Review by kthealey - The Confessional

kthealey 's review for:

The Confessional by Paige Hender

5.0

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Just a stream of thoughts really. This story reminds me of the metaphor used often with treating cases of child abuse: there are things done to you by those that are responsible for looking out for you… some will leave cracks on the window pane of your soul and others will leave finger prints. Maybe it’s all the stained glass imagery that makes me think of it… or Cora’s desire to be cleansed of sin… a pane she’s desperate to clean but no matter how good she is it keeps getting smudged and cracked. There’s a million compelling themes here, from the obvious ironically-imbalanced power-dynamic (good vampire pushed around by bad priest) to morality, corruption, etc… and it all works because of the vulnerability that Cora experiences. The reader is knee deep in it — wanting to be good, to be loved, comforted, singled out by the object of your affection, to feel like you’re not beyond saving. Excellently executed with beautiful & visceral art that engulfs you in the book’s sensuality and violence.

Content Warnings