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A review by liisp_cvr2cvr
Behind the Veil by E.J. Dawson
5.0
Please note Content Warning: dark adult themes, death, murder, miscarriage, suicide, rape and pedophilia (those last two are mentioned only, there is no explicit content in the book)
I’m one of those freaks that grabs a book purely because it has a content warning label. Does that make me bad? A psychopath? I hope not. I’m not sure what it is about the darker side of life that draws me in… I, like most of us, have my own past where bad things have happened and I wonder if I am making myself read the horrors to desensitize myself against world’s cruelty or I’d simply not make it otherwise. The horrors are the reminder to always stay alert to all sorts that can go wrong. Anyway…
Gothic Noir… Say no more, am I right?! I’m in. The genre tag itself is enough to make me want to dive in.
I’m glad I did .. whilst the start of the book felt slightly apprehensive and unravelling slightly slower than I would have liked, I was wondering whether I was going to enjoy this after all. But then, boom, something clicked and fell into place. Things got kicked into gear, the intros were done, the scene set and I found myself in great difficulty trying to put the book down.
The story itself is truly captivating. There is a mystery of some missing girls, there is the mystery of Letitia who offers services for people who have lost a loved one, akas not to ones who last lost a loved one through murder. Her past is one full of pain and dark things and I just wanted to know more. As a character, Letitia was instantly likeable and easy to commit to, and I couldn’t remember ever reading a boo set in 20s, nor with a character who did readings using a scrying bowl. I was intrigued in all fronts.
The aspect of someone who is able to contact the dead, for me, as I mentioned, was a unique a concept in a novel and I very much enjoyed it. Not only was it very well done but it definitely brought the air of otherworldly and unsettling to the atmosphere, trying to imagine what it must be like for someone who sees more, a lot more. How taxing it all must be, how saddening, how exhausting, how scary… And also risky. There are snippets of those who have passed on in their final moments and this is how Letitia experiences the other side, as if in the body and through the eyes of the dead. I’m glad every aspect of this potential was used in the novel. It made it feel whole and the supernatural side of it natural and credible.
As mentioned in the blurb, Letitia develops feeling towards a certain gentleman. I bet some would ask – is love element really necessary in a novel like this? You know, I think it definitely wouldn’t have been as interesting without said love aspect. It’s all respectful and very polite – after all, remember the times this story is set in
I’m one of those freaks that grabs a book purely because it has a content warning label. Does that make me bad? A psychopath? I hope not. I’m not sure what it is about the darker side of life that draws me in… I, like most of us, have my own past where bad things have happened and I wonder if I am making myself read the horrors to desensitize myself against world’s cruelty or I’d simply not make it otherwise. The horrors are the reminder to always stay alert to all sorts that can go wrong. Anyway…
Gothic Noir… Say no more, am I right?! I’m in. The genre tag itself is enough to make me want to dive in.
I’m glad I did .. whilst the start of the book felt slightly apprehensive and unravelling slightly slower than I would have liked, I was wondering whether I was going to enjoy this after all. But then, boom, something clicked and fell into place. Things got kicked into gear, the intros were done, the scene set and I found myself in great difficulty trying to put the book down.
The story itself is truly captivating. There is a mystery of some missing girls, there is the mystery of Letitia who offers services for people who have lost a loved one, akas not to ones who last lost a loved one through murder. Her past is one full of pain and dark things and I just wanted to know more. As a character, Letitia was instantly likeable and easy to commit to, and I couldn’t remember ever reading a boo set in 20s, nor with a character who did readings using a scrying bowl. I was intrigued in all fronts.
The aspect of someone who is able to contact the dead, for me, as I mentioned, was a unique a concept in a novel and I very much enjoyed it. Not only was it very well done but it definitely brought the air of otherworldly and unsettling to the atmosphere, trying to imagine what it must be like for someone who sees more, a lot more. How taxing it all must be, how saddening, how exhausting, how scary… And also risky. There are snippets of those who have passed on in their final moments and this is how Letitia experiences the other side, as if in the body and through the eyes of the dead. I’m glad every aspect of this potential was used in the novel. It made it feel whole and the supernatural side of it natural and credible.
Physical manifestation of her sensory perceptions was the sign of an overwhelming persona.
As mentioned in the blurb, Letitia develops feeling towards a certain gentleman. I bet some would ask – is love element really necessary in a novel like this? You know, I think it definitely wouldn’t have been as interesting without said love aspect. It’s all respectful and very polite – after all, remember the times this story is set in