I could tell right away this story was going to be a 5 star read for me, and Hogarth totally sticks the landing (even elicits some tears from yours truly!) Dang, that story moved me! I’m always enraptured by Ainslie Hogarth’s character writing— they feel like people I know and understand. Not sure what that says about me, but it speaks volumes of her ability to communicate motivations and emotions deeply and realistically. Each character has a fully fleshed-out psychological profile and I buy it..I buy it so much! These characters act as trusted tour guides to lead us through whatever fresh hell our author has dreamed up. They also act as anchors to keep us there, fully immersed in the discomfort of any one flawed human’s journey. It’s amazing what trap you’ll willingly walk into when you trust the person leading you there. The writing here reminded me of early Chuck Palahnuik in a way—specifically Haunted, an all-time favorite of mine.
I appreciate the way our author puts words to the experience of deep loss, and it’s cathartic to nod along to something so inexpressible. Hogarth knows what it feels like, and knows how to make us feel it, too. This latest endeavor has officially cemented her as an “instant read” author for me.

5/5 - I have read 158 books so far this year and this is my 6th 5 star read.

I enjoyed Motherthing (4/5) by the same author, but Strange Harm completely blew it out of the water:

I loved how this book was structured, each section a different POV contributing a little bit more to the story. The way Hogarth did this was incredibly clever. She started out with one story as the catalyst and began a loosely connected chain. Seeing from the various characters' perspectives not only provided information a reader would otherwise not have, but it denied readers access to the motivations of those whose perspectives were not inhabited at the time. This was highly effective. It kept the sense of uncertainty pervasive on all fronts, especially given that several of the narrators were unreliable. Even the section I found the least compelling served a definitive purpose.

The author has a unique voice, a slightly uncanny way of describing things that made my mental images of scenes visceral, almost tangible. At parts I felt like I could almost eat the text. This was not always pleasant given some of the content, LMAO, but her writing was fantastic.

The reading experience was propulsive. It came in waves - during my initial readthrough I kept hitting swells where I literally could not tear my eyes away as I sped through the text, then things calmed for a bit before hitting another swell, and so on. It's been a while since I felt so glued to the page.

Everything was tightly plotted, but the details were revealed piecemeal. I was not certain which were most important to focus on until the end. After I finished reading, I skimmed through carefully and it was all there - every hint and clue. Not every question is answered - it does not need to be - but there are no loose ends. The book basically invites rereading to catch anything that might have been missed the first time. It's a very different book, but I remember feeling similarly impressed when I read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - there are a lot of layers to keep track of, and the author presents them brilliantly.

Hogarth also did her research. I have some familiarity with certain subjects that were discussed and she got them exactly right - whether it was stating a historical fact or showing how something works. I can't go into details because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but her research was meticulous. I'm nitpicky about that, so it's something I appreciate.

I can't go into anything else I loved about this book without revealing too much - just read it! It's much more interesting than the blurb might lead you to believe.

Usually, when I rate something 5 stars it's instant and unquestionable. For this one, I wasn't certain until I went back and reread some parts to get the full scope of what the author accomplished - and then the more I thought about it, the more I loved it. So I'm not JUST going to highly recommend this, but I'm also going to recommend that you read it twice. I've already preordered a physical copy so I can have it on my shelves, which is probably the biggest compliment I can give a book.

About a third of the way through, with multiple POV shifts, I was starting to wonder if this book was really for me. Then one of the sections really takes a turn for the bizarre, and I was hooked, and glad for finishing the novel.

I think this novel will reward a reread, looking for threads that seem inconsequential in earlier sections.

The novel’s ending floored me in the best way. Hogarth really stuck the landing.