A review by archaicrobin
When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Overall I enjoyed this story and the lens it uses to demonstrate how slavery is still around in a way, we just call it different things now. When the Reckoning Comes gives us a glimpse of the daily horrors that people of color and minorities deal with day in and day out. Some of the most horrifying scenes on this novel had nothing to with the supernatural and were all just everyday evils, both present and past. 

The true horror in this novel is society, racists, and the dark past of our country. With that said, I did enjoy the social commentary and the topics covered however, when it came to the horror elements, I was a little disappointed. This story wasn’t scary in the traditional sense, the ghosts never really do anything and when they do you don’t see it. If they kill someone you never find out how. You just read about Mira finding their dead body. The ghosts are not scary, and honestly I don’t know why this was even horror to begin with and not a thriller. 

The beginning of the book was amazing and I was immediately invested, but halfway through, once the “horror” begins the story starts to drag, the characters become flat, and I honestly just wanted it to end. Overall, I would not recommend this to anyone looking for a horror book but more for someone that’s interested in the more literary themes or into thrillers. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings