vikreadstons 's review for:

The Bone Drenched Woods by L.V. Russell

5.0

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is such a special book. Hyacinth lives in a small village under constant threat from this hungry entity called the teeth. She herself is a wild child who struggles to fit in the strictly religious society that uses violence and fear to control the village. We learn there are other villages like hers, and after losing her best friend and father she is married off to an elder and shipped to a seaside village. There she learns of even more danger, and starts to see even more wickedness. 

We see that wickedness and evil are as much human nature as supernatural. And the eldritch horrors that are the teeth and the deep are truly very scary. The mystery surrounding these beings makes them terrifying, but the motivations projected onto them by the elders make them even more so. 

Hyacinth feels like a kindred spirit to me. She is under these unfair and oppressive rules that the elders enforce with an iron fist. She toes the line between submission and freedom and often sees horrible consequences. In spite of that, she continues to try to live as authentically as she can.  Her rage enboldens and empowers her to make the decision that is finally hers and hers alone. She is a genuine, flawed, but inspiring character and I love her a lot. 

Overall, this is an amazing horror with the perfect mix of both human and monster, darkness, and power.