TLDR; would not recommend
Almost a DNF at 90%

I am pretty disappointed, so this might turn into a bit of a rant. Really, I was so ready give this five stars.

Let's get into it…

The beginning of this book felt not perfect, but good. The looooong multi-page intro prose almost lost me though as I'm feeling a bit illiterate after the election, so that one's on me.

The theming and set up were so good, and though it permeated every moment it didn't feel heavy-handed, it felt appropriately heavy. The experiences and environment Mira grew up with felt so personal and real.

Then there was this random flowery language to make ‘pretty’ quotes that just don't fit in the paragraphs they're in at all. Which happens, and wouldn't have been a huge deal but did pull me out of it a bit.

Then Mira just starts being dumb as hell, and none of her thoughts make ANY sense. Actions I get, fear makes you do wild shit. But what's the point of spending SO much time to make her believe, for her to then NOT believe every. single. time. she sees a ghost?!

Then after like 70% the writing just gets bad and so repetitive. Sentences that don't make sense, bad grammar and severance structure. Saying every little thing. Full paragraphs that could be a couple of words, or a short sentence at most.

Then there's the logical leaps made by Mira that have no basis, like somehow just knowing where something is with no reasoning.

The pacing, which seemed a little slow but fittingly eerie in the beginning, feels so rushed after she returns to the plantation.

As someone who doesn't get lost easily, a lot of the last half made no sense. Plus the horror elements were so vague and allusive that they were completely ineffective.