REVIEW - My Darling Dreadful Thing

by author Johanna Van Veen (Gothic Horror)

I know, I know. You read my “About Me” post and I said I would be reviewing Indie and Self-Published — AKA Unknown — authors, but sometimes a “Most Anticipated” or “Must Read” according to… well, everyone… is a good palate cleanser.

I was given My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna Van Veen as a present and happened to be in between books , so it was perfect timing.

I knew only that this was in the Horror genre and nothing else. That’s one of my favorite way’s to start a book, to be honest. If I’ve seen a bunch of hype about something I’m usually disappointed.

There is an Author’s Note at the beginning, and I always encourage everyone to read those. I don’t currently have any triggers, but one can never be too careful. There are graphic depictions of abuse (both physical and sexual against children and adults), mental illness, racism, misogyny, homophobia, death, and witchcraft, so please be advised.

Synopsis

Roos, the female main character (FMC) is the narrator, and speaks with the cadence and tone representative of the 1950’s setting. At times, the dialogue seems odd and choppy, but I feel it helped me see more of her personality. It is also important to note that very quickly, you find out that what Roos is describing are events leading up to something tragic and she is speaking to a doctor during an assessment. She is being interviewed to determine if she will be sane enough to stand trial for whatever happened, and in between some chapters there are “case notes” from the doctor’s perspective.

The first part of the book is about her time with “Mama” whom she mentions is her aunt. There relationship is extremely dysfunctional and Mama treats Roos solely as a source of income, using her spirit companion, Ruth, to perform séances. Even though Mama treats her horribly, starves her, and sells her at every opportunity, Roos is co-dependently devoted to her. The deep need to be be loved and taken care of even by someone abusive is very well represented.

The second part dives into Roos’ “escape” after being sent to live with a client, Agnes, who paid Mama a large sum to take her as a companion. While this idea seemed odd, Van Veen did a very good job framing the “purchase.” By now, I, as a reader, was rooting for Roos to get away. During this section, you learn about Agnes and why she wanted Roos to come stay with her, how her husband died, who else is staying in the house, and that she also has a spirit companion.

In the final section of the book, we find out what this tragic event was and why Roos is being blamed. (I promise, no spoilers)

My Thoughts

While I wouldn’t say this novel is scary or in any way suspenseful, there was an aspect of looming danger. The dynamic between Roos and Agnes becomes intimate in a very delicate and well done way, but it’s anything but a surprise. Roos and Ruth, and Agnes and Peter, have a very touching relationship even though these “friends” are by all accounts “monsters.” The descriptions of their ever-changing bodies and the sounds they make made it easy to picture them. The fear of losing them in any way was palpable. I particularly enjoyed the sass from Willemijn, the sister of Agnes’ dead husband. Although she was cruel at times, she got some very funny quips in.

Van Veen’s writing style was great. I would definitely read other novels of hers. I did, however, feel like this book was lacking a bit of “umph.” I was waiting for a twist or turn especially at the end, but it fell a bit flat. The final paragraphs could have very easily insinuated something sinister, leaving the reader wondering if there was more to the story, or something nefarious brewing.

All-in-all, an easy read with lots of interesting characters and developments. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars because it was a quick and entertaining read, but didn’t make me jump up and shout about it.