I really enjoyed this! Reading through the reviews, I think the primary problem is the marketing. I'm sure the blurb and general advertising got more I really enjoyed this! Reading through the reviews, I think the primary problem is the marketing. I'm sure the blurb and general advertising got more people to read this book, but in the end this is . . . I don't know . . . suspenseful introspective surrealist fiction? It reminds me a little of Aimee Bender's writing, but I actually find this book more poetic and beautiful. If you start reading and enjoy the narration, Molly, and the children-centered storyline, you will like the whole thing. Otherwise, no need to bother. I loved the writing style and the subject matter. I loved the commentary about being a mother to young kids and thought it was so enjoyable to read. (Just reading about Viv made me feel exhausted!)...more
Hmm. This is kind of a mismatched Frankenstein's monster of a novel. I actually really like the writing style and feel that it's almost wasted on the Hmm. This is kind of a mismatched Frankenstein's monster of a novel. I actually really like the writing style and feel that it's almost wasted on the premise and horror aspects.
I like the character study aspects--Elise's backstory and current life situation, Mae as a character, and to some extent Molly is an annoying but still likable character. I don't know if this is intentional, but Julie is extremely unlikable even in her backstory. I think this lessens the impact of the storytelling because Elise and Julia's friendship doesn't seem very special. They just . . . know one another and live together for a bit. There are no events and special characteristics that draw them together. They don't do anything special for one another. It seems like two basic girls who get along because they're from similar backgrounds, in similar circumstances, and it's more a friendship of convenience than anything.
I personally hate the horror aspects. This isn't really a mystery--you pretty much know what's up and what's going on the moment Julie emerges in the flesh. Like other reviewers have mentioned, the inn is described ad nauseam FOR NO REASON. It is such a poor rendition of stunning "haunted house" literature like the absolute masterpiece that is the Haunting of Hill House. Any creepy, confusing hotel with a balcony and thermostat would have sufficed. There was NO REASON to painstakingly describe every detail of the rooms and make it so absurdly obnoxious and unreal.
Further, if you DO have an evil inn AND a first-person narrative from a paranoid main character who makes poor choices, then ADD IN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS THAT MAKE THE HORROR LESS HOKEY!! I don't understand attempting to make this elaborate setting and then not USING it to explain some of the more paranormal aspects, rather than just adding to the atmosphere of creepy scenes. The final scenes would also have come off as a lot less incongruous and unbelievable if more of Elise's paranoia and blurred lines between herself and Julie was expanded on and used as part of the horror aspect. You see the monster too much and too clearly, in broad daylight, sitting on a plush couch and telling you every detail, rather than leaving it murky and shadowy, uncertain between imagination and reality....more
Horrible. This is a quick read that reminds me a lot of two other books I also heavily disliked: Blood and Salt meets The Roanoke Girls.
I have no ideaHorrible. This is a quick read that reminds me a lot of two other books I also heavily disliked: Blood and Salt meets The Roanoke Girls.
I have no idea where the positive reviews for this come from.
It is IMPOSSIBLE to connect with any of the characters. You don't know anything about them, no background, no sense of personality or character. What do any of them like to eat? Favorite seasons? Look for in a person?
The plot is also ridiculous. Even the "normal" parts--Margot showing up and befriending Tess and Eli literally in a page. The police interactions are also ridiculous. Asking her to interrogate her grandma? Showing her the super creepy morgue corpse?? Not to mention the supernatural/horror element making no sense and being completely unbelievable. (And why wouldn't the grandma just burn everything if it solves all problems and leaves no trace? And WON'T Margot get pregnant the same way her mom did, and doesn't this heavily disturb her?) The writing is awful. "Oh yeah! And then I remembered that the notes that were next to the corpse the officer showed me for no reason also had a heart on the opposite side of its body!" Like . . . what??? Not only is that fact interjected so stupidly, but I have read horror, and the level of suspension of disbelief asked for in this book is insane.
Honestly the whole horror element just comes off bizarre because there is no mood or tone set by the writing. The scariest scene isn't even described, it just cuts to black and then Margot SAYS what happened to her. And then proceeds to take a few minutes to dig up a bunch of stuff in a giant field.
The story and storytelling are very bad. I feel like this book is a weird gimmick I guess some people really enjoy....more
I don't know why possession books appeal to me. I think it is the opportunity for literary metaphors--slavery, pregnancy, autonomy, patriarchy. And I I don't know why possession books appeal to me. I think it is the opportunity for literary metaphors--slavery, pregnancy, autonomy, patriarchy. And I think that's where my opinion on this work is skewed. It is well-written and well-paced. I finished it in one sitting, and it's novella-ish, but I didn't feel it was too short. I just don't get what the underlying messages are supposed to be. I'm all for them being ambiguous, but is it commentary on romantic relationships, having a child, carnal urges within civilization? It's interesting to wonder about whether the demon is real, or whether Amanda has a mental illness. I enjoyed the themes about Adam rejecting Naavah, the idea that she lures men as they dream and "impregnates herself," but . . . I would have liked more commentary on that. There seems to be a patriarchal undertone that isn't quite fleshed out fully enough for me....more
The start of this book was written very well, and the premise was gripping, but the entire story didn't go anywhere from there.
I'm left wondering whatThe start of this book was written very well, and the premise was gripping, but the entire story didn't go anywhere from there.
I'm left wondering what the purpose of this book is? I guess grotesque coming of age is a nice niche that needed to be filled? But even then, at the end of the book Maren mentions reading Anne Rice, and I have to say, Interview with the Vampire deals a lot with the same moral questions and situations, but in such a more beautiful and well-written way! So then what is the point of this book? The characters aren't likable or believable. Their justifications are never explained or talked about in a more than surface level way. What motivates Sully?? What is even medically going on with the dad? I also felt like the premise of Maren eating anyone who grows fond of her fell apart, considering she ate some people who were marginally fond of her and not others her were clearly very fond of her.
I'm also not thrilled with how the author handled the eating aspect. She left out almost every detail of it, and I wonder if it's because she didn't want to go into it herself, rather than for any literary purpose. Also I understand that there's some level of surrealism, especially with children physically being able to eat human bones, but . . . can we talk about the physics of it? How does a child eat over 80,000 calories in one sitting within at most a few hours?
The writing style definitely takes a nose dive, and the story never goes anywhere. As other reviewers mention, part of the meaning of the book is the author's urging for humans not to eat meat, and like all the others I don't see anywhere that this comes out in the story?? I don't know . . . I think if other characters had been fleshed out more and the setting had anything except an extreme vagueness it would have been more enjoyable. I also feel the author should have gone all-in on the gore aspect given the premise....more
I don't know if Liggett was under a lot of pressure to write another book, if she had some other person who vaguely has a grasp oWhat did I just read?
I don't know if Liggett was under a lot of pressure to write another book, if she had some other person who vaguely has a grasp of writing write this for her, or what happened, but this book is ridiculous.
Blood and Salt was vaguely passable, but this reads as a fanfiction sequel where everyone is rich, famous, and two-dimensional. BS was spooky and scary, whereas this book is just gore-rific and disturbing.
Dane is still unquestionably in love with Ashlyn for absolutely no reason, and even at the end of the book there is no sense of anything about Dane's personality, background, or even literally who he is and which actions/words were even his.
The parts where Dane/Coronado choose Ashlyn's clothes and volunteer to go lingerie shopping with her are cringeworthy at best, disturbing at worst.
None of the characters have any personalities, and the few endearing personalities from the first book, such as Rhy's, are erased.
Everything seems hobbled together and random, such as the Twilight-series-esque council of immortals and the bad-haunted-house-horror-movie-remake ending.
What happened to that original immortal in New Mexico who was built up as a huge plot point but was never mentioned again?
I have so many questions.
I really don't know where to even begin to talk about this book.
It's weird. It's poorly written. All the characters are unlikable and have no depth. Beth eats nothing but sugar, and there's a lot of gore....more
This was indeed . . . different. I read some of the other reviews while mid-way through and almost put the book away. The characters aren't very well-This was indeed . . . different. I read some of the other reviews while mid-way through and almost put the book away. The characters aren't very well-rounded or believable, and it's super annoying that everyone is super gorgeous (despite being horribly inbred?).
I'm glad that I stuck with it as the book ended up being very entertaining for me, and I enjoyed the plot development a lot more than I thought I would. I'm not a fan of horror so am not super immersed in the genre, but I did think the book was creepy and frightening throughout, not just at the start. The only similar work I've read is In the Shadow of the Blackbirds, and while that one was written much better and overall enjoyed a lot more, I'd say this one is actually a lot scarier.
I wish Dane had been fleshed out a whole lot more, and I did find the insta-love extremely off-putting. I also thought the whole idea of being "all in--blood and salt!!!" as a relationship norm was troublesome, especially in a YA work and am not sure if the end redeemed this.
Honestly this book was fine. The characters were a bit annoying and caricatures, especially Coronado, but I liked the spooky bits and how Katia's history unfolded. Questions:
(view spoiler)[Was Katia killing some of the Larkins? I thought the book said this at one point. In order to feed the corn or something? For example, she fed Thomas to the corn. Is that correct? Or was it just Coronado killing the Larkins Dane sent to him?
Soooo . . . Ash is not a conduit? She is just being haunted by Marie, who wants to help her?
What happened to Alonso's soul? Why wasn't he able to take over Dane's body like the Dark Spirit promised?
Are there gay people in Quivira? Is everyone unquestioningly heterosexual in the Blood and Salt universe? Is this just a part of being an old timey cult? (hide spoiler)]...more
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