Sundial
by Catriona Ward
Published: 03/01/2022
Genre: Domestic Thriller/Horror
Pages: 304
Audiobook Narrator: Katherine Fenton

** I was given this E-Arc copy of Sundial by NetGalley & Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review. **

Synopsis: Rob's life is complicated. Stuck in an abusive marriage, all she has are her daughters to hold on to. One evening after a dangerous incident occurs between the two girls, a discovery about Rob's oldest daughter Callie fills Rob with so much horror that she decides to take Callie back to where she, herself, grew up: Sundial. In perspectives that shift from the current day and the events that occurred in Rob's childhood at Sundial, a mystery unfurls that leaves the reader horrified.

Review: I can't sugarcoat this one. I did not enjoy this book. From the exploration of the abusive marriage to the extremely slow plot, I often found myself questioning if I wanted to pick the book back up. I wanted to like this one. I am a huge horror fan and while there were some unsettling points within the story, those points could not make up for how bored I felt. The characters were decent. They were distinguishable but not enjoyable to read. I found the atmosphere to not be very memorable aside from the fact that Sundial was in a desert. The plot was very slow and led to a low level of intrigue for me within this story. The Arrowood chapters confused me and honestly, didn't add much to the story for me. If anything, those chapters kept breaking me out of the main story, The only highlight was the writing, which I did find to be well done. There were numerous times within the story that I highlighted a quote because it was incredibly poignant and powerful. Catriona Ward can definitely write. I just didn't enjoy the plot pacing. For such a short book, it felt incredibly long and hard to get through.

Rob wanted a normal life with a husband and two girls, a home, and a storybook life. But her daughter Callie collects bones and reads about serial killers, and whispers to imaginary friends. Callie worries about her mother, who doesn't understand about the pale things, and starts looking at her strangely. They go deep into the Mojave desert to unlock the past in order to figure out a future.

Rob is sure Irving is cheating on her, so from page one, I didn't like him. It's a consequence of my personal squick about cheating in stories, but the way he's otherwise described at the start doesn't make him look good either. They don't have a healthy relationship, yelling at each other, moments of domestic violence, his drinking, and cheating as Rob strives for ordinary suburbia. On top of that, Callie is the odd child, with a volatile temper and love of the macabre. Then it escalates, setting off the journey to Sundial, the creepy house where Rob grew up.

Like other Catriona Ward books, what we think the story is about really isn't. We get a version of the past that Rob knows, and something about the present that both she and Callie know. We think we know who Pale Callie is compared to Warm Callie as the story progresses, and the truth about Rob and Jack. But buried within the story are other stories, from the ones that Rob writes about Arrowood, the memories she has of her childhood, and the things that Callie sees in her parents. I was dragged into this book, body and soul, and my heart goes out to the characters at the end. The sundial that gave the property and the book its name is a clock that uses people as the signpost to tell time, and it's people that give direction here. I wish them the best of luck going forward; they're going to need it.

Oof - this wasn't for me. I wanted so badly to get to the scary bits that everyone is raving about, but I couldn't get past the shockingly toxic and abusive marriage. It's triggering to me, so I had to DNF. The atmosphere was perfectly creepy, so I'll give it stars for that.

Rob is a woman with a perfect marriage (that is abusive) and two daughters. When one of the daughters displays some startling behavior, Rob takes her to her childhood home in the desert to explain things. What unravels is pulse pounding.
After reading Ward’s previous novel, I had high expectations for this one. And she delivered. This is a story about family dynamics, domestic violence, sisterly love, and what it means to be good or bad. Ward did a beautiful job describing not only the characters but the settings. I was really a fan of the fact that all the dialogue was very believable. And quite honestly nothing seemed ridiculous which is nice. There were at least two “oh shit“ moments that made me continue reading until 3 o’clock in the morning.
Another great one. Highly recommend.
Thank you to TorNightfire and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

With Ward, you think you know what you are getting, but then by the time you get to the end you have no idea what is really going on, and I mean this is the best way possible. Fans of her debut will not at all be disappointed with this. Its written in multiple timelines, which really works for the story that she is telling and I think it is best if you go into this one completely blind, it really gives the story a better effect. Ward is a master of story telling and talking about trauma that people endure in a sensitive and non-exploitive way and I really appreciate that about her writing and her prose. She is an auto-buy author for me for sure after reading this one. I can't recommend it enough.

I know going into a Cartiona Ward book that its going to be super weird and spooky. This one did not disappoint. This was a really unique story. Not what I was expecting, but so good, with a twist ending.

I really enjoyed how the story unravels through past and present, but also how it parallels. I wad sure I had everything figured out and was wholly surprised in a good and disturbing way. Just what I have come to enjoy from Ward.

There really isn't too much that can be said without giving away the story. Go in blind, it's worth it.

“The past always has its hands around your neck.” ~ Sundial

I’m not even sure how to begin this review. Sundial has received so many 5-star reviews, but when I finished reading it, I was relieved. I told my husband I had no one to recommend it to, and in none of my review sites would I be comfortable posting it.

I guess that’s what it boils down to. The author burrows her way beneath you skin with alluring prose and haunting, elusive, unreliable characters. Once she’s set the hooks, she drags you through their horrors, with your eyes pinned open on the page. Psychological trauma, horror, dysfunctional family drama, animal experimentation, with a little desert gothic thrown in.

The book is about a pair of female twins named Rob and Jack. Their upbringing is, well, unusual, raised by unconventional parents on a cult-like compound called Sundial. Their life creeps into the story bit by bit until you begin to accept it. Sort of.

Then the story flips to adult Rob. She is living a traditional life with a house, husband, and family. Except she is denying that her husband is abusive, and her oldest daughter, Callie, is displaying a darkness inside her that’s beginning to manifest through collections of small animal bones in her bedroom. Horrifying actions that remind Rob all to well of secrets buried in her own past and with her own sister.

Running from her past has led Rob directly back to it. She takes Callie and risks one more trip to her childhood home at Sundial, to face her past and save her daughter’s future.

If you read the book, don’t try to figure it out. Just immerse yourself and hold on, as Ward continually flips everything you thought was happening upside down, over and over again. You will forget you’re reading and become part of her horrifying world in this twisty tale.

In case you can’t tell already, be forewarned: There are many triggers in this novel, so I don’t recommend it for the sensitive.

Did I like the book? No, it made me shudder. BUT, as much as I was repulsed, I’m drawn to go back and order two of the author’s earlier books.

That makes me an ambivalent 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 for the superb writing.

*sigh Dearest Sundial, my hopes for you were too high, I see that now. You were always going to be your own book, and you were, but sadly, I couldn't love you as much as Needless Street. I wanted to, and I swear I tried, please believe me
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Love, Reeka
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😅 No, but y'all, I really was enjoying this one for the first quarter or so, when the darkness was still cloaked in mystery, and it's true form loomed larger in my mind than the true size of what it eventually presented itself to be. I also found the author's prose too purple, too frustratingly abstract, which is strange because that's exactly what I loved about NEEDLESS, but it wasn't as successful here
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I'll tell you this though: I adored the characters. And I yearn for what they could have been in this narrative, in this story of inherited malevolence, of a fierce motherly love, and my favourite: a story of dark history repeating itself
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I will still absolutely devour anything Ward puts out in the world though, and I cannot WAIT for the next one!

I officially adore Catriona Ward’s writing. She somehow takes absolute horrific themes and spins them into a fascinating story. Just like Needless Street, Sundial ends up being nothing like what it seems.

Pat read this one first, and as soon as he finished he told me to read it ASAP so we could discuss. This thriller was spun amazingly well. The plot unfolded at the perfect rate. I was never bored, and any time I was a little confused it was all to further the storyline. When the timeline first flashed back to Rob’s childhood at Sundial, I had no idea what was going on with the dogs. Everything becomes clear eventually, so don’t give up!

I listened to part of the book on audio, but I was certainly glad I had a physical copy as well. A few scenes had me thinking “wait, what?” and flipping back to see what I missed…but like I said, it all becomes clear in the end.

There are certainly a whole host of trigger warnings associated with this book, and I will admit that some scenes were almost too much for me. (Dumpster Puppy had me bawling) Proceed with caution.

Callie’s POV was my favorite. She was quirky in such a fascinating way. I loved hearing her internal voice, especially her goofy emoji-speak.

I am endlessly impressed by Catriona Ward’s creativity. I can’t wait to read more stories from her dark, disturbing mind!

Wow. This book really surprised me with how deftly it balanced what could have been really cringey storyline. It surprised me, which thrillers rarely do, and any other writer would have made this heavy-handed. I don’t want to say too much about the plot because the twists and turns are worth discovering on your own, but this was a fun, wild ride. Just as good, if not better, than The Last House on Needless Street.

I am obsessed with Catriona Ward.

After reading The Last House on Needless Street, I knew I was going to pick up everything from Ward. So, when I saw Sundial on NetGalley, I put my request in as soon as possible. I also bought the book on release day. And I’m so happy to have it.

Ward has a way of writing the horrors of mental illness in a very kind way. A lot of previous horror books involving mental illness make the protagonists crazy, dangerous, unable to be cured and must be locked up to protect society. But in Sundial, and also Needless Street, we finally get to see vulnerable people with mental illness. It’s not others who need to be protected. It’s them.

Trauma also comes up in both books and is, I believe, handled with the utmost care. In Sundial, Ward tackles the “nature vs nurture” theory. Rob has two daughters: one frail and one terrifying. After discovering a disturbing hobby, she takes Callie to her childhood home, Sundial. Her father and step-mother (of sorts) raised Rob and twin sister Jack in a research field. They were trying to figure out what made certain dogs bad—specifically MAOA* or commonly called “the murder gene.” They used gene therapy to “correct” the dogs. But is it inherently in their nature, or were they trained this way?

*MAOA makes monoamine oxidase A, which breaks down amines such as serotonin and dopamine which are important for mental health (among other things). A mutation in MAOA could disrupt the natural cycles of the neurotransmitters.

This book has been labeled as both a horror and a thriller, and I agree that it is both. I read the last third of the book holding the book so tight, I had to remind myself to loosen my muscles.

Sundial is shocking and terrifying, but mostly it’s sad. I definitely needed a hug (and maybe a shower) after finishing it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the chance to read an advanced review copy of this book.

CW: domestic/emotional abuse, child abuse, animal death, gaslighting, and self-harm

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Rob does not have a good relationship with her husband. In fact, their relationship is so toxic that I had to take a break from this book only 10% in just to get away from it. The couple have two young daughters. Callie, the oldest, favors her father, while Annie, the youngest, is definitely her mother's favorite.

Rob struggles to understand Callie and her increasingly disturbing behaviors. Unfortunately, the older Callie gets, the more frightening her behaviors become. It even seems that Callie may pose a serious threat to Annie, something Rob cannot stand for.

Rob's husband, Irving, doesn't see the way Callie is. He doesn't understand Rob's concerns, not that she could have expected him to be on her side regardless. Knowing she has to do something before tragedy strikes, Rob steals Callie away and heads back to Sundial, the mysterious property where Rob grew up, deep in the Mojave desert. What her parenting plans are for after that point seem ominous, at best.

After the pair arrives at Sundial, the focus shifts to exposing the history behind the property, about Rob's childhood and the truth of who she really is. Through this, the Reader also learns how Rob's own history could be influencing her current circumstances, as well as her daughter's lives.

I was very intrigued by the past perspective. It was an interesting set-up and like nothing I have read before. I enjoyed the SF-feel of some the activities occurring during Rob's childhood. I do think it is important to note that Rob's parents kept dogs on the property and I don't mean as pets. I was hesitant once I discovered that because I am quite sensitive to any harm coming to animals in books.

I can get past it, as long as it is not too drawn out, or as long as it has a point within the larger narrative more than just shock value. In this story, there's a point. There were a few places I had to skim read, but for the most part, it didn't have too much of an impact on my overall enjoyment level.

There were times that I even wished the entire book was just the past perspective, but on arriving at the end, it became clear why there's two perspectives. I was impressed with how Ward tied it all together, as well as the themes explored by doing so.

The ending was wild and crazy, but I liked it. For the most part, while I wouldn't say I enjoyed this story, as there is literally no joy to be found within these pages, it's definitely intriguing. Ward succeeded in keeping me uncomfortably interested the whole way through. It's the kind of story where you are desperate to know what the heck is going on. I won't claim to understand the points Ward is trying to make here 100%, but I think I have enough of it to be impressed.

Unique from start-to-finish, this is definitely worth a pick-up for Readers with the stomach and mental fortitude to tackle such a story.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I think it is fair to say that I will pick-up whatever Ward throws at us next!

Wowowowow! I've been hesitant to read The Last House on Needless Street for a while now, but something about Sundial had been drawing me in since the moment I saw the cover. I went in mostly blind, and it turned out to be everything I had been hoping for.

Sundial is psychological horror at its finest. The story deals with mother-daughter relationships, sister relationships (including twins!), animal experimentation, and deeply buried secrets. Both narrators are complex and unreliable, and this is the type of story that has you questioning what's real and what's not long after the book has been shut. I don't want to say too much about the plot because finding out if half the fun, but as with all horror you should check the trigger warnings if that is important to you, and be aware that there are some rough scenes involving animals.

Catriona Ward did an amazing job of reminding me of lots of my favorite stories without making Sundial feel too much like any one of them. Some stories that came to mind for me were The Shining, Hereditary, Sharp Objects, and A Head Full of Ghosts. This book got under my skin immediately, and f***ed me up in the most delightful way all throughout.

Some of my favorite things about this book:
-The cover, I mean LOOK AT IT
-The writing is beautifully addicting
-Spooky setting, spooky atmosphere, A++
-The characters were so complex and unpredictable! On one page I loved them, on the next I would be disgusted
-The juxtaposition of horror and sci-fi elements is just.... *chef's kiss*
-The way it makes you question whether or not something paranormal is at play the whole time
-The explorations of mother-daughter and sister relationships
-How much it leaves you with. It's been days and I can't stop thinking about this book. I want everyone in my life to read it so we can discuss the ending and compare theories. I know this book won't be for everyone, but it was absolutely and undoubtedly for me. I think this book would be a great choice for anyone who loves the "unhinged woman questioning reality" brand of lit fic.

My only complaints:
-Callie speaking emojis is annoying as hell. (Thankfully it isn't an overwhelming amount.)
-Were the Arrowood chapters really necessary? I kept expecting to get something out of them but I felt they only added to my confusion while reading. I can't help but wonder why these weren't cut out in editing. Maybe it would make more sense on a reread.
-Irving is just so despicable, I had a hard time believing why Rob ever liked him, even for a moment.
-I liked the ending, but let me just say... that final twist? At the very end? This is the last time I will accept it. The first time I ever read a twist like that I was BLOWN AWAY but it is becoming commonplace now and I think if I encounter it in one more story I may just have to roll my eyes.

Obviously, none of those things bothered me enough to knock this down from 5 stars. It was just THAT good.

Thank you so much to Net Galley & Tor Nightfire for the arc! This was the first arc I've ever been approved for and it is by far my favorite book of the year so far.

Happy pub day to Sundial by @catward66! Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher @tornightfire for the digital ARC.

This book shook me. I have continued to think about this book for weeks after finishing it.

The story starts out with Rob and her daughter Callie. Rob is concerned about some dark behaviors in her daughter and they set off to Sundial, the home she grew up at with her twin sister in the Mojave Desert. Sundial has many ghosts and Rob knows that she will have to face them before she can help her daughter.

Rob begins to reveal the trials and tribulations from her childhood which shape the rest of the book. I don't want to give too much away here, but Ward does an excellent job discussing the messy topics of emotional violence, dysfunctional relationships, and inter-relational power struggles among others.

I started the book thinking it would be about one thing and soon found out it was about SO MANY MORE.

To me this is the very definition of what a psychological horror book should feel like. I absolutely loved and was terrified by this book. It has pretty much all the trigger warnings so definitely check those out before reading.

🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖/5

I loved this book so much I chose The Last House on Needless Street to read for book club this month because clearly I need MORE from @catward66 IMMEDIATELY.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book!
I have yet to read the Last House on Needless Street, and this book dampened my desire to pick that book up. Let me explain:
Trigger Warnings: Domestic Abuse and Animal Testing

Characters: The characters were all over the place. The last second (and I do mean last second) twist at the end with one of the characters was unnecessary and went nowhere because the book ended soon after. What was the point of having that twist? To make it more horrible? It just didn't do anything for me. The characters were changed so much all of the time that it gave me whiplash. One second they'll say, 'No I won't go.' Then the next second they're willingly going. The past characters were more interesting than the present characters, and that is probably because they were more fleshed out.

Atmosphere: Sundial is such a cool place, and I wanted more of what was outside of the farm. This was the book's biggest strength in my opinion

Writing: Callie's dialogue was cringey. She'll just randomly say "Sad Face" or "Screaming Face" and that just took me out of the story. It definitely sounded like an adult trying to be 'cool'. There was one or two chapters set in the future, and they made no sense. They added absolutely nothing to the story.

Plot: I still don't fully understand what the plan was for the present storyline, but I really really enjoyed the past storyline. The story just ended suddenly, and I wish there was one more chapter in there.

Intrigue: I was intrigued by the past storyline, and I feel like that came through on the intrigue.

Logic: I was completely lost at the end of the story. I don't think the last minute character twist was very logical. It wasn't explained to make it logical.

Enjoyment; Enjoyment took a hit because I really didn't like Irving the husband. I didn't love the present storyline, and the ending was very sudden. 3 stars for the past storyline.

Catriona Ward has become a must-buy for me. Her writing is transportive and I feel like my brain is being restructured to fit the mood of the book. The pacing of Sundial is perfect and I can't wait to recommend it to library patrons and friends.

Ok, I seriously LOVED this book. I loved Needless Street so this book had big shoes to fill, and boy did it exceed my expectations. This felt like so many things wrapped into one book and I could not get enough. I loved that it went back and forth between not only Rob and Callie's POV, but also the past and present. I found Rob to be so unlikeable through the first half or so of the book, but once we started to really dig into her past I felt I could understand her a little bit better. There were some parts that you had to suspend reality on, but honestly I was so engrossed in the book it wasn't that hard for me to do. I also loved, loved, loved all of the plot twists. I read a lot of thrillers so I pride myself on being able to figure them out, but I had NO CLUE on almost every single one. Ward can write, and I really can't wait to see what she does in the future.

I only finished a small portion of this book but what I read was great! I would say I read 25%. What I did read, I loved. I think this would be well recommended to people who can like and stomach such a novel.

However, it did have too many trigger factors to me so I was unable to finish. Caitriona Ward is a force to be reckoned with!

I’ve been waiting to post the review, because honestly I’m not sure what to make of this. I can’t really say if it was good or not. The majority of the book just gave off an uncomfortable feeling. I also felt like there was not a stable character in this book, which I guess is kind of the point. There were some areas throughout that just felt weighed down with needless information. The ending was kind of a WTF moment. It was a weird read.

💉 B O O K • R E V I E W 💉
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Title: Sundial
Author: Catriona Ward
Rating: 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Swipe for synopsis.
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I absolutely loved The Last House On Needless Street, so when the ARC of Sundial became available to me on Netgalley I was super stoked, I couldn’t wait to read it. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this one like The Last House On Needless Street. It was good, but Needless Street was far more superior.
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As per Catriona Wards usual - this was a very different kind of story, and she writes so beautifully that her stories really come to life from the pages.. I was super interested in the multiple points of view of Rob in the past, Rob in the present and Callie. There was also an “Arrowood” series part (a book within a book), which I didn’t see any point of at all (I honestly wish this part was left out). I thoroughly enjoyed the comments from Pale Callie and Dumpster Puppy, and was intrigued by the oddness of it all.
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This one just felt way too long and drug out for me. I felt like there were parts that really lagged and couldn’t keep my attention, and then there were parts I was flying through because I needed to know more. I feel like if this story was shorter I definitely would have been happier with it.
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I enjoyed how everything came together and the story ultimately ended, and the concept was really interesting to read about; however this one didn’t have that jaw dropping moment of realization that left me in a book hangover for months on end that I was waiting for. It was good, but not great. Would I read it again? No, probably not. Ive seen a ton of mixed reviews on this one, and I fall somewhere in the middle. Sundial is out now!
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Huge thank you to @net for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
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Do you like to read books that have mixed reviews?
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#netgalleyarcs #sundial #twistedthriller #astorywithinastory #thepastmeetsthepresent #notmyfavoriteread #marcharcreview