The Zarins are an interesting family; a mystery to the town they live in, and also a mystery to Eleanor, their youngest daughter. Eleanor doesn’t fit in with her family; her grandfather, sister, and cousin are werewolves, her mother is a mermaid, and their butler is a vampire. The rest of her family are witches, warlocks, wraiths, etc…so Eleanor was sent away to boarding school to escape them. Or, perhaps, for them to escape her. Eleanor comes home unannounced on a train after a brutal accident at school, only to realize her family already knew she was coming. A tragedy keeps her home, as she struggles to see where she fits in to the family, and then makes a fatal mistake.
I really enjoyed the way the characters were written in this book, because you could tell they were “monsters” but maybe not the usual description of what you might think. I got modern Addams Family vibes, but instead of feeling lots of familial love, it’s almost like the Zarins tolerate each other out of necessity. I was hoping for that feeling of togetherness, but it never came. The way the narrative comes together is a bit disorienting, which I liked, because it adds to the spookiness and the unease. I think this title would be liked by monster movie purists and horror indies alike.
I really enjoyed the way the characters were written in this book, because you could tell they were “monsters” but maybe not the usual description of what you might think. I got modern Addams Family vibes, but instead of feeling lots of familial love, it’s almost like the Zarins tolerate each other out of necessity. I was hoping for that feeling of togetherness, but it never came. The way the narrative comes together is a bit disorienting, which I liked, because it adds to the spookiness and the unease. I think this title would be liked by monster movie purists and horror indies alike.