Catriona Ward has become a must-buy for me. Her writing is transportive and I feel like my brain is being restructured to fit the mood of the book. The pacing of Sundial is perfect and I can't wait to recommend it to library patrons and friends.

Ok, I seriously LOVED this book. I loved Needless Street so this book had big shoes to fill, and boy did it exceed my expectations. This felt like so many things wrapped into one book and I could not get enough. I loved that it went back and forth between not only Rob and Callie's POV, but also the past and present. I found Rob to be so unlikeable through the first half or so of the book, but once we started to really dig into her past I felt I could understand her a little bit better. There were some parts that you had to suspend reality on, but honestly I was so engrossed in the book it wasn't that hard for me to do. I also loved, loved, loved all of the plot twists. I read a lot of thrillers so I pride myself on being able to figure them out, but I had NO CLUE on almost every single one. Ward can write, and I really can't wait to see what she does in the future.

I only finished a small portion of this book but what I read was great! I would say I read 25%. What I did read, I loved. I think this would be well recommended to people who can like and stomach such a novel.

However, it did have too many trigger factors to me so I was unable to finish. Caitriona Ward is a force to be reckoned with!

I’ve been waiting to post the review, because honestly I’m not sure what to make of this. I can’t really say if it was good or not. The majority of the book just gave off an uncomfortable feeling. I also felt like there was not a stable character in this book, which I guess is kind of the point. There were some areas throughout that just felt weighed down with needless information. The ending was kind of a WTF moment. It was a weird read.

💉 B O O K • R E V I E W 💉
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Title: Sundial
Author: Catriona Ward
Rating: 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Swipe for synopsis.
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I absolutely loved The Last House On Needless Street, so when the ARC of Sundial became available to me on Netgalley I was super stoked, I couldn’t wait to read it. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this one like The Last House On Needless Street. It was good, but Needless Street was far more superior.
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As per Catriona Wards usual - this was a very different kind of story, and she writes so beautifully that her stories really come to life from the pages.. I was super interested in the multiple points of view of Rob in the past, Rob in the present and Callie. There was also an “Arrowood” series part (a book within a book), which I didn’t see any point of at all (I honestly wish this part was left out). I thoroughly enjoyed the comments from Pale Callie and Dumpster Puppy, and was intrigued by the oddness of it all.
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This one just felt way too long and drug out for me. I felt like there were parts that really lagged and couldn’t keep my attention, and then there were parts I was flying through because I needed to know more. I feel like if this story was shorter I definitely would have been happier with it.
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I enjoyed how everything came together and the story ultimately ended, and the concept was really interesting to read about; however this one didn’t have that jaw dropping moment of realization that left me in a book hangover for months on end that I was waiting for. It was good, but not great. Would I read it again? No, probably not. Ive seen a ton of mixed reviews on this one, and I fall somewhere in the middle. Sundial is out now!
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Huge thank you to @net for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
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Do you like to read books that have mixed reviews?
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#netgalleyarcs #sundial #twistedthriller #astorywithinastory #thepastmeetsthepresent #notmyfavoriteread #marcharcreview

I'm not really sure how to put how I felt about this book into words. I definitely didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I was hoping for more of a creepy/scary book and this was weird, for sure, but not scary or creepy. It was full of Sci Fi themes. All the weird experimentations. After it was done, I felt some "peace" but still just weird.

My first read of 2022 did not disappoint! I was so excited to pick this one up after loving The Last House on Needless Street last year. It was in my top 5 books of the year. I love this author’s writing style and the chilling & unsettling atmosphere she’s able to create in her books. Her stories are so unique.

Sundial had the same atmosphere as Needless Street. I immediately recognized the writing style which I loved. The twists were awesome, nothing in this book is as it seems. And once again she does a great job adding social commentary into her stories. Catriona Ward is definitely one of my new all-time-favorite authors.

After stumbling on The Last House on Needless Street Cartriona Ward quickly became one of my favorite authors. I was so excited to get my hands on her newest book, Sundial, and this book did not disappoint. Sundial was a jaw dropping read. It has a little bit of a slow build but wow that ending!

This book was the fast paced thriller I needed.

It was creepy.

It had characters I needed to know more about.

It was dark 😳

It was allll the way fucked up with some twists I didn’t see coming!

Was this better than The Last House on Needless Street? I think I liked that one better! But, this one was definitely my favorite thriller of the year after that one!

I NEED ALL THE CATRIONA WARD THRILLERS! I would actually appreciate a sequel to this one…definitely need a sequel.

Also, lots of triggers again, you’ve been warned 😂

So if you’re okay with the triggers! If you like thrillers that ask the question of “how far would you go?” If you like reads that you can’t put down? This is a winner!

After loving Needless Street, I knew I had to get my hands on Ward’s next book. And I was so pumped that it was a read now on Netgalley I snatched it up. And wowsers. This was unlike anything I have ever read before. Horror is not a genre I usually read but this had enough psychological elements that I wasn’t terrified the whole time.

I think I can say that I really really liked this book. My jaw dropped multiple times. I was disgusted, creeped out, uncomfortable, angry and utterly shocked. Any book that can make me feel such visceral emotions gets a standing ovation from me. Sundial is not for everyone, it has many triggers and significant focus on animal cruelty. Many scenes were hard to swallow.

But the under lying themes were done brilliantly. The concept of this books was so original. I told my husband and he said “how does someone even come up with that?” Excellent question. This is a wild read. Is it horror? Suspense? Thriller? Psychological? Supernatural? Yes and No. Or Maybe yes to all? I have no idea. When I finished I was speechless. I can’t even truly capture all my feelings about this one.

Rob and her husband, Irving, have two daughters - Annie and Callie, who is the oldest of the two. When Rob makes an alarming discovery in Callie's room, she realizes she needs to do something about her troubled daughter. Rob decides to bring Callie to Sundial, which is Rob's childhood home. Sundial, located deep in the desert, has many long-buried and disturbing secrets. Will Rob be able to save Callie? Or is it Rob who needs saving?

A thrilling and suspenseful read - Sundial was a really unique story and I loved its originality. The story was told from Callie and Rob's perspectives, with Rob's story alternating between the past and present. I wasn't quite sure who to trust or where the story was headed, but I enjoyed the way everything tied together as the story went on. Once I thought I had it all worked out, the story took some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Everything is definitely not as it seems in Sundial.

This thriller pulls you in right from the start. Rob wanted normal but darkness is creeping its way in. Her daughter has a strange collection for example. Rob and Callie embark on a journey to cut through the darkness. Turn the pages to see if they get any light.

I'll be the first to admit I didn't entirely love Catriona Ward's last novel, 'Last House on Needless Street,' but 'Sundial' had me from the get-go. It's a rapid, stunning maturation of a writer who's still not afraid to throw in a schlocky twist here and there, this time for the better.

The main thrust of the book follows Rob and her troubled daughter Callie on a visit to Sundial, the mysterious commune Rob grew up in. The trip becomes an exercise in storytelling, memory, and that ol' bugbear, unreliable narration, as Rob sits Callie down and explains her past, what what it may mean for Callie's future. Back home, Rob's abusive husband Irving and younger daughter Annie ramp up the tension, It seems only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.

Through Rob's memories, Callie's occasional POV chapters, and some tremendously earned wild twists, Sundial brings a whole bunch of concepts together into a cohesive and impressive conclusion. It doesn't wholly reinvent the wheel as it goes along, but there are things in this book I don't think I've seen deployed before. A must-read for any thriller fan.

3.5 stars rounded up! This was my first Catriona Ward novel. It was dark and it was twisty! If you're a sensitive reader make sure to look up the TWs first.

I enjoyed this novel a lot, I just got a little lost in the novel with what was going on sometimes... probably to my own fault. I was busy packing up and moving while reading this book so I probably got distracted too much.

I definitely look forward to reading more of Catriona Ward's backlist.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightmare for allowing me to read this ARC.

Wow this book. This book! I think I'm one of the few who didn't read The House on Needless Street last year, but after Sundial it is moving to the top of the TBR pile.

Sundial was a creepy, psychological roller coaster ride that follows Rob and her family. There are a few different point of views (along with a side written story), so the beginning of the book did take me a few chapters to get into. Once I got going I could not put this down and read it in just a few sittings. Ward's style is wholly engaging and the whole time I read this book I just felt unsettled. A lot of that comes with the setting - Sundial - and Ward did a thorough job of transporting you to the isolated desert compound.

Another thing that I loved was when the author would throw in little blink and you might miss it details. Do those details actually pertain to the story? Or was it just there to throw you off on the twists? I found myself second guessing constantly and even when I thought I knew what was coming next I was still surprised, especially with the ending.

I would recommend going into this book blindly, without reading too much of the synopsis. There are trigger warnings (especially involving violence against animals/domestic abuse), so it may be worth looking those up.

Thank you so much to Tor & NetGalley for an advanced copy. I can't wait to read more from this author.

5 ⭐️ baby!

This is my first Catriona Ward and I AM IN LOVE!!!! This book was so good, and I can't wait to get to her backlist if it's anything like this one!

Sundial is a thought provoking story where I could not get enough of it! Not only is the unreliable narrator trope done SO WELL, but this book also makes you question whether what you're reading is real or a figment of each character's imagination. I found the switch between the past and present time lines to be so engaging, and I really loved learning about Sundial in this way.

The character arcs throughout are stunning, and sometimes I just wanted to scream, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?" Which of course means I really cared about the characters and what happened to them. Loved the setting, loved the plot. The descriptions made me feel like I was really there and I definitely felt the creepiness oozing from this book!!

Probably the most impressive part were the plot twists in this book. I would think that it was going one way, and then BAM it went somewhere else! I was very impressed how Ward was able to weave this plot and have it all come together in the end. Easily my favorite horror book of 2022! Highly recommend for anyone interested in the genre that wants to deep dive into character psyche, past trauma, a rich setting and some delicious plot. Bravo!!

xx
-Christine

I received an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this up until the halfway point. Then it kind of dragged until the end where it picked back up, then it just kind of ended without a resolution. I'm not a huge fan of books that are open ended, but that was clearly a choice the author made to leave things ambiguous and undone. I would have preferred things to be a bit more wrapped up. If you have read any of my other reviews, you know I also am not a big fan of alternating timelines, in this case the timeline alternates between Rob (the mother) then and now, and Callie (Rob's oldest daughter), as well as the story within the story that Rob was writing really took me out of the story and made the pace very slow for me. I think this book had some really interesting concepts but the execution was a bit flawed. Every time I started to get invested in the story, it would switch timelines and perspectives and throw me out of the story and I would have a hard time getting invested for several chapters.

This book has alot of trigger warnings, so from that perspective horror fans and psychological thriller fans may really enjoy it. Other readers will want to stay far away from this book. This book has animal experimentation, domestic violence, emotional abuse, drug use, miscarriage, and child abuse.

Thrillers are always hard to review because you don't want to give anything away without spoiling the book. They are also very personal when it comes to what a person enjoys or doesn't. I prefer much faster paced, plot driven thrillers, so the pacing of this obviously didn't work well for me. This is mostly told from Rob's perspective both then and now, but I was more interested in her daughter Callie. I found Callie's chapters to be the most gripping and I kept reading as I wanted to get back to her story. I didn't find Rob to be all that likable, but again I think that was a deliberate choice by the author and her personality starts to come together and make as we find out more about her backstory and upbringing. As we learn more about Rob, Callie also starts to make more sense. It just takes a long time to get there. I like what the author did with the relationship dynamics between Rob and her sister Jack as well as Rob's daughters Callie and Annie. What you think is happening on the surface is not what it seems, and those interactions and reveals made for and interesting read. I thought the twist was clever and unexpected, but it was overshadowed by what felt like and unfinished ending.

Overall, this was pretty good, I think a lot of people are going to love this. This type of thriller doesn't meet all of my personal preferences, but I think the writing was good. The setting was well described, and the characters were well despite being unlikable. Based on the trigger warnings I gave above I'd stay away from this book if any of those things are deal breakers for you.

Just like her last novel this book was amazing! I don't want to say to much as this is a horror thriller but this was great. It had some great twist and the characters were great. The duel narrative matched with the duel timeline perfectly. Following along all the stories as they came together was perfect. This book was just great all around and it is definitely one I plan to recommend.

Sundial by Catriona Ward is a family dysfunction horror. This is Catriona Ward follow up to the blockbuster the Last House on Needless Street which I loved and rated 5 stars. Sundial is a little slower and more of a slow burn horror with lots of tension leading up to crazy twist. This novel has two main perspectives Rob the mother to two young girls Callie and Annie, Callie is the other perspective we view. The twist come all at the end and for the most part they're good and make sense to the narrative. They're two narratives one in the present which was super tense and one in the past takes a really long long time to get going, I felt it was overly long and took a while to get interesting. Most of the twist are in the past but it takes so long to get there. The theme of Sundial is control, heredity, and obedience which is layered throughout this piece. The horror is intense situations, creepy visions, and brief moments of gore.

The Plot Synopsis: Rob is convinced her husband Irving is having an affair because Annie their daughter got chicken pox. She's sure it is the next door neighbor. Callie the other daughter is being extremely difficult, Callie is different and not Rob's favorite child. Callie has a mischievous imaginary friend who she call Pale Callie and an imaginary dog that she keep one of her bones on her at all times, Callie has a thing for bones and death. Annie is found throwing up after she has an overdose of her father diabetic medicine. Rob freaks out and takes Callie to her childhood home to keep her youngest daughter safe, but Rob has a secret that might kill her and her daughter to tell.

What I Liked: The tension is created on page one and does not go away. The twist are good and really save this sometimes slow burn novel. There's twist upon twist. I loved the story line that is formed in the present so much. Callie is a great character and her imaginary friend are creepy but do serve a purpose at the end which I really liked. The final twist was a great one that really works with the theme of control, heredity and obedience. I liked the family dynamic of the past.

What I Disliked: How slow the past backstory was. the simple fix would of have it be have the story more layered in past and present, since the sisters in the past reflect the sister's in the present. Rob and Irving were both bad parents, there's a change in the way one character see's another because one charter hits another but earlier the other character hit the same character, so there should be no switch in loyalty.

Recommendations: Catriona Ward is a fantastic writer I didn't like this as much as The Last House on Needless Street, but she still delivers a creepy horror that you will have no idea where it is heading. I recommend this novel, for horror lovers that love psychological horror. Be prepared for some slow moment with the story about the past but it has a huge pay off in a series of twist. I rated Sundial by Catriona Ward 4 out of 5 stars.

✨ Review ✨ Sundial by Catriona Ward
I don't really want to summarize this one - it's better to go in knowing as little as possible I think. Broadly, it's about a mom and a daughter, and the mom's past - about secrets and familial bonds and the dark demons that lie within.

CW: abuse of many forms, including psychological abuse and animal abuse - DM me if you want to know more before reading.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Location: Mojave Desert
Pub Date: March 1, 2022

I dropped everything to read this when Becky and Amy recommended it so highly, and it was WORTH dropping everything for. It was so engaging and provided so many interesting themes and topics for discussion. It's a great one to read alongside a friend.

I had a few qualms with it - the first half was a little slow in places and it mixes in a third narrative line with a fictional story one of the characters has written (and this doesn't always link smoothly back in with the narrative).

This is a hard one to review without giving too much away, but it was a truly twisty book, sure to keep you awake with all the lights on. I highly recommend it!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ family drama meets horror
⭕️ creepy desert thriller with wayward science plots
⭕️ BONES and Pink Star Lamps

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!