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A review by sfcorgi
The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Like another reviewer, I found that this quote encapsulated the book: “Wherever we go, however we behave, there'll always be something to drive us inside. That's where people want us to be.” This is one of the only bits of direct perspective we get from the sisters themselves. It's true of anyone who is different - in any setting. How are we to respond?
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator had a very calm and steady voice, which was appropriate for the style; however, I am tempted to re-read this book in print so that I have time to digest certain sections. I worry that I might have been lulled into missing some things. I definitely wouldn't describe this book as "fun." Instead, it is thought-provoking.
We hear this story through neighborhood gossip, told from the points of view of different characters, some of whom are not very appealing. Even the more sympathetic characters make questionable choices, and there are precious few established facts. The reader has a lot to ponder: conflicting motivations, mob mentality, and the unreliability of human memory. Like the villagers, we are left to imagine events to fill in gaps throughout the narrative, but there's no way to tell whether our imaginations are correct, colored as they are by our own biases, experiences, and expectations.
It took me a while to wrap my head around it, but this story will be with me for a long time.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator had a very calm and steady voice, which was appropriate for the style; however, I am tempted to re-read this book in print so that I have time to digest certain sections. I worry that I might have been lulled into missing some things. I definitely wouldn't describe this book as "fun." Instead, it is thought-provoking.
We hear this story through neighborhood gossip, told from the points of view of different characters, some of whom are not very appealing. Even the more sympathetic characters make questionable choices, and there are precious few established facts. The reader has a lot to ponder: conflicting motivations, mob mentality, and the unreliability of human memory. Like the villagers, we are left to imagine events to fill in gaps throughout the narrative, but there's no way to tell whether our imaginations are correct, colored as they are by our own biases, experiences, and expectations.
It took me a while to wrap my head around it, but this story will be with me for a long time.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Murder
Minor: Grief, Pregnancy