Emily Carpenter

What is it about books with really bad mothers? I guess it’s because I didn’t have one and I wonder if I could have ended up a normal human being if I didn’t. Some books have equally screwed up daughters, but in this one, Meg is trying. Mostly she succeeds, but her lie detector is obviously in the shop because she pretty much believes everything people tell her. Especially when it comes to her book which she hopes will cast true light on the legacy of her mother, her mother’s famous show more book and the real events that inspired it.

Overall it succeeds. If you read enough of this kind of book, you know that things aren’t what they seem. Everyone is suspect, particularly the people that the writer paints with innocence. The very fact of the Kitten narrative woven into the regular text should be enough of a tip off. Carpenter keeps you guessing though and there are a few surprises in the end. Not enough for total originality, but given the genre it’s hard to do. There are only so many dark and hidden secrets to go around.

This was an audiobook for me and I loved the narrator. If I didn’t know her name I would have guessed it was Patricia Clarkson; her voice is very similar. The cadence and rhythm of her delivery matched Meg pretty well and added to my enjoyment of the story. show less

First, I have to say that this is an impressive debut novel! The blurb intrigued me, though I wasn't quite sure what to expect. What I got was gut-wrenching emotion, complicated characters, a puzzling mystery, and a dash of magical realism.

"Wait for her. For the honeysuckle girl. She’ll find you, I think, but if she doesn’t, you find her."

Set in Alabama, the story centers around Althea, a troubled young woman who's come home to visit her ailing father. It seems that she, too, carries show more the burden of a curse that strikes the women in her family on their 30th birthday. With her 30th birthday just a couple weeks away, Althea is faced with the seemingly impossible task of saving herself. What is her family's dark secret? With just a cigar box full of clues her mother left her, Althea sets out to solve the mystery.

The story alternates between Althea in the present, and her great-grandmother Jinn back in the 1930s. I was easily wrapped up in both of their suspenseful tales, on pins and needles waiting to know their fates. The author knows how to build a suspenseful feeling of dread! Great book, would recommend to anyone. 4.5 stars!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

Don't Let 'Gothic' Scare You Here. I picked this book up on the strength of the publisher, Lake Union. But honestly, the marketing scared me a bit with the emphasis on calling this a 'gothic' book. When I think 'gothic', I think Edgar Allan Poe or perhaps fellow LU book The Companion by Kim Taylor Blakemore - period pieces set in the late 19th/ early 2oth century in old buildings.

This book... wasn't that. Yes, it uses an old-school sanitarium as the place of its beginnings - an orphan show more managed to escape there long ago, and in the present timeline, that orphan's granddaughter is now trying to redeem the building.

But really, the story here is told in dual timelines and features one woman just trying to survive in Great Depression/ WWII era Alabama, while the other woman tries to solve a mystery over the legacy of the first woman in modern day Alabama. In other words, standard-ish dual-timeline women's fiction - and really solidly written story that sucks you right in.

Growing up in the region in modern ish times, I could absolutely see much of this book playing out largely the way it did, the cultural touchpoints were truly spot on in both the period and modern touches.

Ultimately a strong work, and very much recommended. show less

With its haunting cover and intriguing description, "Gothictown" pulled me in from the first page. The author expertly delivers heart-pounding suspense and spine-tingling fear without ever needing to dip into the supernatural.

Imagine this: Billie Hope, tired of the concrete jungle of NYC, is given a jaw-dropping offer—a Victorian home in the charming town of Juliana, Georgia, for a mere $100.00, along with a business grant to kickstart her dream restaurant. It sounds like a fairy tale, show more right? But in a world flipped upside down by a pandemic, who could resist the allure of a fresh start away from the chaos? Billie, her husband Peter, and their daughter eagerly embark on their new adventure, ready to embrace everything this quaint small town offers.

From the moment I entered the story, I was captivated! The history of Julianna unfolds with generations of secrets and eerie whispers. But as the sun sets, the town reveals its true colors—far from the picture-perfect paradise. The family begins to experience unsettling nightmares, and Peter starts to change in disturbing ways, leaving Billie questioning their leap into the unknown.

This was my second read from this talented author, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you to the author and RB Media/Recorded Books for providing an early audiobook copy through NetGalley. The narrator brought the story to life, adding an atmospheric touch that sometimes left me holding my breath.

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