An immersive gothic southern tale painted with rich language and hints of the supernatural.  

 

In the summer of 1956, the cicadas emerge from there long slumber in Providence, Georgia, and the secrets that they kept buried alongside them threaten to upend the whole town.  The book centers around the friendship of young girls.  But it’s so much more than that.  Obsession.  Hatred.  Evil.  Lies.  Oh the lies!

 

This is a story that makes you cringe and while fully captivating. It’s dark and sinister.  Gothic at its best.  And the only thing better than the gothic vibes are the southern ones. 

 

Gwaltney’s writing has a way of drawing you in to small town life in cinematic detail… from the political and societal expectations to the aromas and beauty of the landscape.  The dichotomy between the beauty and the sinister is executed with such precision, you sometimes have to question to which category a scene fits.   

 

This debut dazzles with its dark and dramatic nature.  As you read, you’ll wonder… is it the cicadas or Gwaltney himself that has me under this spell?    

 

Many thanks to @robertgwaltneyjr  and @getredpr for this #gifted copy.