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A review by enchantressreads
Sundial by Catriona Ward
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am obsessed with Catriona Ward.
After reading The Last House on Needless Street, I knew I was going to pick up everything from Ward. So, when I saw Sundial on NetGalley, I put my request in as soon as possible. I also bought the book on release day. And I’m so happy to have it.
Ward has a way of writing the horrors of mental illness in a very kind way. A lot of previous horror books involving mental illness make the protagonists crazy, dangerous, unable to be cured and must be locked up to protect society. But in Sundial, and also Needless Street, we finally get to see vulnerable people with mental illness. It’s not others who need to be protected. It’s them.
Trauma also comes up in both books and is, I believe, handled with the utmost care. In Sundial, Ward tackles the “nature vs nurture” theory. Rob has two daughters: one frail and one terrifying. After discovering a disturbing hobby, she takes Callie to her childhood home, Sundial. Her father and step-mother (of sorts) raised Rob and twin sister Jack in a research field. They were trying to figure out what made certain dogs bad—specifically MAOA* or commonly called “the murder gene.” They used gene therapy to “correct” the dogs. But is it inherently in their nature, or were they trained this way?
*MAOA makes monoamine oxidase A, which breaks down amines such as serotonin and dopamine which are important for mental health (among other things). A mutation in MAOA could disrupt the natural cycles of the neurotransmitters.
This book has been labeled as both a horror and a thriller, and I agree that it is both. I read the last third of the book holding the book so tight, I had to remind myself to loosen my muscles.
Sundial is shocking and terrifying, but mostly it’s sad. I definitely needed a hug (and maybe a shower) after finishing it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the chance to read an advanced review copy of this book.
After reading The Last House on Needless Street, I knew I was going to pick up everything from Ward. So, when I saw Sundial on NetGalley, I put my request in as soon as possible. I also bought the book on release day. And I’m so happy to have it.
Ward has a way of writing the horrors of mental illness in a very kind way. A lot of previous horror books involving mental illness make the protagonists crazy, dangerous, unable to be cured and must be locked up to protect society. But in Sundial, and also Needless Street, we finally get to see vulnerable people with mental illness. It’s not others who need to be protected. It’s them.
Trauma also comes up in both books and is, I believe, handled with the utmost care. In Sundial, Ward tackles the “nature vs nurture” theory. Rob has two daughters: one frail and one terrifying. After discovering a disturbing hobby, she takes Callie to her childhood home, Sundial. Her father and step-mother (of sorts) raised Rob and twin sister Jack in a research field. They were trying to figure out what made certain dogs bad—specifically MAOA* or commonly called “the murder gene.” They used gene therapy to “correct” the dogs. But is it inherently in their nature, or were they trained this way?
*MAOA makes monoamine oxidase A, which breaks down amines such as serotonin and dopamine which are important for mental health (among other things). A mutation in MAOA could disrupt the natural cycles of the neurotransmitters.
This book has been labeled as both a horror and a thriller, and I agree that it is both. I read the last third of the book holding the book so tight, I had to remind myself to loosen my muscles.
Sundial is shocking and terrifying, but mostly it’s sad. I definitely needed a hug (and maybe a shower) after finishing it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the chance to read an advanced review copy of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Animal death
Moderate: Infidelity, Child abuse, Confinement, and Mental illness
Minor: Gaslighting and Self harm