A review by banrions
My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen

4.0

i think on an emotional reaction level, this is like a 3-3.5 for me, but the writing and language of some of the visual descriptions were so solidly great throughout, that it gets that half star bump for that alone. this is a visual treat (well... lol actually a lot of it is visual descriptions of dead ghosts gross bodies, but like, in an awesome and achingly beautiful way). and roos as a pov is lovely. this is def sapphic, but do not go in for the romance--this is a tragic, horror novel, first. like... you know from page (idk exactly which but very early on) that agnes is dead from the first jump. but... this is also a novel very ghost focused. so. ya know. there are possibilties still in the end, bittersweet and horrific tho they maybe are.

i had a really great time with this overall. i enjoyed alternating between the audio and my kindle, which i've never rlly done before much. the narrator was wonderful, and i'll absolutely look out for more from this author in the future, bc queer horror is one of my fav things ever, and we need more of them.

(i would say trigger warnings for: child abuse, rape, incest, domestic abuse, and... like, mental health being potentially weaponized? none of this is explicit or particularly graphic, some is only mentioned but def peppered through the novel, so go in with that in mind).