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A review by thehutonfowlslegs
Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
[Read as an ARC through Edelweiss]
I’m constantly searching for books and movies in the horror genre in an attempt to adequately scare myself (which has proven difficult), and this book surprisingly accomplished that. There were scenes that had my hand forcefully pressed to my mouth, and some of the twists had me audibly gasping.
Though a bit long, I felt like the slow burn horror was done really well. It perfectly built up to a tense, climatic ending. The writing was mildly experimental at times, and I really enjoyed the fictional quotes, articles, and book excerpts; however, I wished they had been a bit more spread throughout the novel rather than stuck at the end, as it felt a tad awkward to suddenly jump to that.
Another thing that I didn’t totally enjoy was the main character’s voice. While I loved her characterization and absolutely revel at unreliable narrators, Mary’s particular voice was just a bit too forced and cringe-worthy at times. Occasionally, there were some things directly spelled out that could’ve benefited from being implied, allowing the reader to figure things out and assess the themes on their own.
I’d also highly recommend reading the afterword, as the author discusses some important topics. Plus, I actually went 😮 when the writer revealed he’s a cisgender man. The female characterization was great, and he explained how in-depth his research was in order to accurately portray such a real yet neglected topic in fiction.
Overall, an excellent exploration of serious themes while properly giving me the creeps.
I’m constantly searching for books and movies in the horror genre in an attempt to adequately scare myself (which has proven difficult), and this book surprisingly accomplished that. There were scenes that had my hand forcefully pressed to my mouth, and some of the twists had me audibly gasping.
Though a bit long, I felt like the slow burn horror was done really well. It perfectly built up to a tense, climatic ending. The writing was mildly experimental at times, and I really enjoyed the fictional quotes, articles, and book excerpts; however, I wished they had been a bit more spread throughout the novel rather than stuck at the end, as it felt a tad awkward to suddenly jump to that.
Another thing that I didn’t totally enjoy was the main character’s voice. While I loved her characterization and absolutely revel at unreliable narrators, Mary’s particular voice was just a bit too forced and cringe-worthy at times. Occasionally, there were some things directly spelled out that could’ve benefited from being implied, allowing the reader to figure things out and assess the themes on their own.
I’d also highly recommend reading the afterword, as the author discusses some important topics. Plus, I actually went 😮 when the writer revealed he’s a cisgender man. The female characterization was great, and he explained how in-depth his research was in order to accurately portray such a real yet neglected topic in fiction.
Overall, an excellent exploration of serious themes while properly giving me the creeps.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Blood, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Body horror, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Body shaming
Minor: Vomit