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A review by klaartjesmits
Mosaic by Catherine McCarthy
dark
mysterious
tense
4.5
In this cosmic/folk horror novella we follow Robin, a young woman who loves her quiet life as a stained glass artist. One day she receives a letter from the Chairman of Bilbury Parish Council asking if she wants to restore the stained glass window of an abandoned thirteenth-century church deep in the forest. Intrigued by the concept, she accepts the job. But soon Robin starts noticing something is off about the Chairman and the window she's working on...
What an incredibly well-written, creepy novella! From the start I felt a pervasive sense of dread that didn't stop until the end of the book. The premise itself is already very scary and atmospheric, but the way McCarthy fleshed it out made it even more so. There are many descriptions of the abandoned church, the graves and the forest surrounding them, and we follow the restoration of the stained glass window in detail. With each piece Robin puts back together the horror is gradually revealed as well. I loved the writing style a lot - the beautiful metaphors especially.
I also appreciate that Robin's childhood trauma was included in the story. She recently cut ties with her abusive parents but still often hears the voice of her narcissistic father in her head, telling her what she should and shouldn't do. It felt very realistic and gave an extra dimension to the story and the horror aspect.
My only complaint is that the ending seemed a bit rushed to me. I think I would have been able to take everything in more if it was 5-10 pages longer. But I still love how unique the conclusion was (that's an understatement), and it will definitely stay with me for a long time!
I'm looking forward to reading McCarthy's other books, starting with Mists and Megaliths - a horror short story collection based on Welsh myths and legends!
Thank you to the author, to Dark Matter INK and to BookSirens for the (free) digital published copy!
What an incredibly well-written, creepy novella! From the start I felt a pervasive sense of dread that didn't stop until the end of the book. The premise itself is already very scary and atmospheric, but the way McCarthy fleshed it out made it even more so. There are many descriptions of the abandoned church, the graves and the forest surrounding them, and we follow the restoration of the stained glass window in detail. With each piece Robin puts back together the horror is gradually revealed as well. I loved the writing style a lot - the beautiful metaphors especially.
I also appreciate that Robin's childhood trauma was included in the story. She recently cut ties with her abusive parents but still often hears the voice of her narcissistic father in her head, telling her what she should and shouldn't do. It felt very realistic and gave an extra dimension to the story and the horror aspect.
My only complaint is that the ending seemed a bit rushed to me. I think I would have been able to take everything in more if it was 5-10 pages longer. But I still love how unique the conclusion was (that's an understatement), and it will definitely stay with me for a long time!
I'm looking forward to reading McCarthy's other books, starting with Mists and Megaliths - a horror short story collection based on Welsh myths and legends!
Thank you to the author, to Dark Matter INK and to BookSirens for the (free) digital published copy!