Good God, what did I just read.
I went into this book expecting a certain level of odd and off experience , but I could never imagine how much. And to put all of this, so much of this, in such a short page count, and with so vivid and engrossing and defined prose, has got to be a feat.
The beginning was difficult. The prose was odd, not difficult, but sort of literary, but that was not an issue. The difficulty arose from having my mind wrap around the setting, which took me a while to appreciate, and I’m glad I stuck with it. I’m not big on the Southern gothic horror, it doesn’t hold much appeal to me, but this book did a fantastic job in my opinion. Especially with all that was happening in the story, it did a great job of keeping all elements and characters, as well as all places relevant, memorable, and connected to a common setting.
The events were intriguing, almost as much as the characters themselves, each with their own individuality, while maintaining the bleak and occult essence of the society. There was also a good balance of revealing an oddity and giving us space to get settled with them, before adding another layer to the cauldron.
I will admit I did lose track of things here and there, mostly because there was so much to think on, none fitting into a simple mould of character design or event that I’m used to, which is of course appreciated, but requires attention. No complaints though. The pacing was good, the prose vivid but never forced, the characters unique, the events disturbing, bleak, and yet always carrying a thread of hope through it all. The end was good enough to justify closing off this tale at that note, so no quarrel there either.
A good unexpected read for Horror Halloween October.
4/5 ⭐️