Many thanks to my friends at @bookmarked @netgalley and @librofm for the #gifted copies of this book.  

 

A dark, twisty read with cultish vibes and Twilight references. 

 

That’s the kind of synopsis that gets my attention, even more so with Winstead being an author I’ve been excited to try.  

 

But sometimes high anticipation creates a letdown.  

 

Gosh I wanted to love this read.  Outsiders for main characters.  A swampy setting where a skull is found.  An examination of religious zealotry.  This is a story frame I generally find captivating.  Yet something in the execution fell short, never creating that necessary connection for me. 

 

What did work:

👍🏻 dark depiction of a small, southern town

👍🏻 people behaving badly in the name of religion

👍🏻 well placed Twilight references

 

Ultimately, the one-dimensional characters and drawn-out plot stilted the well-executed elements alongside my enjoyment.  And then THAT ENDING.  Ugh.  That ending.   It’s rare that I fully hate an ending.  But this one, I did.  

 

Still, I’ll seek out Winstead’s next book.  I know her writing is wildly loved for a reason.  

 

🎧 Set in Louisiana (read: Lou-see-ann-uh), this book begs an authentic southern drawl.  As I listened, I found myself utterly perplexed that the publisher chose someone with a fake accent.  It’s not just kind-of-fake.  It’s bad-fake!  So, if you’re queuing this one up, my southern roots prohibit me from recommending the audio.  Stick with the print.