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corrint's review
4.0
Three and a half stars.
There was a lot I liked about this book. I'm a sucker for coming-of-age stories, especially ones that delve into different types of spirituality and breaking away from the past, and also for haunted-house tales. I appreciated the inclusiveness and adored the nonbinary character. I became invested in the characters and in the story. I loved the mix of fantasy and horror.
By the time the book reached its climax, I was all in.
But then at the end, some of the depth unraveled. Certain things seemed to come too easily. Others moved too quickly to have the impact they should have. And I felt a certain type of moral tone that seemed to contrast that of the rest of the book and that just didn't sit right.
Overall, though, a pretty enjoyable read.
There was a lot I liked about this book. I'm a sucker for coming-of-age stories, especially ones that delve into different types of spirituality and breaking away from the past, and also for haunted-house tales. I appreciated the inclusiveness and adored the nonbinary character. I became invested in the characters and in the story. I loved the mix of fantasy and horror.
By the time the book reached its climax, I was all in.
But then at the end, some of the depth unraveled. Certain things seemed to come too easily. Others moved too quickly to have the impact they should have. And I felt a certain type of moral tone that seemed to contrast that of the rest of the book and that just didn't sit right.
Overall, though, a pretty enjoyable read.
andreacaro's review
5.0
i'm not even sure where to begin here.
our story starts with vale - short for valentina - who feels stifled by religion, which is a feeling that i can very much empathize with. she's drawn to tarot and the esoteric and runs away from an opportunity to be a leader at church camp to live a more authentic life, spending the summer growing and learning and getting to know her half-sister.
I'M SORRY I HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME WRITING ABOUT BOOKS I LOVE.
valentina stumbles upon an abandoned hotel/asylum/hospital and with it, "clairs" (aka clairvoyents, etc.) that have been told that she was coming.
together, this little rag-tag group seeks to hone their powers and learn the secrets of this marvelous, abandoned structure from the ghosts that haunt it. and each of them has their own reason for being there.
idk. this was atmospheric and lush and i loved every bit of it as i TORE through it. i'm going to go buy gaby's haunted florida series now. this was witchy and vibrant and visceral and spooky. an excellent haunted read for the dog days of summer. and it spoke about religion in a way that meant something to me - how religion has taught us to be afraid, to not as questions, to hate ourselves. idk. this was just magical and wonderful.
our story starts with vale - short for valentina - who feels stifled by religion, which is a feeling that i can very much empathize with. she's drawn to tarot and the esoteric and runs away from an opportunity to be a leader at church camp to live a more authentic life, spending the summer growing and learning and getting to know her half-sister.
I'M SORRY I HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME WRITING ABOUT BOOKS I LOVE.
valentina stumbles upon an abandoned hotel/asylum/hospital and with it, "clairs" (aka clairvoyents, etc.) that have been told that she was coming.
together, this little rag-tag group seeks to hone their powers and learn the secrets of this marvelous, abandoned structure from the ghosts that haunt it. and each of them has their own reason for being there.
idk. this was atmospheric and lush and i loved every bit of it as i TORE through it. i'm going to go buy gaby's haunted florida series now. this was witchy and vibrant and visceral and spooky. an excellent haunted read for the dog days of summer. and it spoke about religion in a way that meant something to me - how religion has taught us to be afraid, to not as questions, to hate ourselves. idk. this was just magical and wonderful.
n0rmann's review
5.0
I loved this so much. A fantastic story, great characters. Gaby Triana is a hell of a writer.
krismoon's review
5.0
Horror written by women just… hits different.
The struggles young women face are unique and yet universally relatable. I immediately felt for Vale, our MC, who is struggling to find herself in a thick fog of Catholicism as she is drawn to alternative forms of spirituality. Confined in a role as a young woman clearly defined by her religion. So many of us feel that in our bones, it’s practically our marrow.
What I may have appreciated most though was how Gaby made every horror we see in the book MEAN SOMETHING. It may just be me, but I sometimes feel that shocking scenes in books, movies, or comic books by men don’t have a deeper meaning behind them. They haven’t dug deep enough to explore the shock value they create. This old witch pulling out her womb? Oh, it’s so scary isn’t it! But what does it mean? Oh she just wanted a child really bad or some half-baked reason. Where Gaby shines is making every ghost, spirit guide, or monster make sense in their own meaning of existence.
The first half of the book did hook me, but the second half of the book was unputdownable.
The struggles young women face are unique and yet universally relatable. I immediately felt for Vale, our MC, who is struggling to find herself in a thick fog of Catholicism as she is drawn to alternative forms of spirituality. Confined in a role as a young woman clearly defined by her religion. So many of us feel that in our bones, it’s practically our marrow.
What I may have appreciated most though was how Gaby made every horror we see in the book MEAN SOMETHING. It may just be me, but I sometimes feel that shocking scenes in books, movies, or comic books by men don’t have a deeper meaning behind them. They haven’t dug deep enough to explore the shock value they create. This old witch pulling out her womb? Oh, it’s so scary isn’t it! But what does it mean? Oh she just wanted a child really bad or some half-baked reason. Where Gaby shines is making every ghost, spirit guide, or monster make sense in their own meaning of existence.
The first half of the book did hook me, but the second half of the book was unputdownable.
thomaswjoyce's review
4.0
Welcome to the Sunlake Springs Resort, a gigantic and abandoned building which has served many purposes throughout its existence, from sanitorium to health spa, hotel to hospital. It has been dogged by many unexplained disasters and unfortunate events, but investors and interested parties still find themselves drawn to this particular area of Florida long-rumoured to have naturally-occurring healing powers.
One person drawn to the resort is 18-year-old Valentina Callejas, a precocious teenager from a strictly catholic Cuban-American household, who is still reeling from the loss of her father and finds herself oppressed by her overtly-religious grandmother and easily-manipulated mother. Having spent all of her life trying to live up to the impossible standards expected by her family, where her grandfather was the leader of their own church, she finds the courage within herself to finally stand up to her domineering grandmother and follow her heart. She drives to the home of a step-sister with whom she has communicated but hasn’t yet met, eager for some space and a welcoming shoulder on which to lean. But, thanks to an adventurous spirit and open mind, she discovers so much more.
Vale, as she is known to her friends, is a character rich in personality and immediately likeable. Most people have felt the pressure to live up to the expectations of a demanding family, to one extent or another. We are instantly sympathetic toward Vale when we see her shipped off to a church retreat she is dreading, not least because of the memory of a despicable act by one of the male members of the church at the last retreat. Surrounded by family and friends who are less interested in how she feels and what she believes in, and more interested in forcing her to be the person they want her to be, we root for her to break free. She longs to broaden her horizons and has already experimented with tarot while feeling drawn to other religions and beliefs. She also alludes to a sixth sense whenever she touches an object or person, the ability to experience visions.
Triana handles the foreshadowing with an expert touch, teasing hints and details about Vale and her abilities, although not fully realising them until the explosive finale. Thanks to the mysteries surrounding her father’s past and his other family, as well as the diverse supporting cast, the reader is fully invested in Vale’s story. Through her spiritual awakening among her new group of friends and what they are trying to achieve, we see that, sometimes, the family we choose is better than the family into which we are born. Crow, Wilky, Mori and Fae are more than simply hippies or free spirits; they are trying to make the world a better place through a ritual, and Vale is the missing piece of their puzzle. But, naturally, she proves to be so much more, and the growing friendship between them all makes for great reading.
The resort is a truly gothic setting, with its large, haunted rooms, and the mysterious group of friends welcoming in the outsider, while keeping some secrets. Triana builds the dread as we accompany Vale on her exploration of the resort and uncover those dark secrets that intertwine the history of Sunlake with tragic events buried in Vale’s family’s past. This isn’t the Florida sought out by tourists; Triana has a special ability to bring rural Florida to life and give it a sinister style both unexpected and refreshing. We follow Vale from a teenager struggling to find her place in the world, to a powerful young woman wielding unimaginable power in the face of a terrifying threat. Triana crafts Vale’s story using all of the abilities she has mastered throughout her previous work and delivers an atmospheric and haunting tale of friendship, family and fate that readers will find equally bewitching and exciting.
One person drawn to the resort is 18-year-old Valentina Callejas, a precocious teenager from a strictly catholic Cuban-American household, who is still reeling from the loss of her father and finds herself oppressed by her overtly-religious grandmother and easily-manipulated mother. Having spent all of her life trying to live up to the impossible standards expected by her family, where her grandfather was the leader of their own church, she finds the courage within herself to finally stand up to her domineering grandmother and follow her heart. She drives to the home of a step-sister with whom she has communicated but hasn’t yet met, eager for some space and a welcoming shoulder on which to lean. But, thanks to an adventurous spirit and open mind, she discovers so much more.
Vale, as she is known to her friends, is a character rich in personality and immediately likeable. Most people have felt the pressure to live up to the expectations of a demanding family, to one extent or another. We are instantly sympathetic toward Vale when we see her shipped off to a church retreat she is dreading, not least because of the memory of a despicable act by one of the male members of the church at the last retreat. Surrounded by family and friends who are less interested in how she feels and what she believes in, and more interested in forcing her to be the person they want her to be, we root for her to break free. She longs to broaden her horizons and has already experimented with tarot while feeling drawn to other religions and beliefs. She also alludes to a sixth sense whenever she touches an object or person, the ability to experience visions.
Triana handles the foreshadowing with an expert touch, teasing hints and details about Vale and her abilities, although not fully realising them until the explosive finale. Thanks to the mysteries surrounding her father’s past and his other family, as well as the diverse supporting cast, the reader is fully invested in Vale’s story. Through her spiritual awakening among her new group of friends and what they are trying to achieve, we see that, sometimes, the family we choose is better than the family into which we are born. Crow, Wilky, Mori and Fae are more than simply hippies or free spirits; they are trying to make the world a better place through a ritual, and Vale is the missing piece of their puzzle. But, naturally, she proves to be so much more, and the growing friendship between them all makes for great reading.
The resort is a truly gothic setting, with its large, haunted rooms, and the mysterious group of friends welcoming in the outsider, while keeping some secrets. Triana builds the dread as we accompany Vale on her exploration of the resort and uncover those dark secrets that intertwine the history of Sunlake with tragic events buried in Vale’s family’s past. This isn’t the Florida sought out by tourists; Triana has a special ability to bring rural Florida to life and give it a sinister style both unexpected and refreshing. We follow Vale from a teenager struggling to find her place in the world, to a powerful young woman wielding unimaginable power in the face of a terrifying threat. Triana crafts Vale’s story using all of the abilities she has mastered throughout her previous work and delivers an atmospheric and haunting tale of friendship, family and fate that readers will find equally bewitching and exciting.
catmar19's review
3.0
What an interesting premise! I loved the gothic atmosphere in this novel. I had a couple of issues with pacing and some of the minor characters, but overall I enjoyed this book.
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