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A review by rachelunabridged
Sundial by Catriona Ward
dark
mysterious
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
4.75
Thank you so much to Tor Nightfire and Goodreads for the ARC!
I was so incredibly excited to read this after enjoying The Last House On Needless Street last year. I'm pleased to report that Sundial was equally as mind-blowing! I was hooked from the first chapter and could not get the story out of my head in between readings.
If you've read The Last House on Needless Street, you won't be surprised to hear that this book is similar in that it's hard to talk about it without giving too much away. It's definitely the kind of read that you want to go into as blind as possible.
To keep it brief, Sundial tells the story of Rob and her dysfunctional family. Despite her desperate desire to have a "normal" life, she is unhappily married to Irving, a chronic cheater and domestic abuser, for the sake of their two daughters. When she begins to notice problematic behavior in Callie, her eldest, she decides that it's time for a mother-daughter weekend at the old homestead. Enter Sundial, the shadow that looms large over Rob's past.
This story has so many awful (in a good way) layers to it that Ward wove together so deftly. There's just this heavy atmosphere throughout, and as you start to peel back the layers, it just gets worse and worse. The build up to the end is incredible, and it delivered so hard. I can't even begin to describe how worth it it was.
And let's not forget the twists! This book had twists for days. Every time I thought I was reading The Twist, another one swooped from the shadows and slapped me right in the face. I literally had to put the book down at one point to give myself time to recover. The best part is that none of the twists felt inorganic or forced. The story just sort of came together at the end, and I was in awe, hanging on tight as this book took me on its wild ride.
I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys solid psychological horror rife with familial drama/trauma.
Lastly, as a lot of the content in this book is incredibly upsetting, I would recommend taking a peek at the spoiler tags for anyone who isn't ready for pretty graphic descriptions of incredibly messed up acts.
I was so incredibly excited to read this after enjoying The Last House On Needless Street last year. I'm pleased to report that Sundial was equally as mind-blowing! I was hooked from the first chapter and could not get the story out of my head in between readings.
If you've read The Last House on Needless Street, you won't be surprised to hear that this book is similar in that it's hard to talk about it without giving too much away. It's definitely the kind of read that you want to go into as blind as possible.
To keep it brief, Sundial tells the story of Rob and her dysfunctional family. Despite her desperate desire to have a "normal" life, she is unhappily married to Irving, a chronic cheater and domestic abuser, for the sake of their two daughters. When she begins to notice problematic behavior in Callie, her eldest, she decides that it's time for a mother-daughter weekend at the old homestead. Enter Sundial, the shadow that looms large over Rob's past.
This story has so many awful (in a good way) layers to it that Ward wove together so deftly. There's just this heavy atmosphere throughout, and as you start to peel back the layers, it just gets worse and worse. The build up to the end is incredible, and it delivered so hard. I can't even begin to describe how worth it it was.
And let's not forget the twists! This book had twists for days. Every time I thought I was reading The Twist, another one swooped from the shadows and slapped me right in the face. I literally had to put the book down at one point to give myself time to recover. The best part is that none of the twists felt inorganic or forced. The story just sort of came together at the end, and I was in awe, hanging on tight as this book took me on its wild ride.
I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys solid psychological horror rife with familial drama/trauma.
Lastly, as a lot of the content in this book is incredibly upsetting, I would recommend taking a peek at the spoiler tags for anyone who isn't ready for pretty graphic descriptions of incredibly messed up acts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
Moderate: Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Violence