A review by thestartrekunicorndog
When Darkness Loves Us by Elizabeth Engstrom

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Loved the first novella contained within this (the titular "When Darkness Loves Us") because I absolutely adore cave-related horror. Something about being underground terrifies me! I also got really invested in how terrible the main character's family was. I wasn't as fond of the second story, "Beauty Is...", which is a little unfocused. Additionally, I think some of its themes, while well-intentioned, may come off as unintentionally ableist to some modern readers and have aged awkwardly. It is a story about how ableism is bad, but the execution was lacking. My star rating is just an awkward mishmash of what I would rate both stories; I think When Darkness Loves Us is a solid 4 star and Beauty Is... is somewhere around a 2.5 or 3 depending on my mood.
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