*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

A masterful modern gothic, THEY DROWN OUR DAUGHTERS follows five generations of women driven to the brink of sanity (and sometimes beyond) by a shadow in the depths, calling their name and pulling them towards the frothy waves. They say the family line is cursed, and who can blame them based on history? Mother after mother, abandoning daughter after daughter for something beyond the shallows.

Told by five generations of women, DAUGHTERS is a twisty, atmospheric read that explores not only what the curse actually is, but the mother-daughter relations between each victim. The first 2/3 of the book is gripping, while the last 1/3 (until the last few chapters) slows down a bit. But the read is worth it.

Heartbreaking and otherworldly, DAUGHTERS is perfect for anyone who enjoys supernatural, horror, thriller or gothic stories with a twist.

They Drown Our Daughters opens with a spooky setting, making it easy to get hooked from the start but it’s harder to keep the attention going the further you get in the book.

The chapters constantly switch from Meredith’s present time to other characters in the past and at first, it’s riveting to read every woman’s story but it makes it easier to lose focus as it progresses. Nevertheless, the characters are interesting especially in their relation to motherhood and the curse that is haunting them. The curse, especially, is what kept the plot alive to me because it keeps dragging the question: will it ever end? The writing is also fairly enjoyable with gorgeous descriptions of the seaside location and its haunting history.

It’s a good ghost story that focuses on generational curses and there are plenty of gasp-worthy moments. Ultimately, the ending is a really interesting one that I didn’t see coming. I can imagine it could raise some debate on whether that was the best ending but for me, it really fits the book overall so I liked it.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND KATRINA MONROE FOR ALLOWING ME TO READ THIS EARLY COPY.

I really loved this story and the way everything was set up. The different POV’s and timelines made me really connect with the characters and their stories. I did have a big challenge when reading it because the story lagged for a long time. Once it hit its stride though, I was hooked and couldn’t read fast enough so stick with it! It’s a great book, the cover is beautiful, overall, it’s a good book!

They Drown Our Daughters is a harrowing tale, part-gothic, part-supernatural, but all of it heart-wrenching. It's a slow burn which builds over time as we get to know several generations of women and daughters. I am amazed this is a debut, the author writes so well.

I enjoyed the multi-generational story and narrators, although I found it at times difficult to remember how each person related to each other. I felt like a family tree at the start might have been helpful. There are two main protagonists, Meredith and her mother, Judith. The characters are complex and well developed by the author so that at times I found myself both loving and hating them equally. I loved the book questions at the end and felt like this would be an excellent book to read at a book club and unpack all the rich layers of story the author presents us with. This book will tug at your heart strings and emotions!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC.

This book will make you miss your mother.

They Drown Our Daughters is a multi-perspective story following one family across a century and a half as the women in it navigate a multi-generation curse and haunting. As someone leaning into horror for the first time, I found this book to be well balanced in familial warmth and narrative tension, and I would label this read a light modern-gothic tale. It’s set in a seaside town, and the author does an excellent job of setting a spooky tone (i.e., stormy and salty sea breezes at night) that made it the perfect read on a rainy spring day. There are shadows, suspicious neighbors, eerie lighthouses, and dark and abandoned shacks, but I found nothing truly scary or horrific in the story.

The best part of this novel is the complexity with which the author describes the mother-daughter relationships throughout. She is able to encapsulate this bittersweet dynamic in which mothers and their daughters can have the most strained, complicated relationships, yet they will still yearn for each other before anyone else in the hardest moments in life.

My one issue with the book is that it did lag for the first quarter but, once the pace sped up, I kept gravitating toward it in the same way Monroe’s women are pulled in by the water.

A stunning contemporary Gothic ghost story, and a thoughtful and insightful meditation on mothers and daughters, Alzheimer's and aging, and what it means to be haunted.

This is sadly a DNF for me. Being a big fan of Jennifer McMahon and gothic tales, I thought this was a no brainer and I was riveted initially. However, it started to become a confusing read with a long list of characters (primarily female because of the storyline) that were hard to keep track of. Add in the dual timelines (which I usually love but didn't here), not having any emotions or feelings towards any of the characters and I ended up being bored. I will try again at some point but maybe having just come off a really good gothic retelling, this wasn't the ideal time for me to grab this one. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one.

Thank you, Katrina Monroe, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book! It releases on July 12th, 2022!

“Everyone around here talks about the cape like it exists for the sole purpose of either killing or blessing them. Curses or Mermaids. They forget…” She sipped the vodka, willing it to stay down. “It’s all about the mothers.”

THEY DROWN OUR DAUGHTERS
I was so excited to be given an opportunity to read They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe because they said it is perfect for fans of Jennifer McMahon, whom I love! Be prepared for multiple perspectives and timelines, but the main timeline begins in the present when Meredith leaves her wife and heads home to Cape Disappointment with her daughter, Alice. There are rumors that it is haunted and Meredith’s family is at the center of the rumors. While Meredith doesn’t believe in ghost stories, her mother does. But soon Meredith hears the call from the ocean and suspects her daughter does as well. Maybe she needs to start believing in order to save her daughter from a cruel family fate.

There is a lot happening in this story. It is about multiple generations of women who endure trauma and can’t escape a family curse. It all starts with one mother who would do anything, even kill, to keep her children. But is that really what happens? At first, I thought I knew where this story was headed but I am not going to lie the last quarter of the book did lose me a little bit. The finale of the book is heartwrenching, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry–because I totally did. But the portion before the finale could have used a little polishing. It just didn’t flow as well as the rest of the story.

Many people will hate the different timelines and perspectives but I loved it. It really dove into the inner workings of the mother-daughter relationships within this single family. The quote above states, “It’s all about the mothers.”–and it is so true. We watch Meredith go from unsure and broken from being in a terrible marriage, not being able to connect with her mother, and doubting her abilities as a mother to knowing precisely what to do and to heal the trauma of multiple generations. This book is wonderfully gothic and eerie and I was not disappointed! I definitely plan to read more of Katrina Monroe!

I really enjoyed the premise of They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe, and the descriptive writing was enchanting and made me feel as if I was by the seaside. The supernatural elements were done very well and gave this seaside horror/thriller a bit of a gothic feel. I think with a bit of tightening up on the story this could have been a five star read for me.

Where it fell flat was with the added chapters of the matriarchal line. Once again, I thought the premise was interesting and it could have possibly worked with the story, but I didn’t feel the way they were written added anything to the story. It was just the same thing over and over. Woman goes crazy, no one talks about it, and then her life ends. While I understand it was one of the themes in the book, and mental health does need to be discussed more, it just didn’t add anything to the story for me.

It also felt like two different books once we got to the island. Again, I thought it was an interesting premise, but it didn’t feel like it flowed with the rest of the book. While the supernatural doesn’t need to be explained, sometimes that makes it more creepy, I felt like too little information was actually given about the ancestral line of the witches. Perhaps if more time was spent with them, and less time with the smaller chapters regarding the maternal ancestors I would have enjoyed the book more.

But this is all personal opinion, and the author didn’t write the book just for me, so this may be one that you really enjoy.

Thank you to Net Galley, Poisoned Pen Press and Katrina Monroe for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*Trigger Warning*
Suicide, Kidnapping, Abuse,

I really enjoyed this book, the combination of the ghost story across the generations and the events taking place in the present is so well done. I never wanted to change the perspective as I was equally invested in each woman in the family and her experience of this curse. Meredith and Judith are the most concrete characters in the book and I loved the complex relationship and the fact it wasn't good or bad it was just their relationship. The twist was a bit strange but once I accepted it the rest of the story was fantastic and I loved the ending. The ghost story is amazingly creepy and insidious and the storytelling is so well done to convey how the characters feel, not being able to control your own body is a universal fear that Katrina Monroe has tapped into. The book is so beautifully written and the exploration of different kinds of relationships and love was fantastic, I can't wait to read more by Katrina Monroe

A creepy ghost story with gothic influences, this book was just the right amount suspenseful mixed in local lore. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the lighthouse and the ocean, and the familial ties that the characters had to Cape Disappointment and the curse that haunted the residents. I loved the setting of this book, and it complimented the story beautifully.

What I found the most interesting was the focus on the mothers and daughters, and how it affected their reactions in relation to the curse and their life choices. It all began with a mother and a daughter, and it ends with a mother and daughter. Things were mostly tied up at the end (no cliffhangers) after the surprising twists and turns that the story took, but I think it would have been nice to have a bit more information regarding Regina and how she ended up where she did in the book. Overall a 4-star read for me.

A creepy tale of an alleged curse that haunts generations of women. Meredith has been estranged from her mother Judith but when her marriage falls apart, she takes her daughter Alice and heads home to Cape Disappointment. This then moves back and forth in time to tell the story of their family, of the women who had so many tragedies. It's atmospheric to be sure but it also bounces around a bit more than I would have liked. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC. For fans of the gothic.

I love a book that can keep me guessing and unable to predict how it is going to end. This book did that! From the beginning this story this book captivated my attention and kept me turning the page to find out what happens next. Meredith comes from a long line of women who may be cursed, but even with all Meredith has seen and experienced she does not believe the curse to be real. Well, as the book goes on she definitely comes to believe as she tries to protect her own daughter from the fate of the women in her family. The reader is jumped between the past and present as we not only follow Meredith’s story but also those of the women before her. I found this book to be entertaining, attention grabbing, and a definite page turner.

This book was devoured in one sitting. I was fully engrossed in the story--the author left me spellbound! The magic system and characters throughout truly made this book stand out to others in this genre. The story structure was so well organized, and I think my high school students will absolutely adore this book when it is published.

This book was an awesome combination of family thriller and spooky ghost story, that wove together the unique history of a "cursed" family's present day struggles.

Meredith Stand has returned home to Cape Disappointment following an acrimonious divorce with her young daughter to care for her mother, who is showing the beginning signs of Alzheimer's. However, despite her family's long history of maintaining the coastal community's lighthouse and the strange call to the water she feels, Meredith's mother insists she and her daughter, Alice, stay away from the ocean. But Alice seems not to heed this message and is continuously drawn to the water, as Meredith also seems to spiral out of control the more she remains near the ocean. Meredith hopes she can break the curse and save her and her daughter before it's too late and they end up the next victims of the cape.

The story is told from a variety of viewpoints: Meredith's in the present; her mother Judy's as a young woman as she confronts the reality of the curse; and of the various women in the Strand family throughout history who have been affected by it. Even through all of those points of view, however, I was ale to keep things straight and really enjoyed seeing things throughout history as they unfolded. It made the story multi-layered.

I loved this story. It had just enough real-world drama and enough supernatural/ghost story to keep me turning pages and creeped out. I was glued to the book from the opening chapters as we were introduced to this fascinating family, which tragedy just seems to follow like a magnet, unfortunately. I don't want to get into it too much because there's a lot of good twists in there, but the ending is very satisfying and brings the storyline full circle.

Meredith is a really well-drawn character, full of complexity and heart. She was someone whose journey I enjoyed following throughout the book. Her and her family, who obviously play such a huge role in the book.

If you are into ghostly stories and family lineage stories, this is the perfect book for you. I loved it, straight from the beginning,

First, thank you to NetGalley for the free eARC!

There were parts of this book that I didn’t love— most of the island parts, really— but overall wow! I loved this. The horrible constricting fear for your child is so relatable and terrifying. Like, this book scared me more than most, and the island scenes WERE tense, I just didn’t love the… characterization of the big bad I guess. But damn. Very different portrayals of motherhood here, and it does a good job showing the complexities of everything.

Biggest complaint is the complete lack of follow up regarding Meredith’s bio dad. Like what the hell, this would NOT have been complicated. Also I’m confused as FUCK how Vic was still in Judith’s life and why she didn’t turn him in for abetting her kidnapping??? Like seriously tell the cops there’s a crazy lady on the island. This is not a hard problem to solve. Also these women need to like, actually explain shit to their daughters and not just be cryptic. But maybe that’s a criticism of the real world too— women get told about dangers generally, but we need better warnings about the dangers close to home.

I’m glad Alice grew up well but… she had a second mom? Did Art raise her? Like the book makes it seem like that, but that’s insane. SURELY she would have grown up with mama Kristin in Arlington right?????

Anyway, this book makes me wanna cuddle my own daughter extra, so it def moved me emotionally, And that’s always a sign of something well done.

I am a big Jennifer McMahon fan, and this book gave off the same vibes, and I absolutely loved it. I couldn't recommend this book enough.

This book kept me on my toes. The premise is so interesting, once I got into the rhythm of the writing, I could not put the book down.

This is debut that I knew sounded like it had fantastic potential, and boy is it eerily creepy especially for those of us who don’t like the ocean *raises hand*

It’s an adult horror that follows a multi generational curse of the women of this family the story follows. This curse has been plaguing the family since the 1800s and now present day we follow Meredith and her daughter which of course, weird things start happening. I really like this stuff because I always want to know if the curse gets broken by the end of the book or does everyone just die. That’s the heart of the mystery. If you like thrillers than definitely add this to your wishlist.
Full review to come on YouTube

I really liked this book and the beginning was excellent. At the middle it got somewhat convoluted and wordy that slowed down the momentum. I would recommend this book to others though. I really loved the characters.