Comparing this to the Addam’s Family was pretty spot on. It reminds me of the one where Fester comes home but that is just about where the similarities end. This is definitely a weird and frustrating novel. I personally enjoyed the heck out of it but can see where others may not get the same enjoyment that I did.
Szabo puts you into the perspective of Eleanor as she returns home after running away from boarding school. She fears her family and their strangeness after being sent away for so long. But why was she sent away? Why does her family fear her when they are the more obvious monsters? The dark and dangerous air that clings to the plot line kept me hooked. The secrets make you want to know what is going on and what everyone is hiding. Not knowing which shifter family member would embrace their animal instinct and go in for the kill. The constant debate on who or what the odd, spider-fingered gentleman in the household is. Let alone what is beneath the cowering surface of the MC. This and the utter craziness of everything wouldn’t let me go.
Eleanor was not a likeable character for me and it stems from the fact she is basically a child being thrust into maintaining and running a household of monstrosities. Her decisions and actions are very juvenile at best and I had mixed feelings that fluctuated between pity and annoyance. It wasn’t just her though. All of the characters act childish and petulant with a sprinkle of cowed. Even through all of the character-driven chaos it is still a family and through the broken, taped together pieces the reader sees this shine through. What I came away with was the sense of finding your inner self and embracing who you are no matter how different you may be. Sometimes you can only find acceptance within and for some that is where you need to start to bring everything together harmoniously.
This dark and gender-bending novel has a captivating opening, a slow middle and a rushing ending. You’ll want to know the end, the characters will get under your skin in more ways than one and you’ll probably debate the plot direction a few hundred times. It’s kooky, it’s spooky and it’s truly all together ooky but don’t get it twisted this feral family is far from the tame Addam’s.
Thank you to Bookishfirst for the opportunity to win this copy and thank you to Fierce Reads for another page-turning mind bender of a read!
Szabo puts you into the perspective of Eleanor as she returns home after running away from boarding school. She fears her family and their strangeness after being sent away for so long. But why was she sent away? Why does her family fear her when they are the more obvious monsters? The dark and dangerous air that clings to the plot line kept me hooked. The secrets make you want to know what is going on and what everyone is hiding. Not knowing which shifter family member would embrace their animal instinct and go in for the kill. The constant debate on who or what the odd, spider-fingered gentleman in the household is. Let alone what is beneath the cowering surface of the MC. This and the utter craziness of everything wouldn’t let me go.
Eleanor was not a likeable character for me and it stems from the fact she is basically a child being thrust into maintaining and running a household of monstrosities. Her decisions and actions are very juvenile at best and I had mixed feelings that fluctuated between pity and annoyance. It wasn’t just her though. All of the characters act childish and petulant with a sprinkle of cowed. Even through all of the character-driven chaos it is still a family and through the broken, taped together pieces the reader sees this shine through. What I came away with was the sense of finding your inner self and embracing who you are no matter how different you may be. Sometimes you can only find acceptance within and for some that is where you need to start to bring everything together harmoniously.
This dark and gender-bending novel has a captivating opening, a slow middle and a rushing ending. You’ll want to know the end, the characters will get under your skin in more ways than one and you’ll probably debate the plot direction a few hundred times. It’s kooky, it’s spooky and it’s truly all together ooky but don’t get it twisted this feral family is far from the tame Addam’s.
Thank you to Bookishfirst for the opportunity to win this copy and thank you to Fierce Reads for another page-turning mind bender of a read!