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The year’s best Fantasy and Horrror 2006 19th annual collection

Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant

6.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

The legendary anthology is back, with witches and warlocks, fairy rings and gothic tales. "The...

Jamie (131 KP) rated The Grave Tender in Books

Jul 30, 2017

The Grave Tender

Eliza Maxwell | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

9.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

An honest story about domestic abuse (0 more)

Mild plot holes (0 more)

A haunting southern gothic

The Grave Tender is a haunting and beautifully woven southern gothic about a broken family and the love that binds them together. The story starts slow as the story introduces Hadley, her friends, family, and their small town which on the surface seems idyllic. It’s the sort of town where everyone knows each other over generations, but the smiling town hides many secrets.

What I loved most about this book was how it dealt with matters of appearance. It’s easy to point fingers and blame those that look the most guilty, who are the most eccentric. It’s the folly of letting appearances dictate our perception of the people around us. Evil is committed every day by seemingly normal people, and true monsters masquerade under the guise of banality.

The book deals with some of the most horrible situations a person can go through with extreme delicacy. Not everyone has a happy ending, sometimes there are crimes that go unpunished, sometimes victims never receive justice, some wounds heal but many more never do. I cried so much while reading this book because of how close to home it hit for me, I was honestly touched.

I can’t say much more about the book because it’s really the sort of story that needs to be experienced without spoilers. I will however note that the content in this book is difficult to stomach. For a survivor of abuse it can be either cathartic or utterly horrifying, which is why I’ve added a trigger warning in the list of warnings below. I cautiously recommend this book for those ready for a poignant and unflinchingly honest exploration of domestic abuse.

Kudos

Frankenstein: Or, the Modern Prometheus

Mary Shelley and Maurice Hindle

8.0 (2 Ratings) Rate It

Book

A terrifying vision of scientific progress without moral limits, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein leads...

Plain Bad Heroines

Emily M. Danforth

7.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

‘Brimming from start to finish with sly humour and gothic mischief’ SARAH WATERS ...

Kaileb Bryant (3 KP) rated Jane Eyre in Books

Jun 11, 2019

Jane Eyre

Charlotte Brontë, Stevie Davies | 2006 | Fiction & Poetry

8.2

(58 Ratings)

Book Rating

Interesting plot development (1 more)

Quirky and complex characters

Questionable ending (some may argue) (0 more)

Phenomenal read

If you are searching for a book you can forever return to as a firm favourite, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is that book. This is the kind of read which asks you questions, and you ask them back. With each read you learn something new, uncover something further, connect with a different character.

When reading, it is interesting to pay attention and watch out for references of fire and ice - this can add layers to your understanding and add a depth of interest.

Also, watch out for gothic tropes such a doubles, and see how these add to the plot.

Overall a fantastic read, though the ending may seem anti-climatic to some, I personally find it charming.

Enjoy this Victorian novel!

Kudos

Milleen (47 KP) rated Birdcage Walk in Books

Nov 14, 2018 (Updated Nov 14, 2018)

Birdcage Walk

Helen Dunmore | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

This period drama has a dark, gothic uneasiness to it, but the tightly drawn characters, descriptive backdrop and DunmoreÕs powerful prose keep you reading. Lizzie Fawkes has been raised by a feisty mother, Julia an early advocate of women's rights and her stepfather Augustus who writes rousing political pamphlets. Lizzie has chosen to marry a sober, stoic gentleman, John Diner Tredevant, a property developer who has invested heavily in the construction of a terrace in Bristol and the entire household has moved to the Avon gorge to maintain their supportive, close-knit relationship. As the French Revolution rolls across the Channel, the house full of radicals await news from afar and the disruption echoes through their homes. Secrets and suspicions keep you interested in the story but it's the characters that provide the entertainment and emotional pull.