Tarry This Night

I'm a sucker for stories about cults and oppressive religions and women in these situations, AND retelling of the Lilith story.

Tarry This Night hit all of those buttons, and did so in a terrifyingly bleak, realistic and unblinking way. The truth is, living in a bunker for years with no specified end date and expecting to replenish your population from the same dwindling, starving supply of women is unfeasible and yet people try it or want to try it all the time.

The sense of hopelessness and inevitability is suffused throughout, hitting the women and children differently (but of course not Father Ernst) but equally severely. The fact that they had to resort to cannibalism and fasting is presented and an inevitability and a horrifying show more one.

Ruth, Paul, and Susan were great characters, flawed and strong. Cults prey on the vulnerable and lonely, and Susan fell into that trap, seeking safety and family and belonging. She had it for a short while, but when the matriarchs died, it was too late for her to escape. Ruth and Paul were born into the cult, and while Paul has had a chance to grow with Father Ernst's influence, Ruth has not and struggles with being a good "Christian" and reconciling her desires for freedom and love.

Father Ernst was definitely a villain, but a three-dimensional one, who clearly believed in what he was preaching and his vision for the future. Silas was... interesting, and I wish we knew more about him. show less

I thought this was a very interesting cult fiction with dystopian elements thrown into it. The summary is quite apt: there is a cult with its leader living in an underground bunker waiting out the civil unrest happening above ground, but tensions are high and they are on the brink of starvation. It's the perfect setting for desperation to settle in and for something climactic to happen. I really liked that the story was told from multiple perspectives; it allowed us to understand the main characters better, while also showing us the situation they were in and how being a part of this cult had changed them. There are characters across all ages, each with their own unique experience and viewpoints. This is a gritty story that explores show more many different themes: the divide between blind faith and the ability to make one's own choice, the loss of innocence, the desperation to survive, and the meaning of happiness and freedom. I really enjoyed the story but I just wish it had been longer! A longer story would have given more tension, and would have made me feel more satisfied about the ending. Overall, a really good story that I wish had been longer so that I could have enjoyed it more! 3/5 star rating from me!

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