving that my instincts told me to put it down, but the writing style had its hooks in me from the first description and wasn't going to let me go. Thank god it didn't.
The familiar imagery of a working class northern household was so clear on the page before class was even mentioned. The description was so vivid and so concise. Sharp observations that immediately stick the picture in your brain. It's the kind of writing style I wish I had. Then the contrast to the rich world our narrator is transported to is so clear.
The masterpiece of this novel is the horror. So subtle and perfect, it feels like a delicate thread holding all the themes together. It perfectly captures the all too familiar and unique terror of not belonging.
💀
I could compare it to If We Were Villains (another fave), I could say it's everything that Saltburn fell short of, I could use "dark academia" buzz words, but this story is in a whole new genre of its own.
10/10 can't wait to read again when it comes out next year
Thank you 4th estate for asking me to review this book! When the request landed in my inbox I knew I was in for a treat.
I read it almost exclusively late at night by my fake oil lamp which was perfect. Reading it felt like walking down a familiar road late at night, when before you know it a fog has rolled in and someone might be following you and also it might not be human and can you hear that scratching sound?
This book is about so many things:
Fear, love, ghosts, grief, music, friendship, obsession, the occult, memory, class, academia, magic.
It's quickly become one of my favourites of the year and I'm in awe of how beautifully it's crafted. This made me FEEL THINGS !!
💀
Out: 16th January 2025
💀
When I tell you I RAVED about this book as I was reading it to anyone who would listen, I'm not exaggerating.
Looking beyond this incredible title and cover and there exists the most incredible first chapter I've ever read. It was so instantly terrifying and unnerving that my instincts told me to put it down, but the writing style had its hooks in me from the first description and wasn't going to let me go. Thank god it didn't.
The familiar imagery of a working class northern household was so clear on the page before class was even mentioned. The description was so vivid and so concise. Sharp observations that immediately stick the picture in your brain. It's the kind of writing style I wish I had. Then the contrast to the rich world our narrator is transported to is so clear.
The masterpiece of this novel is the horror. So subtle and perfect, it feels like a delicate thread holding all the themes together. It perfectly captures the all too familiar and unique terror of not belonging.
💀
I could compare it to If We Were Villains (another fave), I could say it's everything that Saltburn fell short of, I could use "dark academia" buzz words, but this story is in a whole new genre of its own.
10/10 can't wait to read again when it comes out next year