Elizabeth Kilcoyne

Emotions and character depth weave together with a touch of the impossible to create a dark and original read.

Laurel is haunted by her mother's legacy and known as the Devil's Daughter by the people in town. Although she's not the most joyfully seen person, she doesn't want to leave her home, either. Giving up college dreams, she returns to that which she knows and loves: tobacco and something nearing taxidermy. Despite her attempts to ignore the situation, she finds herself drawn to a boy, show more she's known a long time and would rather not get attached to. But things get even more complicated when her mother's past truly returns... and this past brings nothing good with it.

This is a very well written novel. The author does a marvelous job at bringing each character to life in an individual way, and letting the reader get to know them. All the while, there are original droplets of plot, twists, characteristics and turns, which give every aspect an unusual twist. Laurel herself is very unusual...not in her mannerisms or logic, but her interests surround two very unusual areas with tobacco and bones. I can't remember a tale which has the heroine diving into these directions. She's also a bit of a misfit thanks to her past, and yet, she's a strong person, who refuses to let others bring her down. There's a lot to root for with Laurel and a lot to get to know.

The tale weaves in odd directions as well, allowing darkness to flow in unexpected directions. Her mother's past and it's secrets set up the perfect atmosphere for a dark and tense tale. But it's not always in the way the reader might expect. The author allows the strange to meld with the shadows to create a very intriguing read.

Despite all of this...and it is well done...this wasn't a book for me. I'm more of an action person and this one runs a bit too slow, especially in the first 20%, for my taste. The plot does move forward, but this tale builds more on the emotional end than on the high tension. But while it isn't my kind of thing, I'd be wrong to say it isn't well done because the writing, scenes, characters and originality are there and will capture readers, who are geared to those type of reads. I received an ARC and found it well done show less

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this as an eGalley from Netgalley to review.

Thoughts: This was a well done story about four young adults (in their 20’s) trying to figure out what to do with their lives after college. They live in a small farming town that makes its living off of growing tobacco. Laurel tried college but ended up back at home helping her uncle at the farm and making/selling jewelry from the bones of dead animals she finds in the woods. Then things get show more weird. Bone monsters are haunting the woods and something evil wants Laurel for some unknown purpose.

The writing style of this book is somewhat dreamy, incredibly descriptive, and a bit ambiguous. It reminds me a lot of Maggie Stievater’s writing style, in fact this book reminded me a lot of her Raven Cycle series but not as elaborate. I loved the description, you really felt like you are in the story with the characters and you can hear, taste, and feel their surroundings. I enjoyed the characters as well, they are complex and have issues of their own. Every single character in this book is well done, intriguing and fun to read about. There is some subtle magic or maybe more of a magical realism feel throughout.

This story is as much about the struggles of these young adults as it is about the monster that haunts the woods. They are all a bit aimless but dream of different things and don’t know how to get there. There are heavy coming-of-age themes here woven in with the strange magic. I really enjoyed the small town setting too.

All in all this was a perfect read for me at the moment. It’s very atmospheric, a bit creepy, but reminded me of lazy summers in my early adulthood…when I didn’t have many responsibilities and I still wasn’t sure exactly where I was going. The story wraps up well and although what happens is a bit ambiguous, the story didn’t feel unfinished or confusing.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a well done book that I enjoyed. The writing style is unique and well done; very dreamy, descriptive, and a bit ambiguous. If you enjoy Steifvater’s writing style I think you will enjoy Kilcoyne as well. This was an excellent debut novel. I really enjoyed the small town setting, the complex characters, the subtle magic, and the dreamy darkly atmospheric feel to the novel. I will definitely be checking out Kilcoyne’s future books. I went into this not knowing what to expect and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would show less

Definitely not your father's Oldsmobile, but an intriguing story with a lot more emotional content than you expect from reading the first couple chapters. The supernatural aspects blend together very well and probably aren't that far from what folks in the rural areas in Kentucky think about when life gets strange and things go bump in the night. There's plenty of dark and gore that might be unsettling for some, but in the end, you have a pretty decent tale with survivors at a point where show more they'll have a future with some hope. show less

"What's a little death to you? You've seen too much already."

This one was odd but I think I liked it. You have Laurel, freshly home from not making it out of her small town. She was the success story and now she's the failure, dropped out of college and back to work the tobacco farm of her family. But she's also back with Ricky, Isaace, and Garrett. This ragtag group of boys that are too close to be friends, but only one doesn't feel like family but might be more. It was interesting to learn show more about her land, her legacy and the people.

But the horrors don't take long to appear. Quickly there are unnatural deaths with a lot of blood but with beyond rotting bones. Nothing makes sense, not the soil, the plants or the bones that Laurel knows so well.

The writing is a bit flowy and showy. It's not bad, just at times it painted a picture I'm not always sure I saw clearly. I loved the boys and learning each interesting personality. It's gruesome at times but dealt with interesting topics with care. I liked this one, even if I was confused a time a or two.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. show less