Member Review
Review by
Eva Kelly H, Reviewer
Secrets can be heavy burdens. They can also be deadly.
Lone Women by Victor LaValle is set in 1915 in frontier Montana. Like everyone out here, Adelaide Henry is desperate for a new life. Desperate to let go of the secret she’s been keeping for thirty-one years. She can’t let her guard down for even a moment, lest the locked steamer trunk she lugs with her everywhere come open. And anyone near it meet a bloody end. The land is trying to kill every single one of them, and it’s not the only thing that is.
LaValle does a great job mixing realistic historical fiction, contemporary sensibilities, and a classic monster story. I don’t think of the book as horror. It’s more complex than that. The vibe was just right for my gothic tastes, and the frightening aspects were more “fairy tale” than horror. Perfection. The villains may not even be who you think they are. Or, if you’re at all familiar with the American West, some of them might be exactly who you think they are.
Some of the dialogue didn’t seem entirely believable from a historical perspective. Still, those instances were rare and overshadowed by everything I loved about the book. It’s also possible that I’m completely wrong (I looked up some usage I thought was anachronistic and found that the author had done his research!). These moments, few as they were, and whether I’m correct or not, did pull me out of the story. Even so, I tore through it! The chapters are very brief, making for quick reading. I really hope LaValle writes a sequel. I’d be first in line to find out what happens next.
Read this book if you like historical fiction; horror or fantasy; strong women; diverse characters; and satisfying endings that are exactly what they should be.
Lone Women is a fresh take on a classic monster story. So enjoyable. FIVE STARS!
Thank you, NetGalley and OneWorldBooks, for the review copy. (https://linktr.ee/oneworldbooks)
#Fiction #Horror #LiteraryFiction #Gothic #FairyTale #Monster #Fantasy #HistoricalFiction #LoneWomen #NetGalley #FiveStarReview
Lone Women by Victor LaValle is set in 1915 in frontier Montana. Like everyone out here, Adelaide Henry is desperate for a new life. Desperate to let go of the secret she’s been keeping for thirty-one years. She can’t let her guard down for even a moment, lest the locked steamer trunk she lugs with her everywhere come open. And anyone near it meet a bloody end. The land is trying to kill every single one of them, and it’s not the only thing that is.
LaValle does a great job mixing realistic historical fiction, contemporary sensibilities, and a classic monster story. I don’t think of the book as horror. It’s more complex than that. The vibe was just right for my gothic tastes, and the frightening aspects were more “fairy tale” than horror. Perfection. The villains may not even be who you think they are. Or, if you’re at all familiar with the American West, some of them might be exactly who you think they are.
Some of the dialogue didn’t seem entirely believable from a historical perspective. Still, those instances were rare and overshadowed by everything I loved about the book. It’s also possible that I’m completely wrong (I looked up some usage I thought was anachronistic and found that the author had done his research!). These moments, few as they were, and whether I’m correct or not, did pull me out of the story. Even so, I tore through it! The chapters are very brief, making for quick reading. I really hope LaValle writes a sequel. I’d be first in line to find out what happens next.
Read this book if you like historical fiction; horror or fantasy; strong women; diverse characters; and satisfying endings that are exactly what they should be.
Lone Women is a fresh take on a classic monster story. So enjoyable. FIVE STARS!
Thank you, NetGalley and OneWorldBooks, for the review copy. (https://linktr.ee/oneworldbooks)
#Fiction #Horror #LiteraryFiction #Gothic #FairyTale #Monster #Fantasy #HistoricalFiction #LoneWomen #NetGalley #FiveStarReview
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