A review by kamreadsandrecs
The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 It’s not often that a book makes me weepy, but this one definitely did. I went into it expecting it to be a horror novel of some kind, or a murder mystery with hints of horror around the edges, but it didn’t turn out to be that at all. Oh, there was a murder for sure, and there were definitely spooky goings-on, but that’s not what this novel’s about. No: it’s a novel about grief, loss, and guilt, and about letting go and moving on - but a very specific kind of moving on. It’s the kind that involves soul-wrenching pain, the kind that makes you want to scream yourself hoarse, because what you’re losing is so intrinsic, so important to you, that you will hang onto whatever of it you can by the skin of your teeth.

But that’s not how the world works. Time moves on. People move on. And it does no one any good to live in the past. Remember it, of course, that’s important, but not holding onto it like it’ll come back if you don’t let go. To hang on is to die - but to let go is to finally live.

One downside: this book is a bit of a slog in the first half. Things only really get rolling around Chapter 15 or thereabouts, but before that it’s can feel like a bit of a drag. Still, if you hang in there, it’ll be worth it. 
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