Scan barcode
A review by katiealex72
The Gathering by Isobelle Carmody
2.0
TW: extreme violence, DV, death, torture, animal torture and death, references to rape, occult themes, death, did I mention death?
If you are a parent of a precocious reader wondering whether this book is suitable, DON’T let your child anywhere near it! I can’t quite believe this is a book for kids!
This book is really difficult to rate. I hated it, for one thing: one very descriptive scene is truly upsetting (and I am really not at all squeamish when it comes to book horror. See my review earlier of Tender is the Flesh). It’s disjointed, and difficult to read as so much necessary info is left out. It’s not particularly original and reads like the author, who is a highly rated author for YA, tried to write a Stephen King for kids and got just about everything wrong.
But..the mood and tone are consistently dark, and evoke a real sense of mounting horror. I’ve not been able to get it out of my head. In that sense, although there are lots of things that don’t make any sense in the book, it was well done. I can’t recommend it though.
If you are a parent of a precocious reader wondering whether this book is suitable, DON’T let your child anywhere near it! I can’t quite believe this is a book for kids!
This book is really difficult to rate. I hated it, for one thing: one very descriptive scene is truly upsetting (and I am really not at all squeamish when it comes to book horror. See my review earlier of Tender is the Flesh). It’s disjointed, and difficult to read as so much necessary info is left out. It’s not particularly original and reads like the author, who is a highly rated author for YA, tried to write a Stephen King for kids and got just about everything wrong.
But..the mood and tone are consistently dark, and evoke a real sense of mounting horror. I’ve not been able to get it out of my head. In that sense, although there are lots of things that don’t make any sense in the book, it was well done. I can’t recommend it though.