The Return

The Return is a horror debut about a dysfunctional group of four women who struggle to be honest with each other, no matter how high the stakes. Even when one of them goes on a hike and disappears without a trace. Especially when one of them goes on a hike and disappears without a trace.It's an interesting mix of characters. There are no male characters of importance, and all of the women are distinct and flawed. They're inconsistent, often abrasive. Sometimes it verges on unrealistic—who has the energy to maintain friendships that tense? I had a similar gripe with [b:Gone Girl 19288043 Gone Girl Gillian Flynn https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554086139l/19288043.SY75.jpg 13306276], but these dynamics felt more human, at least. More about insecurity than manipulation.But did I like it? I don't really know. It didn't scare me so much as gross me out. There's not really a big twist—what's happening was fairly obvious to me early on, and it was a slow build to a gruesome end. I think the depiction of disordered eating might upset a lot of readers—that's a general content warning.I will say, when I wasn't repulsed, I did like the writing. It was really easy for me to picture what Harrison was describing, to really feel what the characters were. I like rooting for characters that I don't necessarily relate to or always like. There were oddly funny moments. The diversity was explicitly defined but not hamfisted, presented as just a fact of life. I'm too squeamish to guarantee I'd pick up another Harrison horror, but if I have enough time to recover between them I might try. Maybe. It was gross, to me!