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maria_schnecki 's review for:
The Bone Drenched Woods
by L.V. Russell
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Thanks NetGalley for the arc!
I really wanted to love this one, and for the most part, it was enjoyable.
L.V. Russel really knows how to portray horror in a way that leaves you disgusted but absolutely intrigued. The horrors of this book are especially interesting seeing as the characters have lived in this horror for all their lives, having grown up never feeling a true sense of safety. The way these characters are exposed to daily business as terrifying as what happens in this book would drive the normal person mad with terror. The vibes of this book are quite cult-y, exploring ritualistic sacrifices, a strong hierarchy within the townspeople and a strange, god-like omnipresence that does not at all care about the desires and lives of humans.
The setting is unique, unsettling and sometimes downright terrifying. Hyacinth as a main character was strong, bold and a delight to read about. This story will keep you guessing whats going to happen and who to trust right to the end.
Unfortunately, it really kept me guessing until the end. The story lacked a clear path. I never really knew what the end goal was and I fear that the author did not know either. The vibes were immaculate, but I missed having a clear end goal apart from "survive".
I liked the, fitting the books overarching theme, quite uncomfortable portrayal of a marriage that really was just a settlement for both characters. I think this serves as a sadly more realistic portrayal of such situations. I did, however, really not enjoy the involvement of other parties, neither did I feel any connection or emotion towards them. Hyacinth claims to have carved the soft parts from herself and relationship wise, this seems to be the case - still, reading about it was quite uncomfortable.
I think the ending really made sense, even though it was not really satisfying
.
Overall, I think the premise of this one was absolutely brilliant, but the execution really lacked a matter of sense or goal. I think this story would have been an absolute banger if it would have been a short story instead.
I really wanted to love this one, and for the most part, it was enjoyable.
L.V. Russel really knows how to portray horror in a way that leaves you disgusted but absolutely intrigued. The horrors of this book are especially interesting seeing as the characters have lived in this horror for all their lives, having grown up never feeling a true sense of safety. The way these characters are exposed to daily business as terrifying as what happens in this book would drive the normal person mad with terror. The vibes of this book are quite cult-y, exploring ritualistic sacrifices, a strong hierarchy within the townspeople and a strange, god-like omnipresence that does not at all care about the desires and lives of humans.
The setting is unique, unsettling and sometimes downright terrifying. Hyacinth as a main character was strong, bold and a delight to read about. This story will keep you guessing whats going to happen and who to trust right to the end.
Unfortunately, it really kept me guessing until the end. The story lacked a clear path. I never really knew what the end goal was and I fear that the author did not know either. The vibes were immaculate, but I missed having a clear end goal apart from "survive".
I liked the, fitting the books overarching theme, quite uncomfortable portrayal of a marriage that really was just a settlement for both characters. I think this serves as a sadly more realistic portrayal of such situations. I did, however, really not enjoy the involvement of other parties, neither did I feel any connection or emotion towards them. Hyacinth claims to have carved the soft parts from herself and relationship wise, this seems to be the case - still, reading about it was quite uncomfortable.
I think the ending really made sense, even though it was not really satisfying
.
Overall, I think the premise of this one was absolutely brilliant, but the execution really lacked a matter of sense or goal. I think this story would have been an absolute banger if it would have been a short story instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail