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A review by nostoat
Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
4.0
I was provided an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating this 4 stars only because I think the tone of noir novels and I don't quite get along. If this wasn't intended to be in the tradition of hardboiled detective novels but through the eyes of a queer Catholic nun, I probably would have found the tone unforgivable: dark, cynical, often hopeless. But the twist on the genre is compelling, as is the mystery and all the intricacies of Sister Holiday's story.
I find the portrayal of devotion, faith, and religion in this book earnest in a way that's very refreshing. Sister Holiday is queer and a Catholic nun; these things do not conflict for her. She is deeply religious, seeking - as many who enter this kind of religious life - something that will transform her, a something she desperately and deeply believes in, that grounds her and gives her solace. I say this as someone who is ex-Christian myself, and deeply critical and derisive of the religion as a whole, but also deeply disillusioned with the rancor many ex-Christians hold for religion as a concept and Christianity in particular. I also find it deeply meaningful that Sister Holiday is both unapologetically Catholic and unapologetically queer. Neither has to be denied for the other. Most important of all to me is her assertion that she has not signed away her queerness to join the Order; rather she is on an indefinite sabbatical from sex. This clear line drawn that one does not have to be having queer sex in order to be queer is very important to me, personally, as a aroace queer person.
As a final overly specific note, as someone who has lived in New Orleans and still considers it my home city in all the ways that matter to me, the descriptions of New Orleans were wonderful. The heat and humidity pour through the pages, the Catholic backbone is obviously a strong presence on page, as well as all the weight of history. I don't think I've read a piece of media about New Orleans that quite captures the way I feel about the hurricanes like this one does. While not a major feature of the book, many metaphors involve them, and multiple characters have backstories deeply affected by Katrina and the following events - which is only correct in a story about New Orleans.
All in all this book drew me in, and kept me riveted throughout. While not the genre of mystery I would usually read there was something deeply interesting to me about the world as viewed through the eyes of a fucked up nun desperately seeking redemption.
Rating this 4 stars only because I think the tone of noir novels and I don't quite get along. If this wasn't intended to be in the tradition of hardboiled detective novels but through the eyes of a queer Catholic nun, I probably would have found the tone unforgivable: dark, cynical, often hopeless. But the twist on the genre is compelling, as is the mystery and all the intricacies of Sister Holiday's story.
I find the portrayal of devotion, faith, and religion in this book earnest in a way that's very refreshing. Sister Holiday is queer and a Catholic nun; these things do not conflict for her. She is deeply religious, seeking - as many who enter this kind of religious life - something that will transform her, a something she desperately and deeply believes in, that grounds her and gives her solace. I say this as someone who is ex-Christian myself, and deeply critical and derisive of the religion as a whole, but also deeply disillusioned with the rancor many ex-Christians hold for religion as a concept and Christianity in particular. I also find it deeply meaningful that Sister Holiday is both unapologetically Catholic and unapologetically queer. Neither has to be denied for the other. Most important of all to me is her assertion that she has not signed away her queerness to join the Order; rather she is on an indefinite sabbatical from sex. This clear line drawn that one does not have to be having queer sex in order to be queer is very important to me, personally, as a aroace queer person.
As a final overly specific note, as someone who has lived in New Orleans and still considers it my home city in all the ways that matter to me, the descriptions of New Orleans were wonderful. The heat and humidity pour through the pages, the Catholic backbone is obviously a strong presence on page, as well as all the weight of history. I don't think I've read a piece of media about New Orleans that quite captures the way I feel about the hurricanes like this one does. While not a major feature of the book, many metaphors involve them, and multiple characters have backstories deeply affected by Katrina and the following events - which is only correct in a story about New Orleans.
All in all this book drew me in, and kept me riveted throughout. While not the genre of mystery I would usually read there was something deeply interesting to me about the world as viewed through the eyes of a fucked up nun desperately seeking redemption.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Rape and Incest
There is a scene near the end where someone burns alive on page. While not incredibly graphic it was unsettling for me.