BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Cat Bride' by Charlotte Tierney

This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions creating the perfect atmosphere for the storyline. The book cover and synopsis works perfectly with the book plot and I am most definitely looking forward to reading the next book, and the previous one in this series.

What an absolutely fantastic debut novel by Charlotte. I had no idea it was actually her debut until I looked for more books by her afterwards and discovered this was her first. If you are a lover of horrors then read no further and grab your copy of this absolutely unique page turner today!! I was not quite what to expect when reading this but I love horrors and am also a huge animal lover (I run Golden Oldies Cat Rescue and Hospice which you can find on social media if you wish) so when I seen that this book was called 'The Cat Bride' AND the fact that it was a horror, well I just had to pick it up! I must admit that I was hoping for a more faster paced storyline as this is more like a slow burner than what I would have expected and unfortunately I did end it with quite a few questions rather than it being as wrapped up as I like books to be. However, I still really enjoyed reading it and am definitely looking forward to seeing what Charlotte comes out with next. It is definitely a one of a kind storyline as I have never come across anything like this before. The fact that it is unique is definitely a bonus as I have read hundreds of books in all sorts of genres and it is getting harder and harder to find something truly unique but this book definitely ticks that box!! I am not going to delve into the actual storyline as the publisher has already done a good job of that in the synopsis so if you want to know more about that then you will just have to grab your copy today. It is ram packed with family, horror, a gothic atmosphere, the supernatural, paranoia, secrets, madness, tension and much more!! This book does discuss/include child abuse and gaslighting so I anted to ensure readers are aware of this before picking this book up as it may affect some more than others. Charlotte makes the readers question if what they are reading are the acts of the supernatural or more of a mind gone mad and I found myself needing to find out the truth. Charlotte does a wonderful job of describing everything in the book so it all leaps out of the pages at you from the characters to the surroundings. The characters are complex, multi-layered and my heart did go out to Lowdy who has not been helped by her Mum and Grandmother's secrets and lies. The book is set over 28 days with each chapter covering a day which I really liked as it helped the reader to really see how long things were going on for. I ended up devouring this book in two sittings and would definitely recommend it to any horror fans.

The descriptions gave a really good in depth view of how Lowdy was feeling and what she was thinking. Each of the characters had their own unique personalities with individual flaws, quirks, secrets, strengths and weaknesses!! I loved getting to know each of them throughout. I don't want to say too much about the characters though and I will leave you to read this book and work them out yourself. Each of the characters were well developed, unique and thanks to Charlotte's fantastic evocative writing skills they all came to life before my eyes. That is all I will say as I don't want to run the risk of dropping any hints or spoilers. However, whether you love or hate these characters, they all have their own strong unique personalities and they all bring the story to life playing their roles perfectly.

Congratulations Charlotte Tierney on a fantastic, dark, unique and horror packed book and here's to your future books!!

Overall an unique and intriguing that will have you questioning yourselves.

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There’s something a little vague like being trapped in a cloud of fog about this book. I can’t put my finger on it but it was difficult for me to focus on the story or characters. The lynx was interesting, to be sure, but I was often frustrated trying to follow the narrative and found myself less captivated and horrified to more…just confused.

A lingering tale full of twists and turns
—
In a new and searing voice, Tierney moulds together coming-of-age, fable and family saga into a lingering tale that twists and turns even as you read sentence by sentence, scene by scene, where nothing is ever quite what you think it is. Sixteen year old Lowdy is being taken back by her mother to the place where she was born, a place she has never visited since, her grandmother’s house and ex-zoo, and home of the mythical tynx, a seeming hybrid between lynx and tiger. The locals aren’t happy with the ex-zoo, blaming the rumoured sighting of the tynx on the Cat Lady, Lowdy’s grandmother. Lowdy’s not happy with her mum for locking her in her tower room at night, not knowing that Lowdy can escape from her third storey windows. Lowdy’s mum isn’t happy to have to look after her aging mother and the uncountable domestic cats. And the tynx? It might not even exist but Lowdy’s game to find out the truth.

Told exclusively from Lowdy’s point of view, she has no handle on the truth of her growing pains, her former illness, her own family. Nothing is revealed explicitly and I thank Tierney for that, creating a space for disbelief and illusion to extend the reach of this cunning novel; cunning in that it creeps up on you, just like the (non-existent?) tynx. The denouement is full of ambiguity and literary magic, and you’ll go back to the beginning, questioning everything all over again.

Four and a half stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Salt Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Charlotte Tierney’s “The Cat Bride” is a strange, atmospheric plunge into gothic horror, where family trauma, madness, and supernatural uncertainty intertwine—and where reality itself seems to blur at the edges. This book may not be for every reader, but those who enjoy unsettling, slow-burning tales where truth is slippery and tension never fully resolves will find much to appreciate.

The story follows 16-year-old Loveday (often called Lowdy) and her mother, Aster, who are forced to return to Aster’s crumbling childhood home after fleeing an unnamed scandal. At the center of their troubled family history is the local legend of the “tynx,” a genetically engineered tiger-lynx hybrid that once escaped from their family’s now-defunct zoo, killing a man before it was supposedly put down. Yet, with Lowdy’s return, sightings of the creature begin again, and the boundaries between myth, memory, and madness quickly erode.

Tierney excels at creating an eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere where every character seems a little off-kilter and nothing can be fully trusted—not memory, not family, and certainly not reality. The book constantly leaves you guessing: is there truly something supernatural at play, or is this the unraveling mind of a traumatized teenager? That ambiguity is both its greatest strength and its potential weakness. If you’re looking for clear answers or neatly tied-up resolutions, you may find yourself frustrated by the book’s open-ended, cyclical storytelling and elusive conclusion.

The pacing is slow, sometimes frustratingly so, especially in the middle where scenes of gaslighting, memory distortion, and paranoia spin out without necessarily building tension. This brooding, meandering quality did help add to the book’s dreamlike, feverish tone even though I personally didn’t particularly enjoy the pacing; I found it difficult to get into this book.

Lowdy herself is a complex, haunting character: fragile yet determined, caught between her mother’s protective lies and her grandmother’s cryptic half-truths. The novel deals with heavy themes—family secrets, the grotesque realities of growing up, child abuse, and the unreliability of memory—while maintaining a weird sense of dark humor and trivia-laden dialogue that occasionally lightens the mood.

Overall, “The Cat Bride” is not a straightforward horror story—it’s a fever-dream meditation on trauma, family curses, and the monstrousness that can live within us as much as outside of us. If you prefer your gothic novels clear-cut and tightly plotted, this may not be the right fit. But if you appreciate a slow, brooding descent into madness and myth, Charlotte Tierney’s novel will leave you haunted and guessing long after you’ve closed the book. Perfect for anyone intrigued by the eerie idea of a cursed zoo—and the monsters we carry with us.

This is such an odd and unique story that I think could easily become as well loved as many other iconic gothic horror novels. It's eerie and dark and deals with shameful and grotesque feelings surrounding growing up and processing family trauma and secrets.

16-year-old Lowdy and her Mumma are forced to move in with her estranged and dying grandmother who is infamous in the town for running a now defunct and at the time very controversial zoo. Mumma left when Lowdy was a baby after Grandma's cross bred Tiger-Lynx ("tynx") creation escaped from its cage and mauled a man. After the incident, the tynx was euthanized but since the return of the two, apparent sightings of the creature have been popping up as it terrorizes the people of the town. Lowdy's mom wants her to have no part in the madness, but Grandma insists that there's more to the story than Mumma is letting on.

This was incredibly well written. I never knew exactly where the story was going in the best way possible. There was so much back and forth of deciding whether this was actual supernatural horror or the psychological distress of a sick and traumatized teen, it felt very open ended. It quickly became one of my favorite modern gothic horrors and I hope to read more from Charlotte Tierney in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a copy of this ARC

Definitely an interesting one. Another new-to-me author. Tierney has crafted a story that will constantly have you constantly wondering if it’s supernatural or simply madness. It’s a slower paced book and probably could lose a bit in the middle as it came to feel a bit redundant.

The Cat Bride follows 16yo Loveday and her mother, Aster. After an incident at their last place of residence the pair is forced to return to Aster’s childhood home where her grandmother still resides. At one point her grandmother kept a zoo full of lynx and a strange creature called a tynx which seemed to be a blend of a lynx and a tiger. The zoo was closed when the tynx managed to escape and kill a man. Loveday is kept on a short leash by her mother, but soon finds ways to explore the area and chaos ensues.

To put it simply, the book is pretty wild. It’s difficult to keep track of the character’s true motivations mostly because each time you turn a page they’re doing something strange. I have a bunch of unanswered questions about this one, and if you like your books wrapped up neatly this probably wouldn’t vibe for you. It’s well written and the characters are incredibly complex/bat shit insane. I enjoyed it and would love to read more work by Tierney. I do wish maybe an epilogue had been written to clear some things up, but I also appreciate a subjective ending. If you like books where you can’t quite figure out if it’s psychosis or something deeper, I’d give this one a go.

This is a weird one. I am not smart so it took me a second to figure out what was going on. It is one of those strange books that makes you think.

The Cat Bride is regarding about what has happened to a zoo that was shut down by a mysterious tiger-lynx hybrid that was put down for being a man eater. Personally for me is not one to really rave about or even recommend to anyone. It’s an enigma of a story, a little slow paced, not really interesting. The story is one that I didn’t really understand or get into it or the gist of it. I couldn’t cypher what the story or characters were about or what they are or even what was happening. The further I read the book the more complex, dull and confusing. The ending was just as bad I actually didn’t understand it at all. The book might be up someone else’s alley but not mine.

60/100 or 3.0 stars

I really tried to like and get into this story, but I just couldn't do it. The writing style was not working for me at all. Stream of consciousness usually is not a problem for me, and sometimes I can really get into stories with narration like that, but this was just not working. I did not connect with our main character or anyone else, and didn't really care enough to read more to figure out what was going on. I got 26% in before I had to give up. The synopsis and few reviews on here made it sound great, but it just didn't work for me.

The Cat Bride by Charlotte Tierney begins with a bloody introduction to our mysterious "tynx" a tiger and lynx hybrid animal that continues to haunt a family long after it should be dead. Lowdy is a teenager growing into herself in spite of a childhood illness. Her mother is wild and secretive. her grandmother is crazy- or is she? Tierney weaves a wonderful tale of mysticism and horror that draws readers in and keeps them guessing what they already know.

This was a surprisingly strange kind of book that played with perception, reality, and the readers' own sense of self along with Lowdy's. At times I was thinking of it as a modern, more feminist take on Banks's THE WASP FACTORY. It has the air of a dream about it, always on the verge of becoming a nightmare, and I absolutely adored that aspect. In short, its the kind of unusual, almost uncategorical book that only works in the hands of a hugely talented author -- and TIerney is clearly that author! Loved it and will be telling people who love unusual perspectives and uniquely powerful voices (like I do!) to check it out.

I really enjoyed this horror novel. It was unique and definitely something new. That's exactly what the horror genre needs. I loved the folklore and mythology in this story. I have always been fascinated with everything about felines. Big and small. I will definitely recommend and buy this novel when it comes out

This has a unique blend of different horror tropes that makes the book pretty original. The horror is not written on my nose and I appreciate that. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rambling and almost stream-of-consciousness tale of cats, finding a new life, discontent, coming of age, and did I mention cats? And maybe a special cat that is more. Sometimes hard to fo.low, but imaginative.

This is one of the most unique horror novels I've ever read! Part mental illness, part supernatural and completely eerie! I loved it and look forward to reading more from this author.

Broody, reflective, atmospheric, felt reminiscent of V. C. Andrews. I have never read a zoo gothic before, so that alone is really interesting. The story might have benefited from a faster pace. There are cycles of gaslighting, memory loss, and child abuse, but they spin out rather than spiral into tension. The story grew tiring and killed the tension. I did like the ending scene a lot, but the story didn't feel over yet. It was also very funny and full of trivia, which I did enjoy.