Use caution when recommending this particular celebrity memoir. It should come with a trigger warning, considering its cover-to-cover instances of abuse, neglect, drug use, violence, and trauma.
This dense novel unfortunately lacks cohesion and, for some, might lose its appeal halfway through, despite the immersive depiction of the socio-economic landscape and well-formed characters. Readers new to Enriquez and seeking unsettling gothic horror might pick up her short story collection first.
Deliciously eerie, this may get off to a slow start, but it builds intense momentum and suspense in a spooky setting that is so immersive, readers will not be able to shake that feeling of dread and foreboding long after they’ve closed the book and the curtains, for good measure.
Barnett’s debut is uniquely captivating as a series of ghost stories told within a time-jumping mystery. For fans of thrillers and gothic-meets-modern horror, recommend this to readers of Andrew Michael Hurley, Megan Shepherd, Sarah Waters, and EV Knight.