Right, heavy spoilers ahead. The premise of this book is so promising, you’ve got creepy ghosts, a mysterious missing person thread and a vicar in a small town. Like, it just seemed right up my alley. I thought the style was a little flippant for the type of book it was, a little too unserious. I can’t quite put my finger on the wording I want to use. I’m also not a fan of books that drop pop-culture like an over-enthusiastic toddler sprinkling a cake. Telling me the ‘cool, unconventional’ vicar likes My Chemical Romance, The Killers and classic 80’s movies doesn’t really tell me much about the character. Or how the daughter is huddled in her Nightmare Before Christmas duvet or blasting Nine Inch Nails in her headphones. Cool, and? It’s lazy characterisation. But the thing is, I could have looked past that if the story had been worthwhile. It was not.
Literally a quarter of the way through >!I guessed the big reveal. And I kept thinking, there’s no way that the Vicar is actually the missing the girl because that would be really disappointing and dumb, it must be a red herring. It was not. And it was so unsubtle, but like the author thought they were being clever and cryptic. And there were so many murders. Oh the teenagers are murderers and it’s got nothing to do with the previous murders in the village. And the teenager who’s favourite film (this is set in modern times) is Usual Suspects has been faking his neurological condition that causes uncontrollable spasms for years, from his own adoptive mother. And why would the kid tortured by the trainee-vicar not go to the police? It’s not like she doesn’t have proof? And then the vicar of the time covers it all up for *reasons* (to protect the girl and the church apparently).!< Oh it was so stupid and so much wasted potential.
The author said in the acknowledgements that ‘My only experiences of churches is sitting through a few bum-numbing christenings and harvest festivals’ and oh boy wasn’t that ever clear. The rich tapestry of religion and it’s weight through time and in the hearts and minds of modern people and in the canon of myth and legend was just so shallow and cliche.
by ItsBoughtnotBrought