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A review by mcgbreads
Nowhere by Allison Gunn
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
ARC review; thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the access to this ebook. Pub date: Mar 25, 2025.
"Mare of Easttown meets The Outsider" is GENEROUS, in my opinion. This was okay, but it didn't reach the level of either of those references. Not at all.
There were some really creepy and tense moments here and there, but overall, I can't say this made a huge impression on me. We have a small, backward little town, a family in turmoil for quite a few reasons (mainly the tragic loss of a son), a gruesome murder, kids that went into the woods at night and didn't come back the same, etc. All the makings of a fine horror story.
I liked that this draws from Appalachian folklore because I find Appalachian folklore to be extremely unsettling and creepy, but I gotta say, I've been more scared by TikTok videos about Appalachian folklore than I was by this book. So this didn't really hit the mark for me. I wanted more.
The family drama was also a bit lackluster for me. Maybe it's because I didn't actually care about these characters and their relationship. I could empathize with the loss of their son, but I don't feel like I was made to care about them as people. Overall, this isn't a bad book, it just felt very middle-of-the-road.
"Mare of Easttown meets The Outsider" is GENEROUS, in my opinion. This was okay, but it didn't reach the level of either of those references. Not at all.
There were some really creepy and tense moments here and there, but overall, I can't say this made a huge impression on me. We have a small, backward little town, a family in turmoil for quite a few reasons (mainly the tragic loss of a son), a gruesome murder, kids that went into the woods at night and didn't come back the same, etc. All the makings of a fine horror story.
I liked that this draws from Appalachian folklore because I find Appalachian folklore to be extremely unsettling and creepy, but I gotta say, I've been more scared by TikTok videos about Appalachian folklore than I was by this book. So this didn't really hit the mark for me. I wanted more.
The family drama was also a bit lackluster for me. Maybe it's because I didn't actually care about these characters and their relationship. I could empathize with the loss of their son, but I don't feel like I was made to care about them as people. Overall, this isn't a bad book, it just felt very middle-of-the-road.