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A review by breeburkitt
Sundial by Catriona Ward
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I picked "Sundial" up knowing nothing other than it was Catariona Ward's follow-up to "The Last House on Needless Street." But, for me, this ended up being so much more than Needless Street.
The novel follows a woman named Rob, who's married with two children. Her family is dysfunctional and crumbling as her relationship with her husband teeters on hostile and the behavior of her oldest child, Callie, becomes more concerning. Rob fears Callie is quickly becoming dangerous and soon takes her to her family's desert home, Sundial. Sundial holds a dark history for Rob, but she's forced to face it as she recounts her own childhood and how it impacts them today to Callie.
I hesitate to say too much more about the plot. The elusiveness is part of what makes this book so great as Ward slowly unravels the plot around the reader, immersing them in Rob's past and present. It's a slow, heavy build that's well worth it. I devoured this book and think it far succeeds "Needless Street."
Of note: There is quite a bit of dealing with dogs, the death of dogs and other animals. It's not overly gratuitous, but it's also not pleasant.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.
4.25/5
The novel follows a woman named Rob, who's married with two children. Her family is dysfunctional and crumbling as her relationship with her husband teeters on hostile and the behavior of her oldest child, Callie, becomes more concerning. Rob fears Callie is quickly becoming dangerous and soon takes her to her family's desert home, Sundial. Sundial holds a dark history for Rob, but she's forced to face it as she recounts her own childhood and how it impacts them today to Callie.
I hesitate to say too much more about the plot. The elusiveness is part of what makes this book so great as Ward slowly unravels the plot around the reader, immersing them in Rob's past and present. It's a slow, heavy build that's well worth it. I devoured this book and think it far succeeds "Needless Street."
Of note: There is quite a bit of dealing with dogs, the death of dogs and other animals. It's not overly gratuitous, but it's also not pleasant.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.
4.25/5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse