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A review by kristienlovewithhorror
In Excess of Dark by Red Lagoe
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
"That's the thing about parenting-by the time you figure out what you've done wrong, it's too late."
This quote resonated with me most as a parent. The most intriguing thing about this story is the tether between Karina and Xander.
TW: suicidal thoughts, grief, depression
If you're looking for a quick, creepy, gory read, this is a good start.
Karina is a wife and a mother trying to be diligent in those roles by ignoring the darkness that is within her. She imagines dark things and they seem to come true for her because she wills them to. Everyone around her sees her darkness by tries to pretend it's not there.
This book is a great introduction to the darker, more gorier types of stories. There are a few scenes that are quite mild but others, not so much. (IYKYK)
Karina is facing some dark stuff and I empathized with her. I also liked her friend, Clara, who did her best to support her through her darkest moments. Clara, who is Black and queer, was written well and I appreciated that a lot!
I think this works great as a short story and could've been a few pages shorter. There were some moments where things were repeated or scenes that seemed added in/drawn out unnecessarily that don't add to the overall story. I would've appreciated more depth in Xander and Gavin's characters just to give more insight into the dynamics between them and Karina.
Overall, I thought this was a great story to highlight things like grief and depression and how it can be a looming force that slowly creeps in and takes over our lives.
This quote resonated with me most as a parent. The most intriguing thing about this story is the tether between Karina and Xander.
TW: suicidal thoughts, grief, depression
If you're looking for a quick, creepy, gory read, this is a good start.
Karina is a wife and a mother trying to be diligent in those roles by ignoring the darkness that is within her. She imagines dark things and they seem to come true for her because she wills them to. Everyone around her sees her darkness by tries to pretend it's not there.
This book is a great introduction to the darker, more gorier types of stories. There are a few scenes that are quite mild but others, not so much. (IYKYK)
Karina is facing some dark stuff and I empathized with her. I also liked her friend, Clara, who did her best to support her through her darkest moments. Clara, who is Black and queer, was written well and I appreciated that a lot!
I think this works great as a short story and could've been a few pages shorter. There were some moments where things were repeated or scenes that seemed added in/drawn out unnecessarily that don't add to the overall story. I would've appreciated more depth in Xander and Gavin's characters just to give more insight into the dynamics between them and Karina.
Overall, I thought this was a great story to highlight things like grief and depression and how it can be a looming force that slowly creeps in and takes over our lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Car accident