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anotherbooklady 's review for:
My Darling Dreadful Thing
by Johanna van Veen
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
๐ 17/100 (2025 Reading Goal)
๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐๐ง๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฟ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ช๐ก ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐
โ๏ธ ๐๐ผ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป
๐ง ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ:
๐ป Paranormal
๐ชฆ Gothic
๐ฎ Post WWII
๐ป Dutch Setting
๐ชฆ Creepy Estate
๐ฎ Complicated Characters
๐ป Past/Present Timeline
๐ชฆ Sapphic
๐๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ค๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ(๐):
โขโItโs a dangerous thing, to try and give someone everything. One day, you might find youโve given away things you shouldโve kept. Some parts of us must remain inviolate if we are to survive as a person.โ
โขWhat I felt for Agnes was right and true, yes, but it was not selfless. Perhaps love never is.
โขBecause the truth scares people. Theyโre always afraid of what they canโt explain, and my Ruth canโt be so easily explained.
โขSome things are so horrible that the only sane response is a bit of madness.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐:
This book seeped into my bones like damp air in an old, crumbling manorโunsettling, haunting, and impossible to shake. The mid-century gothic atmosphere was intoxicating, every shadowed corner whispering secrets, every creak in the floorboards hinting at something unseen. Spirits linger here, and while I donโt think Iโd ever want a spectral companion of my own, I was absolutely fascinated by Ruthโher presence, her history, the eerie tether she had to Roos.
And then thereโs Agnes. Problematic, enigmatic, and undeniably part of what made this book so deeply unsettling for me. Her relationship with Roos crackled with intensity, but there was something that was inescapably wrong about their connection and I was constantly uneasy.
The gothic horror of it all is chilling, but itโs the heartbreak woven into the narrative that truly lingers. Loss, loneliness, and the desperation to be seenโto be lovedโare the real specters haunting these pages.
Jess Neslingโs (๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐ฝ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐) narration was genius. Her โspirit voicesโ were the perfect blend of ethereal and deeply unnerving, sending shivers down my spine in the best way. A five-star performance that made the story feel even more immersive.
This book left me shaken, heartbroken, and completely enthralled. I donโt know if Iโll ever be able to forget it.
๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐๐ง๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฟ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ช๐ก ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐
โ๏ธ ๐๐ผ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป
๐ง ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ:
๐ป Paranormal
๐ชฆ Gothic
๐ฎ Post WWII
๐ป Dutch Setting
๐ชฆ Creepy Estate
๐ฎ Complicated Characters
๐ป Past/Present Timeline
๐ชฆ Sapphic
๐๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ค๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ(๐):
โขโItโs a dangerous thing, to try and give someone everything. One day, you might find youโve given away things you shouldโve kept. Some parts of us must remain inviolate if we are to survive as a person.โ
โขWhat I felt for Agnes was right and true, yes, but it was not selfless. Perhaps love never is.
โขBecause the truth scares people. Theyโre always afraid of what they canโt explain, and my Ruth canโt be so easily explained.
โขSome things are so horrible that the only sane response is a bit of madness.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐:
This book seeped into my bones like damp air in an old, crumbling manorโunsettling, haunting, and impossible to shake. The mid-century gothic atmosphere was intoxicating, every shadowed corner whispering secrets, every creak in the floorboards hinting at something unseen. Spirits linger here, and while I donโt think Iโd ever want a spectral companion of my own, I was absolutely fascinated by Ruthโher presence, her history, the eerie tether she had to Roos.
And then thereโs Agnes. Problematic, enigmatic, and undeniably part of what made this book so deeply unsettling for me. Her relationship with Roos crackled with intensity, but there was something that was inescapably wrong about their connection and I was constantly uneasy.
The gothic horror of it all is chilling, but itโs the heartbreak woven into the narrative that truly lingers. Loss, loneliness, and the desperation to be seenโto be lovedโare the real specters haunting these pages.
Jess Neslingโs (๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐ฝ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐) narration was genius. Her โspirit voicesโ were the perfect blend of ethereal and deeply unnerving, sending shivers down my spine in the best way. A five-star performance that made the story feel even more immersive.
This book left me shaken, heartbroken, and completely enthralled. I donโt know if Iโll ever be able to forget it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail