Cover Image: The Cherry Robbers

The Cherry Robbers

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Member Reviews

With an interesting premise, this book was very on the nose with its title The Cherry Robbers and even with the sister's flower names. It's a book that could make of interesting discussion but not one to re-read,

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Sarai Walker wrote a novel that perfectly balances horror and gothic mystery. An enjoyable and thrilling read.

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This book has such a fascinating, unique premise, and I love the Gothic spin. However, the narrative style made it hard for me to stay interested. In short, I was expecting something different. That said, the writing is beautiful and I think there are many, many readers who will love this. It's just not a fit for me right now.

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A mysterious romp through two timelines and the women entangled together in the struggle of self-discovery, and what it means to be truly at home with oneself amidst familial traumas and tragedies — and how they have the power to ripple through generations.

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A twisted tale of family and marriage and possibly a curse, The Cherry Robbers tells the story of six sisters and their impending deaths in such an interesting way. The story centers around a prominent gun making family and while that initially made me skeptical of being bale to see the sisters as sympathetic figures, Walker writes about them in such a dynamic way that the sins of their family is never swept under the rug. The sense of dread and panic in the story is palpable and makes for a page turning read. I really liked the way we follow Iris chronologically through her life and see her voice and perspective change along the way. Although I do think it could have been a little shorter as some sections got a little repetitive, that may have been intentional on the author's part and I generally find most books could lose 25-50 pages and be the better for it. Overall an interesting and entertaining read.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review. I enjoyed the time I spent reading this book but I wouldn’t necessarily read it again. The pacing sometimes felt off and I didn’t always feel connected to the characters.

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In an attempt to clear up my NetGalley ARCs, I recently picked this book up, and read it as a combination of eARC and audiobook. And I'm kind of kicking myself for waiting so long to get to this one.

Sarai Walker has created the story of the Chapel sisters, six women living in a Victorian house with their parents, and some dreadful secrets. As each daughter tries to find a means of escaping their family life, generally through love and marriage, they quickly find that they can't escape the realities of their background. Iris, the second youngest, is able to flee her home, and reinvent herself, only to have all of the secrets and truths find her in her old age.

I am easily drawn in by a good gothic setting, and the Wedding Cake, the name given to the family home, is a perfect example. Many times, I thought of Manderley, and felt many of those vibes throughout. The suspense and tone of the book kept me intrigued, although I feel that it was a bit long and drawn out in some sections. This was a solid companion for a gloomy, rainy weekend of reading. A strong 3.75 stars from me, and a self-reminder to pick up the eARCs sooner.

Many thanks to Mariner Books, Harper and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy, in exchange for my honest review.

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I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

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"The Cherry Robbers" by Sarai Walker presents an interesting and unique premise but falls short of fully realizing its potential. The novel revolves around Sylvia Wren, a renowned artist living in New Mexico, who begins to receive letters from a journalist in Connecticut, inquiring about Iris Chapel, the lone survivor of the Chapel sisters. The Chapel sisters, all named after flowers, met tragic deaths shortly after their marriages, except for Iris, who escaped and became Sylvia Wren.

The book's strengths lie in its vivid and immersive atmosphere, beautiful descriptive writing, and an intimate portrayal of the main character. The setting, including the Victorian house known as "the Wedding Cake," and the gardens, is richly detailed, making the reader feel like they are living in the story. Sarai Walker's writing style creates a sense of closeness with the protagonist, Sylvia, which adds to the overall reading experience.

The Cherry Robbers explores several themes, including societal expectations for women, feminism, the patriarchy, sexuality, mental health, LGBTQIA issues, complex family relationships, and the lingering impact of trauma. Walker has important messages to convey and addresses these themes overtly, making the book thought-provoking.

However, the novel's main drawback is its pacing and the use of symbolism. The symbolism at times overtakes the plot, leading to a slow-burning narrative that could have been more condensed. The foreshadowing of events becomes abundant, impacting the book's suspense and making it feel less thrilling. The lack of a substantial reveal moment may leave some readers feeling unsatisfied.

Despite these pacing issues and a somewhat anticlimactic ending, The Cherry Robbers remains a compelling and impactful read. The novel is best described as gothic historical fiction, with a heavy emphasis on character development and introspection. It offers a glimpse into the eerie world of the Chapel family, known for their firearms legacy, and the curse that plagues their women.

While the book may not provide all the answers or a grand resolution, it succeeds in portraying the complex experiences of its characters within a dark and haunting backdrop. Readers looking for an atmospheric and thought-provoking historical novel with a focus on female experiences and feminist themes will find The Cherry Robbers engaging despite its pacing and narrative shortcomings.

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Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

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I enjoyed this quite a lot. It is categorized as horror, which I wouldn't really call it. Maybe historical, dark magical realism? The book is both dense and moves at quite a fast pace. It has a lot of things to say and takes up a lot of important topics, but it still leaves you with things to interpret for yourself. I would recommend this for fans of Helen Oyeyemi or Toni Morrison.

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The Cherry Robbers" is a delightful tale that effortlessly blends adventure and humor. With its engaging plot and lovable characters, it keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Easy to read, this gem deserves a solid four stars for its genuine charm and delightful storytelling.

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Well, I don't really know how to rate this! I loved the beginning and the premise of this story. It went downhill and was quite a slog for the last third of the book. It could've been edited down quite a bit.

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I waited to long to read this one. Such a wonderful and sad story. A gothic feel with historical fiction as the base. A story of love, heartache, loss and forgiveness.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

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Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the review copy!

“The Cherry Robbers” by Sarai Walker is an interesting and exciting story to read. This book is a combination of a gothic thriller and a historical fiction. So that is interesting! The mixture of these two genres is unique, but works out very well.

The language is beautiful. The pace is good. The writing style is great as well. Everything is on point!

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A captivating story! Not my typical genre but wanted to give it a try since the publishers sent me a widget. Loved the story about the sisters. It was fun seeing all their different talents.

I think it was a bit long and I thought maybe it could have been shorter and less detailed in parts.

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Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this title, but my reading interests have changed. I will not be finishing this book, but look forward to others in the future.

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Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC of this amazing book.

I loved this!!
Creepy gothic thriller meets historical fiction. It's brilliant! Highly recommend it, especially for fans of Shirley Jackson's books.

The book is so beautifully written and still kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I've had an extremely busy few months, but I still always made time to read this book because I just had to know what happened next!

The Cherry Robbers also explores some really interesting feminist themes like female sexuality, societal norms and expectations in the 1950s and the consequences those had on the young women growing up back then. And these also just add to the horror aspects of the story!

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I was sceptical about this one but I am so so glad I picked it up. I was absolutely hooked by the plot and characters from the get go!

In Mexico, 2017, quiet but popular artist Sylvia Wren has been hunted down by a journalist that is after her story, the story she has been running and hiding from for a very long time.
In Connecticut, 1950, we follow Iris Chapel and her five sisters as they navigate the world, men, and love. They have grown up with a 'crazy' mother, who is convinced their house and name is haunted. These six young women, heiresses to a large firearms fortune, soon find out for themselves just how haunted they truly are tragedy strikes as each gets married.

Sarai Walker absolutely pulled this off. I read it in just a couple of sittings, it didn't at all feel like the 400+ page book that it is. I was drawn in by the plot, then the writing, then these young women. I would feel for them so much and come to like them, only to forget what is in store for them!! I liked that there were some quite gruesome deaths, but it did come to feel a little repetitive having to go through to many incidents with all the sisters.

Overall this was so fun and I can't wait to see what interesting concept Walker comes up with next.

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The Cherry Robbers is a book about a family that when the daughters married off or became intimate with a guy, the daughters would die. Everything has been placed in the past until one day a reporter reaches out to the remaining daughter, Iris Chapel. It is then when memories of the past come to light.

I enjoyed this book to the fullest. I was intrigued but haunted. I loved the character development. The author did a great job with the uniqueness of each family member.

Definitely a book I would recommend for anyone who wants an "edge of their seat experience." Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for the eARC in exchange of an honest review.

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