They Drown Our Daughters - Gothic Seaside Story
“She licked her lips. Swallowed. She could still taste the water. It tasted like midnight. Like the foam that brushes the curl of a fast-moving wave. Bitter, like patience growing thin. Like desire. Like someone watching. Waiting.”
A gothic slow burn set at the seaside, spanning generations of possibly cursed women. They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe hits shelves July 12th.
A woman and her young daughter have split from her wife and are headed back to a childhood home. Unfortunately, Meredith doesn’t have a lot of great memories from her childhood and sees her mother as a paranoid woman with no love to give. Once the duo arrives, things quickly fall apart and when two back-to-back unexpected things happen, Meredith is left scrambling to understand the haunted town, the mysterious lighthouse, and what exactly has cursed the women in her family for generations.
Book mood board (images found on weheartit.com)
“I’m trying to say there is no curse, but there is bad blood. Enough to drown in. It’s not your fault for getting caught up in it.”
Here’s what I loved (no spoilers):
We jump back and forth between present day and the past where many women of this tragic bloodline battle their inner demons and very real ghosts. It’s a great way to keep the story moving and slowly reveal plot points bit by bit.
Usually I’m not great when there’s a lot of characters or a book spans decades, but Monroe does a great job of not overwhelming you with history but just giving you brief flashes of what horrible situation has led us to this terrifying present moment.
You will not see where this story is going. There is such a bizarre twist near the end of the story that will take you completely off guard. But in a great way. And as you stumble through the final climax gasping for breath, putting together the pieces of this wild mystery, you’ll be in awe of what Monroe has pulled off.
There is quite a bit of creepy imagery in this story especially around the ghost haunting the ocean that will make you nervous next time you get close to the shoreline. There’s also a bit of human horror in here that gives me major Hills Have Eyes vibes which may seem out of place but fits perfectly into this twisted story.
Overall, They Drown our Daughters is a slow burn ghostly story that’s perfect for those who love a haunted seaside and mothers fighting for their daughters. It’s romantic, heartbreaking, scary, and beautifully written.
Big thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. They Drown Our Daughters hits shelves July 12th, and I highly recommend grabbing a copy!
“I will not become this, she thought. I will not give in to the voices that tell me the only solace is at the bottom of the ocean. My children will not tell stories to forget me.”
