The Boatman's Daughter starts slow, in the first chapter, but from there it goes FAST. Intertwining stories, all in a fucked up small town, blend together to create the narrative of Miranda Crabtree and her fight for her found family. This was WEIRD, but I loved learning the Slavic folk lore within. I wanted nothing more than the best for Miranda, Littlefish, and the girl, and I think thats what kept me reading. I loved this, even the fucked up bits that made me squirm. Not for faint of heart, will make you squeamish and also cry. Spoilers:

My only grievance is that some of the folklore mmonsters felt really shoed in. Even when there was a setup for them, there weren't enough signs that, hey, maybe this wasn't just a murder, maybe there was more to it. Still, at the end, everything got tied together.