A review by emilywemily6
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I really enjoyed this book but it wasn't perfect for me. 
This book is vibey and atmospheric, feeling like a gothic classic horror for the majority of the novella. 
The horror ramped up at the end and was grotesque, but the pacing was a bit slow for me leading up to that. I really like this overall length for a horror story though, but I wanted more horror overall. This novella is based off of the short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allan Poe and I felt like it elaborated well on the original while adding something new and fresh. I really appreciated the discussion related to a non-binary character and the fictional history associated with that character's backstory, but it didn't have much bearing on the story, if any, so it felt a little irrelevant in such a short novella. I'm hoping that comes into play more in the next book! In general I really enjoyed all the characters and found them interesting and human. 
If you're looking for a horror novella that might creep and gross you out at the very end, with phenomenal writing and interesting characters, this one is for you!
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