Adeline
4.25 stars
Literary fiction with element of horror and Shakespeare’s King Lear set in dystopian world full of weird cults and never ending rainfalls, it follows three estranged sisters, Isla, Irene and (born from a second marriage) Agnes after the death of their father.
My second book by Julia Armfiled and overall this was a really good reading experience. Like the previous novel I read, her writing is superb, lush and evocative, every sentence carefully crafted and chosen.
I really liked the three main characters and they all came across as compelling and complex, and I especially loved their sapphicness.
I also loved the dystopian setting and the overall feeling of an impeding doom that slips slowly through the page like humidity, the inevitability of it all. Cli(mate)-fiction is a sub genre of dystopia/sci-fi that I tend to like and would love to delve into more.
It felt light on plot I think the whole cult mentioned in the synopsis wasn’t as prevalent as I thought and came too late into the story, so it had less of an impact and felt rushed. I was a bit disappointed because it was a really interesting element that increased the overall horror vibe of the novel. Because of that the pacing felt a bit off too, though I really liked the ending that felt appropriately bittersweet.
Overall,quite a good novel but one that didn’t totally meet my expectations, still I’m looking forward to read more of Julia Armfield’s other books (I’ve got her short stories collection Salt Slow in my physical tbr).
4.25 stars
Literary fiction with element of horror and Shakespeare’s King Lear set in dystopian world full of weird cults and never ending rainfalls, it follows three estranged sisters, Isla, Irene and (born from a second marriage) Agnes after the death of their father.
My second book by Julia Armfiled and overall this was a really good reading experience. Like the previous novel I read, her writing is superb, lush and evocative, every sentence carefully crafted and chosen.
I really liked the three main characters and they all came across as compelling and complex, and I especially loved their sapphicness.
I also loved the dystopian setting and the overall feeling of an impeding doom that slips slowly through the page like humidity, the inevitability of it all. Cli(mate)-fiction is a sub genre of dystopia/sci-fi that I tend to like and would love to delve into more.
It felt light on plot I think the whole cult mentioned in the synopsis wasn’t as prevalent as I thought and came too late into the story, so it had less of an impact and felt rushed. I was a bit disappointed because it was a really interesting element that increased the overall horror vibe of the novel. Because of that the pacing felt a bit off too, though I really liked the ending that felt appropriately bittersweet.
Overall,quite a good novel but one that didn’t totally meet my expectations, still I’m looking forward to read more of Julia Armfield’s other books (I’ve got her short stories collection Salt Slow in my physical tbr).