Thank you to @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio for these #gifted copies. 

 

Disturbingly dark and twisted.  Look no further for a horrifyingly traumatic spooky season read.  This is the stuff of nightmares.

 

I’ve come to expect Ward’s books to be masterfully convoluted and steeped in confusion.  A mind bending journey through the ominous, if you will.  

 

And this one is no different but to the point that I’m not sure if it was brilliantly executed or total madness and chaos.  

 

Set on an isle off the coast of Scotland, this sinister tale of family and abuse wreaks of true horror.  Told through multiple pov, none of which were particularly likeable, I was never quite sure if any could be trusted.  

 

While the atmosphere is strong and the writing is intricately detailed, the content is hard to swallow.  Violence.  Religion.  Domination.  Not only is it the stuff of true terror, it actually gave me nightmares.  

 

So why did I continue on?  Because as dark as it was, it was also compelling.  I couldn’t look away.  I needed to know.   

 

I can’t say that I’m sure I feel any more clear after finishing this one.  But the amount of time I’ve spent thinking “WHAT did I just read?!” tells me that it was a worthy journey anyway.    

 

I think it’s fair to note that though this book is a new release in the US, it was actually written prior to The House on Needless Street or Sundial.  In my assessment, Ward’s writing only gets stronger with time (Sundial is my favorite of hers.), and I’ll be the first to grab her next release.  

 

Shout out to @thats.one.for.the.books and @bookmarked.by.becky

I always enjoy our discussions, but I don’t think I could’ve managed this book without them!   Trust me, you’ll want to read this one with a friend(s).  

 

I partnered the physical and audio copies of this book, and it created a complete experience.  With such a complex story, I found the print version necessary for annotation.  But the narration by Carolyn Bonnyman was so nuanced and well executed that it shouldn’t be missed.