Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscapemedia, & the author, #JenWilliams for the opportunity to listen to this #advancedlistenercopy in exchange for my #honestreview. This is available for purchase now.
In the eerie seaside town of Hithechurch, England, young Charlotte meets quirky and secretive Emily and the two become fast companions. Charlotte has a secret of her own – she invented the monster that is Stitch Face Sue. The two girls conspire to rid Emily of her abusive father. Charlie and Emily perform dark ritual to try to resurrect urban legend Hithechurch girl, Stitch Face Sue, who was rumored to be killed by pirates and now haunts the inhabitants of the town for revenge. When it seems like the rituals they’re partaking in seem to be working, Emily becomes obsessed with the macabre game and the girls pull another girl into the rituals. But the game goes horribly wrong and the girl ends up dead and Emily and Charlie are sent off to a mental institution until adulthood. Fast forward to the future and Charlie returns to the area to research for a book she is writing on folklore of the area and its rumored hauntings. Emily is publishing a memoir on the tragic event from their younger years. Driven by equal parts rage and morbid pull, Charlie sets out to clear the record on what really happened all those years ago and who played what role. Will Charlie find the truth buried in Hithechurch or will she be spurned by her past?
Full disclosure – this is a really dark one! I really enjoyed the dual timelines and the colliding of the two for the books. I really love an urban legend tale and this one definitely delivered. I was definitely on my toes trying to figure this out and being prepared for what was around each corner. I definitely wanted to scream at Charlie more than once to not do final girl/horror movie bad decisions. Recommend for those who enjoy urban legends and macabre thrillers.
TW: gore, mutilation, kidnapping, domestic abuse, child victims, dark lore, rituals, macabre
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4/5
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