NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!
Excellent writng, I was immediately engaged from the first page.
I love Charleston and I enjoy reading about Southern architecture with a voodoo beat - some of my favorite books being Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt and The Witching Hour by Anne Rice.

I really liked the story and setting: a young girl moves back with her parents after college, to recover from her best friend's suicide. When they move to Charleston, it turns out the house is way more than just haunted - was Ada and her family destined to live there?

The only reason I would consider rating this book 4 instead of 5 stars is that the language and rather graphic sex and violence may put some people off.
It didn't affect me until about 2/3 of the way through when I was reading on the bus in the morning, there were a few long, drug induced, horrific scences and I had disturbing images of satanic worship and human sacrifice throughout the day at work (!)
However, the caliber of writing redeems this novel - and it has the best ending ever!
Also, the book cover is great, beautifully done.

Evening's Land by Pauline West is the kind of book that you have to read closely and with an open mind as there are plot lines that are very far-fetched and moments in the book where something doesn't quite fit. It was an interesting read due to being mainly about after life after death and questioning that, but I felt like there was too much going on at the same time.

Reeling after her best friend’s suicide, Ada Walker falls under the spell of the collective subconscious, the EVENING’S LAND, searching for Faye’s soul with a rakishly hypnotic ghost named Christopher.

First thing is first: I felt like this book was just too much. Evening's Land is told from so many perspectives which is good in a way because you get to see that character's point of view but I wish the whole book would have just focused on Faye and Ada's perspectives because then we could have seen more of Ada learning to come to focus with her newfound 'gift'.

This is another problem with the book; Ada learnt about her 'gift' way too quickly. She grasped the basics so easily and I was just sat there thinking 'hang on a second, it's going to take longer than three seconds to figure out how to use this power' and then she instantly falls for Christopher... and then someone else... It was just too much. I felt like Ada was a bit lost in her whole sexual feelings and it got a bit boring to keep reading how this person made her feel alive, and then another person would make her feel alive... I just really didn't like her as a character.

However, I did find that this book had a lovely writing style; I loved how much West described the settings, especially Oliver Roamery's house and I loved how she portrayed Faye and Ada's family dynamic as - let's face it - not every family is perfect. I also loved the underlying theme of the whole book: exploring the concept of life after death and the veil in between.



"One does not believe in good without also believing in evil"
- Pauline West, Evening's Land




This book is mainly set in Charleston, South Carolina but I just felt that this book was so problematic. I felt like the depiction of Jupiter's character was slightly racist and how it was the black character that ended up in a bad situation, West also didn't say that 'this is Jupiter, she is black', it was more of that 'milky tea' and 'honey' descriptions. NO. She's black, just say that she is black. Apart from a slightly different sexual experience that Ada is accustomed to and Jupiter, this book has no diversity at all. The characters are all white and they are all heterosexual. I also felt like the whole offering ritual that takes place throughout the book is problematic. There are three Hispanic characters that are rapists and are the ones being killed (why are Hispanics demoted to this role?) and the whole sexual aura of the book itself seemed very much like rape.

Problems aside, I did like the ending for this book as I felt like it wrapped it up nicely with no loose ends.

Evening's Land - for me - wasn't the best read. I found it problematic, I wish that it would have focused on Ada more and her learning about her powers and I wish that there weren't all of these sexual moments; it seemed to just ruin the book in places. All in all, this book wasn't great but it did explore the interesting theory of life after death and limbo and if it's possible to access that world.



Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the author is exchange for an honest review

Disclaimer: this book has trigger warning for depression, self-harm, suicide, rape and sexual abuse



Released 20th February 2017

I was so lucky to be sent an ARC of this by the author in return for a fair and honest review.

Truthfully, my mind is still reeling a bit.

I am very new to NetGalley, ARCs, and the whole web-presence thing. But I'm trying to learn and embrace new things and experiences. This book was definitely one of those things.

Straight up: I requested the book solely on the cover graphic. Seriously - wouldn't you? I can't even remember if I read the blurb before I hit "request" on NetGalley.

And I dove into the book cold. It was just like that: diving into a pool on a sweltering day, realizing too late the water was way deeper than it looked and may not be a pool at all but a pissed-off melted glacier with every intention of not losing its sense of identity.

Neil Gaiman wrote a book of short fiction recently, [book:Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances|22522808]. In his introduction he talks about trigger warnings, something I'd not given any thought to, myself. But I remember thinking, yeah okay, I get it.

This book is a giant trigger warning. It should come with warning labels. It is, in no way, to be construed as light fiction.

For the length of time I read this book, I lived with it. I thought about it. Parts of it became me, and it knew me as well.

I struggled all the way through, wanting to give it 5 stars. Parts of it, beautiful passages, are more than deserving of 5 stars. The thoughts, the ideas behind the story are all ripped-raw, real, gut-cramping, emotion-tearing wonderful.

Pauline asked at the end for thoughts: what the reader thought, characters and what scenes were unforgettable and, so, with that in mind, I will do my best to do as she asked:

1. Upon immediately finishing, my thoughts are: ohmyf*ing hell just happened?!!?!!

2. I loved Ada. I loved Faye. I loved Jupiter. I like Matthew Blue as the quintessentially damaged beautiful bad boy. Everybody else was just creepy as, well, shit. I mean really creepy.

3. I loved many of the scenes, for various differing reasons, but my favorite was probably the one in Early's Bait Shop.

4. The story grabbed me early with that great opening about Roy Northcutt and his Uncle Bake. I was all in after that.

Here's why I'm not going with 5 stars, though it's hurting me not to:

1. Editing. This book needs and deserves SERIOUS love. It needs a serious, devoted editor to clean it up and put it in its best party dress. Like the intoxicating wild girl at the party, this book will make a reader's head spin. Simple flaws in sentence structure, extra words from formatting glitches threw me right out of the ballroom. I was pounding on the door and shouting, "Damn, let me back in!"

2. A lot of people may hate on this book because of the trigger warnings I mentioned earlier. Don't let 'em get you down, girlfriend. This may be one of the most honest, clear-headed expositions on a suicide's mindset as I've ever read. Amazing. People are not prepared for the reality, the brutality, and the frank anger from this "gothic fantasy" of yours. So I say, screw 'em. It's their loss. Your book dredged up some stuff. I had to deal with it. Sign of some damn good fiction, you ask me.

3. The ending. *Spoiler-Free*. But it just. . .stopped. I'm on a South Carolina road somewhere going, "Wtf? No WAY! Get back here and explain yourself! NOW!" And then I get five chapters of "All Babes are Wolves." Now I have to be honest and tell you that I can't read that. I read just enough to confirm what I already suspected: I NEED THAT NOW! I want all of it. Yesterday, please.

Four stars. Waffling. Four point five stars.

Thank you for allowing me on your ride. You have excellent potential. I need more.

A need for an open mind will allow enjoyment of this book. Consider what people think of the afterlife, consider the ability of some people to know that which few others know. Consider how some people have a “sense” for the spirits in the world. Have you heard of someone being possessed? Some well-known movies have been made upon such a premise. Think exorcism. Believing in the paranormal does not mean it exists, or that is doesn’t exist. That is a decision for everyone to arrive at. It is known certain groups engage in ritualistic ceremonies for reasons from religion (Santería) to initiation into secret (I can’t tell you) or not so secret (BPOE) organizations. The setting is largely in Charleston South Carolina, a beautiful and historic city to visit. Ghost stories abound there. With all this in mind it is easy to plunge into the mindset of the story. The author weaves a tale seemingly of fantasies, dreams, both daydreams and night dreams, and a few nightmares blended with a dose of everyday life. To set one’s imaginations to paper in the form of a story requires great skill. While some of this story falls under phantasmagoria much of it falls into “who am I to say different” category. If I to set my musings to paper I would probably be locked up and sedated, or living in splendor on my own Island. Maybe this author is on to something or maybe she just presents herself in style that leaves the reader with compelling case to ponder. Entertaining, thought provoking and all of five stars just on the story’s blending of reality and nonconformity.