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A review by readthesparrow
We Kept Her in the Cellar by W. R. Gorman
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump recently. WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR ripped that slump to bloody little shreds.
Don’t let the cover fool you; this isn’t YA. (Seriously, imho, the cover does this book *such* a disservice. When I first saw it, I fully thought it was YA and almost skipped it over.)
From the first stroke of midnight I couldn’t look away. Eunice’s complex relationships with her family members (yes, including Cinderella) paired with my particular cup of eldritch body horror tea means this book is one I’ll be recommending for any fairytale horror-fantasy lovers. (Seriously, the body horror here is not for the faint of heart. The second foot scene (yes, there are two) literally dropped my jaw. I loved it.)
I believe that this is Gorman’s debut novel, and I’m looking forward to see how she will grow as an author (especially if she chooses to write more in WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR’s world; I’d love to see Eunice return!!).
WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR publishes 24 September 2024! Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC via Netgalley. As usual, all opinions here are my own!
Don’t let the cover fool you; this isn’t YA. (Seriously, imho, the cover does this book *such* a disservice. When I first saw it, I fully thought it was YA and almost skipped it over.)
From the first stroke of midnight I couldn’t look away. Eunice’s complex relationships with her family members (yes, including Cinderella) paired with my particular cup of eldritch body horror tea means this book is one I’ll be recommending for any fairytale horror-fantasy lovers. (Seriously, the body horror here is not for the faint of heart. The second foot scene (yes, there are two) literally dropped my jaw. I loved it.)
I believe that this is Gorman’s debut novel, and I’m looking forward to see how she will grow as an author (especially if she chooses to write more in WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR’s world; I’d love to see Eunice return!!).
WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR publishes 24 September 2024! Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC via Netgalley. As usual, all opinions here are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, and Death