This tale of a young woman’s feverish grasp for stardom combines familiar classic horror tropes: an all-girls environment, a creepy figure lurking in the darkness, winding corridors that don’t lead anywhere, inexplicable injuries, secrets from the past and a wrathful spirit out for revenge. The madness begins early as two estranged women try to help a third member of their trio—only to fail spectacularly. The story then winds back and forth in time as Sunny Lee attempts to unravel why the sweet Mina committed suicide and why Candie refuses to talk about or acknowledge it.
It’s a horror tale but also one of deep female bonding, past and present. Except for the odd male or two, it’s almost entirely women who fill these pages, in an atmosphere that combines the anxiety of models who must keep to a certain weight and the hardship of tireless practicing you’d expect from ballerinas. Competition is fierce and the winnowing process is even fiercer. But the ones who’re voted off the island are the lucky ones…
The mystery runs deep and the twist is as shocking as it is unexpected. There’s also an aching romance nestled amidst the dread, as fangirl longing gives way to infatuation and finally love. The only jarring note comes at the end when the mystery is revealed through a verbose exposition. It’s nowhere near as long as a Lovecraftian explanation but it does tell rather than show who the real villain is and what’s her motivation.
All in all, this is a genuine workmanlike effort at feminine horror and will appeal to people who crave something a little different in their tales of terror.
It’s a horror tale but also one of deep female bonding, past and present. Except for the odd male or two, it’s almost entirely women who fill these pages, in an atmosphere that combines the anxiety of models who must keep to a certain weight and the hardship of tireless practicing you’d expect from ballerinas. Competition is fierce and the winnowing process is even fiercer. But the ones who’re voted off the island are the lucky ones…
The mystery runs deep and the twist is as shocking as it is unexpected. There’s also an aching romance nestled amidst the dread, as fangirl longing gives way to infatuation and finally love. The only jarring note comes at the end when the mystery is revealed through a verbose exposition. It’s nowhere near as long as a Lovecraftian explanation but it does tell rather than show who the real villain is and what’s her motivation.
All in all, this is a genuine workmanlike effort at feminine horror and will appeal to people who crave something a little different in their tales of terror.