Sundial by Catriona Ward | Horror Fiction Review
I read and reviewed this one a little bit ago but forgot to post it here. But it's never too late to discover a new read, right?
Sundial by Catriona Ward
Released March 2022
Source: Received for Review Consideration
Sundial is a new, twisty psychological horror novel from Catriona Ward, internationally bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street.
You can't escape what's in your blood...
All Rob wanted was a normal life. She almost got it, too: a husband, two kids, a nice house in the suburbs. But Rob fears for her oldest daughter, Callie, who collects tiny bones and whispers to imaginary friends. Rob sees a darkness in Callie, one that reminds her too much of the family she left behind. She decides to take Callie back to her childhood home, to Sundial, deep in the Mojave Desert. And there she will have to make a terrible choice.
Callie is worried about her mother. Rob has begun to look at her strangely, and speaks of past secrets. And Callie fears that only one of them will leave Sundial alive…
The mother and daughter embark on a dark, desert journey to the past in the hopes of redeeming their future.
My 2 Cents for Free!
If you like your characters complicated and often unpleasant - mean even, then have I ever found a book for you! I love reading about those types of characters because you know what? When well-done characters who do and say horrible things are never boring and these people won me over with their awfulness. Every time I thought they couldn’t outdo the last terrible thing, they managed to top it, haha. Some of these people are that way due to reasons but others are that way just because and that’s fine too.
This is another book that is the most difficult to review without spoiling things so I’ll be brief. When things start out we are introduced to Rob and Irving. They live in a beautiful neighborhood and have two daughters. One of the daughters is exhibiting some disturbing signs of being troubled, and well, it feels understandable because Rob and Irving absolutely despise each other and don’t even pretend to hide it from the kids. I put the book down after about the first 10% or so and read a wacky paranormal book because their toxic relationship was a lot to handle and I needed a little breathing space. When I picked it up again things started getting weird, conversations sometimes a wee bit confusing and it was then that I was hooked and had to know exactly what the hell was happening. And let me tell ya, I didn’t guess a single thing ahead of time and I LOVE that. I had a few notes with guesses and they were all wrong. Oops, guess I don’t know everything after all!
The reveals were terrifying to me. Horror is a VERY individual thing but these reveals absolutely got under my skin in the most disturbing way - so yeah, this was horror all the way for me.
There are so many little clues that I noted here that on a second read will have me thinking “ahhh, there it is!” but even so I never would’ve figured it out on my own. I love that for me and hope it happens for you to if you choose to read Sundial (psssst be very careful with spoilery reviews because you don’t want it ruined for yourself!)
This is another book that is the most difficult to review without spoiling things so I’ll be brief. When things start out we are introduced to Rob and Irving. They live in a beautiful neighborhood and have two daughters. One of the daughters is exhibiting some disturbing signs of being troubled, and well, it feels understandable because Rob and Irving absolutely despise each other and don’t even pretend to hide it from the kids. I put the book down after about the first 10% or so and read a wacky paranormal book because their toxic relationship was a lot to handle and I needed a little breathing space. When I picked it up again things started getting weird, conversations sometimes a wee bit confusing and it was then that I was hooked and had to know exactly what the hell was happening. And let me tell ya, I didn’t guess a single thing ahead of time and I LOVE that. I had a few notes with guesses and they were all wrong. Oops, guess I don’t know everything after all!
The reveals were terrifying to me. Horror is a VERY individual thing but these reveals absolutely got under my skin in the most disturbing way - so yeah, this was horror all the way for me.
There are so many little clues that I noted here that on a second read will have me thinking “ahhh, there it is!” but even so I never would’ve figured it out on my own. I love that for me and hope it happens for you to if you choose to read Sundial (psssst be very careful with spoilery reviews because you don’t want it ruined for yourself!)
Ohh never seeing where a book is going is exciting. This sounds good.
ReplyDeleteGlad this one turned out to be such a good read for you!
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