Sigh. I received an ARC for this after finding out about all the controversy. Decided to check it out to stay informed and form my own opinions. Sadly, definitely agree that at least large chunks of this book was written with AI assistance. There are (brief) moments where I really do think Mia Ballard’s voice as a writer does come out and I wish we could have gotten that instead of soulless descriptions and repetitive language. Pacing is also wack. There was so much opportunity here.

Carmilla girl you are cunning as hell

I forgot how much I loved Emily Brontë until this reread. This is a dark story of generational trauma, family, revenge, obsession, and I suppose to a certain degree—love. Though, this is by no means the greatest love story of all time as it’s often advertised. Every single character has so many layers to them that I almost think it impossible to hate or love them. I’ll miss my gossip sessions with Nelly and wanting to bang my head against a wall at how messy these characters are.

An experimental exploration and meditation into the aftermath of trauma. Truly what I would consider a literary and cultural deep dive of what it means to tell (or not tell) what LaBarge refers to as “the good story”. A must read.

Real and raw. I read it all in one sitting, almost in a trance like state.