Pine

''With all the lights on, there is still a darkness in the house.''

In a small community in the haunting Scottish Highlands, the strange disappearance of a mother has cast a shadow over the lives of the residents. Lauren, a 10-year-old girl, lives with her father and tries to find the links that may lead to the resolution of her mother's enigma and the healing of her family's wounds. Strange incidents, insecurity and bullying form a terrible labyrinth for the young girl.

This novel is really something else. The plot is tightly woven and touches on a plethora of themes. There are elements of Mystery, Horror, Folklore, Literary Fiction but at its heart lies a very real, very deep story of a family that has lost its way and joy and a community that is divided between pity and cruelty. Toon focuses on the father-daughter relationship, a very particular, very demanding process, and the teenage inclination to question and search. Where would the world be without it? The writer presents the harsh reality of bullying coming from the awful so-called ‘‘popular'' students (more like monsters, if you ask me....) with stark clarity and honesty without being over the top or melodramatic. Lauren and Niall are two people looking for an anchor, hiding secrets that darken their world.

Apart from the realistic elements of the plot, Toon pays a moving homage to the vast Scottish tradition and the legendary British Horror genre. The Scottish Highlands is a land of mystery and tremendous energy. Lauren has to put up with people who call her mother a ‘‘witch'' and live in what seems to be a cursed house. Selkies, kelpies and other mythical creatures of the Scottish tradition are interwoven with features of ancient and modern witchcraft and the story is taken on a whole new level through the focus on folk music, ballads, and lullabies that make the reading experience so much special. You will discover real gems here.

The temperature drops suddenly, a flowery perfume fills the air in an empty house, strange shadows and female figures are seen, women appear in the nightly streets. Houses are plagued by unnatural phenomena and a strange darkness hovers over the community. Windows turn black out of the blue and candles flicker. There are quite a few deliciously scary parts and the haunting atmosphere of Scotland is at its best in this beautiful novel. And on a side note, I realized -once more- that I've always found nurseries really, really unsettling.

Just read this short paragraph:

''The clouds shift and a bright day comes through the kitchen window, catching dust motes and things that need to be replaced or fixed, After an hour's work, the light fades and the house feels emptier. He watches the dark oven and the bulb that has been dead for years behind the murky glass door.''

I love unsettling stories and this novel is beautifully unsettling. Full of memorable and realistic characters, written in excellent, haunting and moving prose, it has the readers checking over their shoulders and wary to expect the unexpected because you are certain that danger is close yet its source is inscrutable.

This novel is an autumnal twilight. A silent wintry night, lit only by the flickering lights of the windows. It is a late summer evening. A mystery lurking at the side of the road...

''The water stretches out in the twilight mist to the large slopes of hills like the resting bodies of giants under a huge sky. There is a tiny house with a red roof on the other side of the firth, evaporating into the falling dark, on a clear day he can usually see white specks of sheep. In the grainy night air he looks carefully for flat stones along the smooth curve of the shore. Once he has found a few he skims them across the black water. The ripples go one two for each stone. One day in summer he skimmed a stone and it touched the water six times before sinking. He tries again. One two. He is tired. Night is young; the moon is bright.''

Many thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/

2.5 stars

This was.....fine.

As a atmospheric, moody, autumn read this hits the mark - the writing and setting really give a dark, cold and sparse feeling, however it really lacked in the pacing and plot.

The setup of the story was so slow and long that it felt like it took up over half the book, then there's a disappearance as a plot point then all of a sudden it's all wrapped up and ends. The ending is very rushed so felt unsatisfying.

I will say I absolutely love the cover!

This was really a fantastic book.

Moody folky mystery horror(ish) story set in the Scottish highlands with witchy bits and some ghosts. First 200 pages are nice and atmospheric then the pace explodes and the book becomes something very different, unfortunately the last bit feels really rushed, like the author just wanted it to be over. Probably not for everyone but if you like folk horror you will appreciate what's going on. 4 might be over generous but its spooky month and it's more good than bad. Will definitely read more from this author.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The creeping dread was palpable: an isolated town populated by misfits and weirdos, where you can fell the mulch underfoot, smell the rot in Lauren's ramshackle house, shiver at the dreich Scottish weather and sympathised with this poor bullied child with the disinterested father. When a mysterious lady in white keeps appearing but no one can remember seeing her it just adds to the tension and the atmosphere.

As things start to escalate in the second half of the book, things take a turn. Mysteries are just easily discarded, which is unsatisfying (the constantly locked front room contains nothing of interest, and is just unlocked one day, meh; the mother's ghost is just hard for people to contemplate, so they forget, according to the mad old lady down the street who also sees her) and the denoument seems rushed. It all feels like a bit of a let down after the incredible, subtle effects created in the first half.

I'd probably give it 3.5* but rounded it up because I have so much good will from the incredible set up. I just wish it had just maintained that level to the end.

I've just finished this book and honestly, I'm not sure how I feel. I found it difficult to read, it's taken me 2 weeks to finish and it's not a long book. I just felt it was very slow and long winded for what was an unsatisfying ending with lots of questions unanswered.

This was an enjoyable read, although quite creepy at times. The descriptive writing was very good, making it a very atmospheric read! A perfect read for this time of year.

I felt really sorry for Lauren, not just because of her lonely home life what with her father having his issues, but her school life too.

I did feel like the ending was a little rushed, leaving a few questions unanswered.

Thank you to Pigeonhole and Francine Toon for the chance to read this book.