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annarose_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
tw: rape, incest, child abuse, religious abuse and trauma, homophobia, pregnancy and abortion and stigma surrounding all of these
a beautiful novel that illustrates how generational trauma impacts the present. haunted by ghosts, banshees and a curse that's threaded all through her family's history, Deena struggles with her family's (read: her very religious father's) views on her coming out as a lesbian, only for her sister Mandy to drop the news of the family curse and then disappear, presumed dead by everyone but Deena. She sets out to find her sister, learning more about her family, past and present, along the way. this is a story of pride, of personal power, and how institutions, societal expectations (and men, lets be honest) will do everything in their own powers to keep us down.
the author's note at the end mentions how some of the religious child abuse in this book is based on real events and real places. i loved this book but please do take care when reading if any of the topics mentioned are triggering 💚
a beautiful novel that illustrates how generational trauma impacts the present. haunted by ghosts, banshees and a curse that's threaded all through her family's history, Deena struggles with her family's (read: her very religious father's) views on her coming out as a lesbian, only for her sister Mandy to drop the news of the family curse and then disappear, presumed dead by everyone but Deena. She sets out to find her sister, learning more about her family, past and present, along the way. this is a story of pride, of personal power, and how institutions, societal expectations (and men, lets be honest) will do everything in their own powers to keep us down.
the author's note at the end mentions how some of the religious child abuse in this book is based on real events and real places. i loved this book but please do take care when reading if any of the topics mentioned are triggering 💚
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Child abuse, Incest, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Pregnancy
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