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morganjanedavis's Reviews (396)
Coming from England, Abitha has been sent off to the New World to marry. Soon after, her husband Edward mysteriously perishes and she is left to tend the farm alone, lest she fall into servitude of her brutish brother in law. Her steadfast ferocity has been cause for chastisement in the past, deemed an unruly characteristic for a Puritan woman. She must forge her own path in a patriarchal society that already has its doubts about her. An unlikely friendship is formed between her and Slewfoot, an otherworldly creature searching for his place in the world. Together, they embark on a journey of self-discovery, they must decide where they stand indefinitely, whilst the consequences are fatal.
All women can see pieces of themselves reflected through Abitha's character, identifying with her is effortless. Her resilience and refusal to settle for anything less than she deserves is inspiring, allowing connections beyond the Puritanical society in which she exists. Though her auspiciousness is supported with Slewfoot's sorcery, he isn't the cause of her good fortune. He opens her eyes to what she is, merely connecting her to her destiny, allowing her to slip into an identity her mother and mother's mother and mother's mother's mother know is theirs.
Religious overtones in fiction normally lose me but, Brom's holistic interpretation of multiple sects left me in an emotional heap. Acknowledgement of Indigenous beliefs that predate English settlers is executed in a manner that shows reverence for the beliefs upheld. Puritan authoritarianism overtly works against Abitha but, she continuously utilizes her connection with nature to (mostly hehe) support the community that vilifies her.
Slew and Abi discovering and sustaining their respective identities together would have easily kept my attention from start to finish. Emotional depth, characters' integrity to their sense of self, and tone throughout Slewfoot are what ultimately left me bewitched. Easily a new top favorite of mine.
All women can see pieces of themselves reflected through Abitha's character, identifying with her is effortless. Her resilience and refusal to settle for anything less than she deserves is inspiring, allowing connections beyond the Puritanical society in which she exists. Though her auspiciousness is supported with Slewfoot's sorcery, he isn't the cause of her good fortune. He opens her eyes to what she is, merely connecting her to her destiny, allowing her to slip into an identity her mother and mother's mother and mother's mother's mother know is theirs.
Religious overtones in fiction normally lose me but, Brom's holistic interpretation of multiple sects left me in an emotional heap. Acknowledgement of Indigenous beliefs that predate English settlers is executed in a manner that shows reverence for the beliefs upheld. Puritan authoritarianism overtly works against Abitha but, she continuously utilizes her connection with nature to (mostly hehe) support the community that vilifies her.
Slew and Abi discovering and sustaining their respective identities together would have easily kept my attention from start to finish. Emotional depth, characters' integrity to their sense of self, and tone throughout Slewfoot are what ultimately left me bewitched. Easily a new top favorite of mine.
A successful architect in a loving relationship, Amanda is doing well for herself. She’s content. Until the tapping, the dreams, the feeling of being watched, all happening all. at. once. It feels like something is up but is it? Every instance is minuscule, a grain of sand in time compared to the rest of her day. But the grains start to accumulate, slowly taking over every moment. Is this the deterioration of a young woman’s mind or something far more sinister?
For such a short book, characterization oozed off the page here. Amanda is relatable, it feels like you know her personally. The regression depicted is claustrophobic, her slide to insanity palpable and heavy. Amanda’s life doesn’t turn on its head. The shift is slow, cool, calculating. The demon inside her is here to stay—why rush things? Her thought processes are alarming due to how realistically they’re depicted. I was able to empathize with the decisions she made, as I would’ve done the same 90% of the time. Come Closer reads almost like a non-fiction text, a peek into someone’s diary.
Highly recommend for a demonic possession presented in a way that isn’t sensationalized.
For such a short book, characterization oozed off the page here. Amanda is relatable, it feels like you know her personally. The regression depicted is claustrophobic, her slide to insanity palpable and heavy. Amanda’s life doesn’t turn on its head. The shift is slow, cool, calculating. The demon inside her is here to stay—why rush things? Her thought processes are alarming due to how realistically they’re depicted. I was able to empathize with the decisions she made, as I would’ve done the same 90% of the time. Come Closer reads almost like a non-fiction text, a peek into someone’s diary.
Highly recommend for a demonic possession presented in a way that isn’t sensationalized.
A dark campus thriller that shoves you down the rabbit hole, leaving you falling through space until the VERY LAST minute. I feel the less you know about this one the better but, the twists and turns this one took left me
Erin’s an enabler. She can’t help it, she’ll do anything for Silas, her larger than life (sometimes) ex. When his addiction drives him to another stint in rehab, he knows who will come to his rescue. After this, Erin has to create a hard boundary, this isn’t healthy. As this revelation hits, Silas’ body is found—he’d overdosed, finally succumbing to his dependency. Erin is guilt ridden and numb. Until she hears about Ghost, a new drug that allegedly allows you to communicate with those who’ve passed on. Erin agrees, looking for any way to alleviate the pain of losing him. Little does she know, what seems to be the cost of closure is only the beginning, leading her down a road turmoil she may not come back from.
While describing Ghost Eaters as a haunting is technically true, this depiction doesn’t accurately portray the title. The characters and themes throughout are so well crafted and explored the haunting takes a back seat, luring the reader in with toxicity and heartbreak alone.
The intricacy of the characters’ relationships, exploration of the ugliest parts of addiction, and the lengths grief drives us to all contain such depth, showing how they work together, using their magnetism to pull the characters into a hell of their own creation.
Chapman is able to convey heavy hitting revelations in a poignant manner, making the gravity of the events hit that much harder. The realistic nature in which the themes are explored is what made this book so enjoyable for me but, the horror elements are stellar as well. The descriptions of jaws unhinging, eyeballs being popped from sockets, and general bloodshed had my horror heart smiling.
I’m done gushin’, wanna get haunted?
While describing Ghost Eaters as a haunting is technically true, this depiction doesn’t accurately portray the title. The characters and themes throughout are so well crafted and explored the haunting takes a back seat, luring the reader in with toxicity and heartbreak alone.
The intricacy of the characters’ relationships, exploration of the ugliest parts of addiction, and the lengths grief drives us to all contain such depth, showing how they work together, using their magnetism to pull the characters into a hell of their own creation.
Chapman is able to convey heavy hitting revelations in a poignant manner, making the gravity of the events hit that much harder. The realistic nature in which the themes are explored is what made this book so enjoyable for me but, the horror elements are stellar as well. The descriptions of jaws unhinging, eyeballs being popped from sockets, and general bloodshed had my horror heart smiling.
I’m done gushin’, wanna get haunted?
Did I understand the tennis lingo? No. Did I enjoy 30-something year old people being described as weathered? No. Were the characters redeemable? Hmmmmmmmmm. The most meh TJR I’ve encountered yet :,((((((
