A review by troyennhorse
The Red Tree by Caitlín R. Kiernan

4.0

The imagery of this book was one of my favorite parts. The descriptions were evocative and the images were unconventional which allowed for some of the more familiar beats to feel new and exciting. Sarah was a person that I probably wouldn't like in real life, but I loved reading about her. I think it's very difficult to write an unlikeable character and still have the reader root for them throughout but I approached the end of the book with dread because the editor's note tells you what happens to her and I wasn't ready for it. The style of found diary worked very well and allowed for a lot of exposition that never came off as too navel gazey. The supporting characters were interesting. The novel set up a lot of mysteries to unravel and most of them had a compelling ending. This book does feature a graphic description of pony play, which is not my thing, but I understand why it was included in the book and it did fit in with the surreal world that was built. I continued to think about the themes of this book after I stopped reading it and I expect that I will read it again soon to keep unpacking some of the ideas it explored. Kiernan is a truly talented writer.