Through our four POV characters, we get to explore the complex relationships between island women: sisters, mothers, friends, lovers. There is something dark happening on the island. Magic? A curse? Flipping from past to present, we start to pick it apart.

The premise was so intriguing, I was drawn in. The prose started out gauzy and poetic, and I wanted to know more.

It was so disappointing for me that this book never picks up. It starts off slow, and I was a little bored, but I thought it would get better. Surely everything was building toward something? Not really. Any “set up” felt discarded, and new things were popping up through the 95% mark. It felt pretty lazy.

Were there answers? Yes, but not good ones.

The story isn’t really about what’s wrong with the family, with the island. It’s about the women. And considering one of them is written to be hated, that was hard. She was awful to read, and I could have done without her entirely.

I rather wish BB had actually died.

I do think fans of softer horror - less scary, more ominous - with less interest in the plot and more interest in intra-character drama and vibes might enjoy this. But it wasn’t for me. 

Also - someone else mentioned it, but the dog does die.