Take a photo of a barcode or cover
kayreadsandnaps 's review for:
The Cherry Robbers
by Sarai Walker
“The Chapel Sisters, first they get married then they get buried.”
read this book if you enjoy: a slower paced gothic tale with some hauntings and a dash of horror, a singular narrator and dual timeline, sister dynamics, eerie families, well rounded and unique characters and an atmosphere tinged with constant despair.
“..I think I’ve finally come to realize that it’s my destiny to be one of the madwomen. One of the women who speaks the truth no matter how terrifying it might be.”
i can see why many reviewers say this book reminds them of #TheVirginSuicides (one of my favorites) - the sisters have a similar relationship and all could not be more different yet inseparable. personally i see more of a comparison to #HouseOfSaltAndSorrows (another favorite) - a tale of doomed sisters, one dying after another in a fantastical or mysterious way.
“This story is jagged, could cut a deep wound. It isn’t a story I can tell with a thread and a needle, stitching in clean lines. It’s shards or nothing.”
i must say, their mother Belinda (who’s endless screaming and visions of spirits caused all the sisters but Iris, the narrator, to hate her and believe her “crazy”) carried quite a bit of the book. she definitely gave it that push of fright and she had so many dimensions that i engaged with her the most. the tale certainly wouldn’t have been what it is without her. she also was the driving force for the narrative of men writing women off as “unhinged” or “hysterical” for speaking their truths/not being docile and easy to contain.
“It’s easier to say that women like my mother are crazy. Then you don’t have to listen to them. And so maybe in a way she became crazy. Maybe she could communicate only by screaming.”
overall i really enjoyed this! my only “complaint” is that i didn’t enjoy the dual timeline of Iris in the past and present. the present i mostly skimmed and i feel like it could have been cut and shortened the book by about 100 pages and still been just as excellent to read with the past being the standalone story.
read this book if you enjoy: a slower paced gothic tale with some hauntings and a dash of horror, a singular narrator and dual timeline, sister dynamics, eerie families, well rounded and unique characters and an atmosphere tinged with constant despair.
“..I think I’ve finally come to realize that it’s my destiny to be one of the madwomen. One of the women who speaks the truth no matter how terrifying it might be.”
i can see why many reviewers say this book reminds them of #TheVirginSuicides (one of my favorites) - the sisters have a similar relationship and all could not be more different yet inseparable. personally i see more of a comparison to #HouseOfSaltAndSorrows (another favorite) - a tale of doomed sisters, one dying after another in a fantastical or mysterious way.
“This story is jagged, could cut a deep wound. It isn’t a story I can tell with a thread and a needle, stitching in clean lines. It’s shards or nothing.”
i must say, their mother Belinda (who’s endless screaming and visions of spirits caused all the sisters but Iris, the narrator, to hate her and believe her “crazy”) carried quite a bit of the book. she definitely gave it that push of fright and she had so many dimensions that i engaged with her the most. the tale certainly wouldn’t have been what it is without her. she also was the driving force for the narrative of men writing women off as “unhinged” or “hysterical” for speaking their truths/not being docile and easy to contain.
“It’s easier to say that women like my mother are crazy. Then you don’t have to listen to them. And so maybe in a way she became crazy. Maybe she could communicate only by screaming.”
overall i really enjoyed this! my only “complaint” is that i didn’t enjoy the dual timeline of Iris in the past and present. the present i mostly skimmed and i feel like it could have been cut and shortened the book by about 100 pages and still been just as excellent to read with the past being the standalone story.