You constantly are right there with Eleanor, questioning everything that is going on around her, the house, her family. However, you begin to realize that with Eleanor knowing so little of what is going on, and her memory being so foggy about the past, she is an unreliable narrator. She leaves out information or thinks some things are unimportant. She also dives head first in to things that she feels are not right. The Zarrin family history (paternal side of the family), who they truly are and their creation, her maternal side of the family, is painstakingly revealed as Eleanor must confront the hard reality of who or what she can become. The heroin of this novel is often scared, but she is also strong and determined. Her relationships with those around her shape the narrative. This is a novel about familial bonds and what it means to care for your family, even while being regarded and treated as an outsider. Was it better that Eleanor did not know the truth, or would she have never invited her Grandmere if she knew? Was her family wrong for sending her away, or did she learn humility, resilience, patience and kindness because she was not with her close knit family? Eleanor was the most mature of the bunch, and I believe that has a lot to do with being on her own, relying on herself, and being away from her families comfort in wealth. Lack of communication almost destroys this family, and it is only through coming together, trusting each other, and understanding each other that they can adapt and survive. This novel was at times grotesque, at times magical, but always haunting. It was about finding strength in the deepest part of yourself, how far one will go to protect themselves or their family. It was beautifully imagined and written. I was lost in Eleanor's world, worried for her safety, angry at her family for her being removed from them, for her feeling lost, alone, without a clue as to where she fit in at home. Both her Grandmother's represented a part of Eleanor, one the good inside of herself, the other the evil she could become. The novel was also a good representation of generational trauma, through both Zarrin grandparents. Eleanor must change how the family deals with their pain, instead of hiding away they must confront their past demons and defeat them. It is also about removing old stigmas in order to heal and to enter into a newer and better world. Quite literally, learning to kill who we used to be and become something else entirely, hopefully something better. TW: death, loss of a parent, loss of a grandparent, body horror, abandonment, assault, sexual assault, trauma, murder, child death
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Currently ReadingGraphic Novel
Romance Audiobook
Archives
April 2024
|