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A review by deereadstoo
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I often think about what I would do for love. What lengths I would go to keep someone I love near? Would it be considered obsessive? Abusive? Lonely? Beautiful? These are the questions I asked when I was trying to understand the mind of David. That is until he created such a shitty situation for everyone involved.
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due follows Jessica and David and what seems to be their happy life. David is everything you'd want in a man--brilliant, attentive, kind, and youthful. However, Jessica has always felt that there was something about David that was just out of reach. As people close to Jessica meet violent ends, she is met with an unimaginable truth: more than 400 years ago, David traded his humanity for immortality. This is a secret that he has had to protect at all costs. However, his brethren have decided that David needs to return to his coven, but he is unwilling to leave his family behind. David decides that the only way to keep them together could be the very thing that tears them apart.
Jessica and David's marriage was always rather obsessive. It often felt like David loved too hard and Jessica felt like her only option was him even when things felt dicey and unsure. This dynamic shouldn't come as a shock to you when you've been made aware thatDavid was Jessica's professor. This power dynamic only worsened as David began to feel as though the people in Jessica's life were closing in on their "happy" bubble. His distress made him messy and willing to do the unthinkable to save his family.
Tananarive has a unique skill when it comes to writing horror. She does it in a way that feels mundane while expertly weaving in parts of Black culture. The reader has a chance to connect with the characters and watch as they unfold in front of you. They aren't perfect but they are beautifully flawed. I think that's part of what makes her storytelling so compelling. I highly recommend this book if you want to delve more into Black horror and thriller. This one has a different taste to it that I love!
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due follows Jessica and David and what seems to be their happy life. David is everything you'd want in a man--brilliant, attentive, kind, and youthful. However, Jessica has always felt that there was something about David that was just out of reach. As people close to Jessica meet violent ends, she is met with an unimaginable truth: more than 400 years ago, David traded his humanity for immortality. This is a secret that he has had to protect at all costs. However, his brethren have decided that David needs to return to his coven, but he is unwilling to leave his family behind. David decides that the only way to keep them together could be the very thing that tears them apart.
Jessica and David's marriage was always rather obsessive. It often felt like David loved too hard and Jessica felt like her only option was him even when things felt dicey and unsure. This dynamic shouldn't come as a shock to you when you've been made aware that
Tananarive has a unique skill when it comes to writing horror. She does it in a way that feels mundane while expertly weaving in parts of Black culture. The reader has a chance to connect with the characters and watch as they unfold in front of you. They aren't perfect but they are beautifully flawed. I think that's part of what makes her storytelling so compelling. I highly recommend this book if you want to delve more into Black horror and thriller. This one has a different taste to it that I love!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Body horror, and Child death