Lute

May 1, 2022

In Jackal, a debut from Haitian American author Adams, a Black woman named Liz has returned to her predominantly white town for a wedding shattered by the disappearance of the bride's daughter--one of several Black girls who have vanished recently in the town's creepy woods. From Bram Stoker finalist Davidson, The Hollow Kind sends Nellie Gardner fleeing from an abusive marriage to a crumbling house in a Georgia forest, where son Max hears whisperings in the uncommon stillness and realizes that they're still in danger, this time from an ancient evil connected to his mother's family (35,000-copy first printing). Such Sharp Teeth, mutters Rory Morris when she is attacked by something in Bram Stoker finalist Harrison's latest; then, stronger and suddenly captivated by the moon, she starts transforming--but is she in danger or getting in touch with her true, wild self? With If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe, Pargin adds to his terrifying but funny "John Dies at the End" series as John, Dave, and Amy tremblingly face supernatural threats in a town rife with interdimensional parasites, paranormal cults, and a plastic egg that encourages the unwary to commit murder and feed it the body parts (75,000-copy first printing). YA novelist Thorne set her first adult effort on Lute, an island where the residents experience unusual peace and prosperity--but every seven years comes the Day when seven people die (100,000-copy first printing). Unlike friend Dinah, Little Eve loves the gloomy Scottish isle where they're raised among the Children by spooky and controlling Uncle, and they offer very different accounts of a massacre there (250,000-copy first printing). From Shirley Jackson/August Derleth honoree Ward.

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August 1, 2022
This understated folk horror tale, Thorne’s adult debut (after the YA novel Night Music, written as Jenn Marie Thorne), follows Nina Treadway, an American expatriate on the remote British island of Lute, as she tries desperately to protect herself and her loved ones from the mortal terrors of “The Day.” It’s an event that recurs every seven years and is said to claim the lives of seven of Lute’s inhabitants as tribute to the forces that keep the island safe and prosperous. Now, as the bodies pile up, Nina’s marriage to Lord Hugh Treadway begins to break down, and she’s forced to learn Lute’s horrible history and race to outpace its curse—even as the phantoms of her own past resurface. This is slow-burning horror writ large, and the terror resides in Thorne’s use of atmosphere to construct an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia even after Nina begins to make sense of her situation. This slow, methodical approach to story crafting occasionally results in a sense of inertia, especially combined with Nina’s relative lack of agency. Still, Thorne’s subversion of folk horror tropes and focus on small, intimate beats make for a gripping reading experience recommended for fans of Midsommar and Jennie Melamed’s Gather the Daughters.

Starred review from September 1, 2022
Seven years ago, Nina stumbled into an unexpected romance. She married Hugh and left her native Florida behind for the faraway island of Lute, where she is the new Lady Treadway. The island is idyllic, the weather oddly perfect; and there is plenty of coastline for Nina's two young children to explore. Every seven years comes the Day, which she figures is a sort of summer-solstice celebration--only, the stories say that every seventh summer, seven people die. Hugh is doing all he can to get off the island as a sense of foreboding seems to settle over everything, and Nina can't help but wonder what it is, exactly, that her husband is so desperately trying to escape. YA author Thorne (Night Music, 2019, as Jenn Marie Thorne) melds traditional gothic horror with folk horror in this exceptional tale. Themes of family, community, longstanding tradition, and love are thoroughly explored in this deliberately paced novel that takes place over a handful of days. A very close exploration of grief, along with the ways it brings a community together and tears them apart, is the beating heart of the novel, palpable on every page.

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August 1, 2022

DEBUT With a Shirley Jackson--inspired premise, YA author Thorne's (Night Music) adult debut centers on an island called Lute, where every seventh summer, seven people die as a tithe for the good fortune the inhabitants experience. Although fictitious, Thorne has steeped her island in the real geography and history of England. Lute has endured for millennia, and there are disturbing reasons as to why. The protagonist, Nina, becomes a Lady of the main estate on Lute by marrying Lord Treadway, whose family has a long history of protecting the island. She doesn't believe in the supernatural or ghosts and thinks it's all just a bunch of nonsense until she finds out the hard way that there are sinister things lying in wait for her and her children. The Celtic myths that Nina has heard become more frightening and real as the impending death ritual advances. Someone wants her family dead, and they won't stop until the task is done. VERDICT Fans of gloomy British horror will adore Thorne's novel, with its references to the Shining Ones and other fae creatures. Recommend to fans of Catriona Ward, Sarah Pinborough, and Kristin Cashore.--Anita Siraki

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.