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crow43's review
4.0
It's been a hot minute since I read Thriller books, but this is much more of a horror book and it is eerily intense!
sarkenobi's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
afictionalhubbard's review
5.0
Jennifer Anne Gordon’s visceral prose transports you to Dagger Island in FROM DAYLIGHT TO MADNESS, weaving a world that juxtaposes the ethereal and the mundane and envelopes the senses in their entirety. From the salt spray of the ocean to the laudanum tea, this haunting tale will leave you breathless.
kaliishacole's review
5.0
**Thank you to Jennifer Gordon for sending me a copy of this book**
This magnificent, unsettling gothic horror novel takes place in a hotel set in Maine where we follow our main character, Isabelle. I loved the storyline where she lost her baby after he was alive for about 3 minutes and because her mother in law and husband both found her behavior odd, they decide to send her to this hotel.
The beginning dragged a little bit at first and I was afraid that I would get a very fulfilling story because I knew it was a very short book, but it definitely all fit and tied together perfectly. I would have loved to see an expansion on the setting, more description, a bit more horror-like scenes. I feel like so much could have been explored, but for pacing it was just the right amount.
In terms of characters, they were so well developed! Isabelle has this unreliable, yet strong-willed personality and there seems to be some questionable mental health going on within her head, but we are told that she is “fine”, but is she really? There is a trigger warning of rape just as a precaution before diving into this story, although it is very mild and not very detailed.
Francis is definitely my favorite character of the novel and I am even more ecstatic to learn that the sequel follows his perspective. An unfaithful priest? Sign me up with that corrupt religious trope! Gothic is such a fun genre and I’m very happy I’ve gotten to experience it more this year. Out of every Gothic novel I read so far this year, this one is my top hands down! Please check this book out!
This magnificent, unsettling gothic horror novel takes place in a hotel set in Maine where we follow our main character, Isabelle. I loved the storyline where she lost her baby after he was alive for about 3 minutes and because her mother in law and husband both found her behavior odd, they decide to send her to this hotel.
The beginning dragged a little bit at first and I was afraid that I would get a very fulfilling story because I knew it was a very short book, but it definitely all fit and tied together perfectly. I would have loved to see an expansion on the setting, more description, a bit more horror-like scenes. I feel like so much could have been explored, but for pacing it was just the right amount.
In terms of characters, they were so well developed! Isabelle has this unreliable, yet strong-willed personality and there seems to be some questionable mental health going on within her head, but we are told that she is “fine”, but is she really? There is a trigger warning of rape just as a precaution before diving into this story, although it is very mild and not very detailed.
Francis is definitely my favorite character of the novel and I am even more ecstatic to learn that the sequel follows his perspective. An unfaithful priest? Sign me up with that corrupt religious trope! Gothic is such a fun genre and I’m very happy I’ve gotten to experience it more this year. Out of every Gothic novel I read so far this year, this one is my top hands down! Please check this book out!
kerasalwaysreading's review
4.0
Isabelle is a woman who gives birth to a child who only lived for minutes before he succumbed to a silent death. Her husband Henry is an oaf of a man, who went from living with his mother, who did everything for him, to living with a wife who did everything for him, therefore he was ill equipped to deal with a wife who is dealing with the complex emotions of birthing a practically stillborn child. When he has had enough of her antics and her self-medicating, he and his mother send her away to a “hotel” which is really just a glorified institution.
At this hotel Isabelle constantly hears the cries of her deceased child, Oscar. These cries haunt her to the point that when she no longer hears them, it bothers her. There, she also meets an array of other individuals "healing" there, like Francis, whom she begins to fall in love with.
But, in this day and age, she is still chattel to her husband, Henry: “Henry’s forgotten object on the shelf.”
When I originally reviewed this book, I was harsh, but I have since had the time to sift through my feelings and put together a better understanding of what I liked and didn’t like about this book. I think what shocked me the most was how grotesque Henry and his mother were in the way they treated Isabelle. Henry sees her as property and literally does what he wants with her, even in a somewhat predatory fashion. It was disturbing to me. But I genuinely liked Isabelle’s character. She was strong in her own way, dealing with an unimaginable grief and being told HOW to feel and how NOT to feel. Also, this book takes place remarkably close to my own hometown and I was definitely drawn into that aspect.
The end of this book was great, but definitely leaves you anticipating the next book in the series. I am eagerly awaiting to see what comes of Isabelle and where life takes her… if it takes her anywhere at all.
Thank you so much to PR Books and Moods for my advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
At this hotel Isabelle constantly hears the cries of her deceased child, Oscar. These cries haunt her to the point that when she no longer hears them, it bothers her. There, she also meets an array of other individuals "healing" there, like Francis, whom she begins to fall in love with.
But, in this day and age, she is still chattel to her husband, Henry: “Henry’s forgotten object on the shelf.”
When I originally reviewed this book, I was harsh, but I have since had the time to sift through my feelings and put together a better understanding of what I liked and didn’t like about this book. I think what shocked me the most was how grotesque Henry and his mother were in the way they treated Isabelle. Henry sees her as property and literally does what he wants with her, even in a somewhat predatory fashion. It was disturbing to me. But I genuinely liked Isabelle’s character. She was strong in her own way, dealing with an unimaginable grief and being told HOW to feel and how NOT to feel. Also, this book takes place remarkably close to my own hometown and I was definitely drawn into that aspect.
The end of this book was great, but definitely leaves you anticipating the next book in the series. I am eagerly awaiting to see what comes of Isabelle and where life takes her… if it takes her anywhere at all.
Thank you so much to PR Books and Moods for my advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
michaelrgoodwin's review
3.0
A Great Gothic Horror Story about Grief
This slow-burn gothic horror story is about Isabelle, a woman who loses her child just minutes after giving birth. The weight and sheer magnitude of this trauma is unfelt by those around her, and she is sent off to an island hotel to recover from her grief.
Gordon does a great job bringing you into the simultaneous pain and numbness the main character feels. To have gone through something so traumatic and damaging and be wholly dismissed is a horrible thing, and I felt that quite vividly through these pages.
I really enjoyed this book. Gordon very quickly sets the mood and tone of despair, with a brief respite to rally your hopes that Isabelle may finally get the break she so badly deserves. The ending is crushing, but anticipated by clever foreshadowing.
This slow-burn gothic horror story is about Isabelle, a woman who loses her child just minutes after giving birth. The weight and sheer magnitude of this trauma is unfelt by those around her, and she is sent off to an island hotel to recover from her grief.
Gordon does a great job bringing you into the simultaneous pain and numbness the main character feels. To have gone through something so traumatic and damaging and be wholly dismissed is a horrible thing, and I felt that quite vividly through these pages.
I really enjoyed this book. Gordon very quickly sets the mood and tone of despair, with a brief respite to rally your hopes that Isabelle may finally get the break she so badly deserves. The ending is crushing, but anticipated by clever foreshadowing.
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