A review by dc_guevara13
Hallowed Emancipation by S.M. Berry

5.0

Hallowed Emancipation is haunting.

The novelette, writing with exceptional skill and prose by the talented SM Berry, is narrated by our first-person POV character, Isaac-- and, like Isaac, for the first half of Emancipation, we (as the reader) are lost, haunted, and intrigued by our surroundings and characters.

We open the narrative with a man trying his best to understand himself, those around him, and trying to discern between reality and memories. Hallowed Emancipation offers us a poignant, harrowing, and bittersweet look at how people, places, and memories can be used as coping mechanisms and learning how to live past the experiences that haunt us.

With its mixture of realism, careful handle on mental health issues, and a slight sprinkle of fantastical elements, blending the spiritual and the personal, Hallowed Emancipation is a bite-sized treat filled with deep, existential questions about life, love, and how we, as humans, can always overcome even the darkest of battles.

After all, it's always darkest before the dawn.

5/5 stars! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐