I enjoyed this title greatly and the setting. I found the character a tragic individual and this is a dark themed book. This is great book for anyone looking for something darker with gothic horror.

I’ve always wanted a book about a rotting imaginary friend and this book certainly delivered. I LOVED it!!

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen
Pub Date: May 14, 2024

Rating: 2.5 stars
Genre: Gothic Horror
I was so intrigued by this book when I heard about it. A dark gothic tale with ghosts?! You are speaking my language. Sadly, this missed the mark for me.

When I hear horror and ghosts, I have certain expectations. I was thinking spooky, eerie, scary. What I got was a slow burn coming of age story that left me bored to tears.

Don’t get me wrong, the story was very well written and the author definitely had a way with description that would turn your stomach. It was just such a slog to read that I also had a hard time connecting or caring about the characters.

I also prefer adult fiction and this felt really YA to me. Overall, this is a pass for me.

Rating: 3.75/5 (rounded up to 4)
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I had no real expectations for this book and I was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere is built impeccably, the twists are executed with perfect timing (even though some of them where predictable for me) and the story is well written. The supernatural elements were included in a compelling way that made them believable. I would’ve given this 4 stars but the thing for me were the characters. I couldn’t care for them, at all. The plot was interesting enough to keep me reading but in reality I couldn’t be bothered to be concerned for whatever fate the protagonists may face. The ending was off putting in comparison to the rest of the story. Nevertheless, I don’t mind it that much. This is a perfect read for spooky season.

Unfortunately I am not the right audience for this book, so I ended up DNF-ing at about 20%. From the little I read, it was interesting, I just wasn’t comfortable reading about spirits.

Thank you to Poised Pen Press and Netgalley @Netgalley for the e-arc. All thoughts are my own.

Unofficial Summary:
Roos has a spirit companion only she can see, that is until a wealthy young widow attends a séance and asks Roos to come live with her. Turns our Agness Knoop also has a spirit companion. The manor they live in is unsettling, but the attraction between Roos and Agness is palpable.

So how does someone end up dead? And is a spirit the culprit? Doctor Montague is determined to find out.

Review:
This is one of my favorite gothic books in a long time. Usually, gothic books tend to be so slow paced that I get a little bored in the process despite loving them, but that was not the case here. The pacing on this book was wonderful and carried on with a nice clip that held my interest throughout and propelled me through the pages nicely. Roos was a fascinating character and I love how we got to know her and really see her character grow over the course of the book. Though I do think that more could have happened with her, and she did do some things I found disappointing, I still really enjoyed her as a character. The side characters were also fun and really added depth to the story. Mrs. Knoop’s sister-in-law was quite the character and sure did like to stir the pot. The sapphic element was light, and left to the reader, but I enjoyed how it was done. It felt very true to the time. I also appreciated the inclusion of the doctor’s sessions with Roos. It was a fun way to unravel what had happened with Mrs. K.

This was a wonderfully written gothic tale and I couldn’t believe it was a debut. It was fantastic.

Incredible! I could not put this book down! I really appreciate the amount of detail that went into the story line, it was a great visualizer in making the story come to life! Also, who doesn’t love a good story about ghosts?

Strange, spooky, and sapphic: should be a recipe for deliciousness, no? This book gets points for a very unique approach to hauntings, and contains several scenes so vivid and unusual that I know I won't forget them. We have some interesting relationships in here, and well-drawn settings.

So the ingredients are good. It's the recipe, then, that didn't do it for me - the pacing was glacial, the romance felt tacked-on, and the setting was SO endlessly frustrating. This book felt, from beginning to end, like it was set in the midst of the Victorian spiritualism era, from the seances to the crumbling gothic manor, but it was somehow, bafflingly, meant to be taking place in the 1940s/50s. This threw me off EVERY time, and it just wasn't necessary; I'm assuming this time period was meant to justify the inclusion of scenes where the main character is getting psychoanalized, but with the most minor of tweaks this could have been adjusted and would have made a hell of a lot more sense.

Still, I won't forget Ruth and Peter, my favorite ghosts in the long while. Worth the read for a truly different take on ghosts.

My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is so well written. It is about a young woman, Roos, and her spirit companion, Ruth. It is a good story, gothic and atmospheric, set in the 1950s in postwar Netherlands. This is a debut novel, and I look forward to reading more from this author. Recommended.

Roos is the only one that can see Ruth, which is fine because Ruth is dead and sort of terrifying having been tortured and murdered a long time ago. The problem is that Roos mother wants to exploit their bond by using her as a medium who can supposedly become possessed by the souls of the recently dead for anyone willing to pay to have an encounter with their dearly departed. Ruth, fiercely protective of Roos, persuades her to become wealthy Agnes’s companion to escape her life as her mother’s slave, but now after finding her soulmate and happily ever after, Roos finds herself on trial for murder and at the hands of a doctor who is determined to prove she is mentally unstable and that Ruth doesn’t exist. Twisting, turning thrills, impossible to put down, I loved this book! It was terribly romantic and tragic and heartbreaking and wonderful all at once.

My Darling Dreadful Things
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, what a beautiful cover! I really enjoyed the writing style and the Case Episode portions of the book but ultimately it wasn’t for me. It is a very slow sapphire gothic horror and I am not a slow burn girlie. The concept of this book was good, I just didn’t end up connecting with the characters or story like I had hoped. I would still recommend this and be interested in checking out more books by this author!

Thank you Netgalley, publisher Poisoned Pen Press, and author Johanna Van Veen for providing an ARC in exchange for a review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 stars

I really wanted to like this book, everything about it was appealing to me (a sapphic dark gothic tale? Sounds absolutely perfect!), but for some unknown reason, this wasn’t the book for me. By no means I’m saying the book is bad, quite the opposite: the writing was well executed, I always enjoy an unreliable narrator, and I thought the combination of narrative and the excerpts of the case studies was pretty unique. However, halfway through the book I grew bored, and I couldn’t bring myself to care for the characters. Maybe I’ll give it another try in the future!

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for approving my request for this one! Van Veen's "my darling Dreadful thing" is one of the best modern Gothic horror novels I have ever read!

It takes place in 1958, but you wouldn't know it by the way Roos Beckman describes the world as she knows it. Her life is pain, blood, salt and tears from the beginning. The narrative follows her vivid thoughts, which are unabstract due to a rudimentary education but not stupid or foolish. Hers is based in the organic, and the way she smells, tastes and feels everything draws you in immediately. She is direct, candid, but interestingly, codependent. The latter is due to her upbringing, but also the fact that she is bound to an old spirit named Ruth.

Roos came upon Ruth quite accidentally, but in Ruth she found the love and support she dreadfully needed. Ruth knew pain, blood and tears, long before she had been drowned in that bog. Ruth's broken jaw clacks, she is icy cold with black eyes, and smells of earthy rot and peat. But when widow Agnes Knoop enters both their lives, everything changes for the better. Agnes brings Roos to her seemingly rich estate, to live as companions and with her own spirit Peter. As a result, Roos convinces herself that she will do anything to keep Agnes happy. Even if that happiness strikes at Ruth or raises something dangerous and cruel from the dead.

This novel is like a combination of Crimson Peak, the Monkey's Paw, and The Turn of the Screw. There were scenes in this book where you could almost feel the mud or smell the bog. Roos claims throughout the book that she is not mad, but this is true at least when pertaining to Ruth's existence. Her dark, desperate actions for Agnes though? No sane woman could do what she did, mentally or physically. That was honestly the best part of the book. Watching how far Roos was willing to go for the woman she loved. This one is definitely sticking with me. 4.5 /5!

My Darling Dreadful Thing
by Johanna van Veen
Pub Date: 14 May 2024
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Roos Beckman has a spirit companion only she can see. Ruth—strange, corpse-like, and dead for centuries—is the light of Roos’ life. That is, until the wealthy young widow Agnes Knoop visits one of Roos’ backroom seances, and the two strike up a connection.

Soon, Roos is whisked away to the crumbling estate Agnes inherited upon the death of her husband, where an ill woman haunts the halls, strange smells drift through the air at night, and mysterious stone statues reside in the family chapel. Something dreadful festers in the manor, but still, the attraction between Roos and Agnes is undeniable.

Then, someone is murdered.

Poor, alone, and with a history of ‘hysterics’, Roos is the obvious culprit. With her sanity and innocence in question, she’ll have to prove who—or what—is at fault or lose everything she holds dear.

4.5/5
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own. Publication date: 14/3 2024.

Do you love a gothic horror? Do pick this book up!
The story revolves around Roos, a young woman with an unlikely companion – a ghost named Ruth who also can possess her, because of this she’s the perfect person to help conduct fake séances.
One day, Agnes arrives to take part in a séance after her husband’s untimely death. Agnes takes a liking to Roos and takes her with her back to her inherited estate. There is something terrible festering inside the manor and an ill woman haunting the halls.
Things turn horrible wrong, and someone gets murdered. But why and by who?
It is also a story about love.
If you like a gothic tale, with a whodunit-twist this is the book for you!
It had me from page one, sending shivers up my spine occasionally. It was just the right amount of eerie and which of the characters can you really trust?
It’s truly a delightful and horrifying read!

This is an incredible story, the writing was so well done and it is just so beautiful! I loved Agnes and Roos so so much, their love story, their spirit companions- it just all worked. The hard to read subjects were handled with such care as well, I sat down in one sitting and read it all. Probably the coolest book I’ve read in a long time and one that will stick with me always🖤 thank you for the arc and the experience of this book, it’s fantastic and those who love gothic paranormal thrillers like me will sure to love this.

Eerie, beautiful and horrific story into the unknown and unlike anything I have ever read. This gothic horror book set in Post WWII we are being told the story of Roos and her ability to see and interact with the dead. Child abuse, racism, murder, sexual assault, homophobia and casual cannibalism are all discussed and conquered while immersing the reader so deep into the story that Roos tells, you will have be on her side and NOT the side of the doctor who she is trying to tell her story to.
As a reader I love being so caught up in a story that I can smell the sweet rot sent of the bog. I loved being able to hear the clicking sound of Ruth’s jaw. I would sometimes hold the page further away from my face just because I was afraid that what I was reading could possibly jump off the page
Well done!

Filled with disgusting displays of intimacy, casual cannibalism, and a queer love story, one might think My Dreadful Darling would be a more exciting read.

Now don't get me wrong, I think this book is well written. The author displays great skill in setting a tone and making that tone flip your stomach. Unfortunately, I found this book a bit of a slog to read.

Roos is, as one might guess, an unusual girl. Her manner of speech is said to be out dated for the time and she's described to act. Well. Ill-adjusted. I think this is written well, Roos and her darling Ruth speak and act alike. Considering one of them is a hundreds-year-old mummified corpse, the duo certainly have an off-putting flair to them. The issue is, other characters, even the supposedly more well adjusted, seem to speak and act in ways that could only be to serve the reader.

I get the feeling the author was afraid to let the reader float in uncertainty. The book is written as Roos telling her doctor the events of her life leading up to the book's Main Event. I feel like that decision led to a lot of actions being over-explained either by Roos or by characters explicitly telling Roos. There's honestly an egregious amount of telling versus showing in this book and I feel that is what made it so hard to get through.

At no point in this story did I wonder 'Oh gosh, what could possibly happen next?' Because I had already been told. We are told very early into the book what to expect from its ending and I'm really not sure why the author made this decision. There is very little guesswork needed to put the story together. Other story beats are introduced, sure, but they are introduced in such a way that any questions you could have about them are almost immediately answered, or could be easily assumed.

I wanted to like this book. There are many reasons to like this book! The style is eerie and beautiful, the setting is interesting, the cast is even more interesting! I just think that the author went about it in... Not the wrong way, but I definitely think there was a better way. As much potential as this book has, I'm really not sure if I'd recommend it or not.

If you enjoy themes of queerness in horror, off-putting levels of intimacy, or just really liked the movie Crimson Peak; you might just like this book.

I was initially drawn to Johanna van Veen's "My Darling Dreadful Thing" by the otherworldly eerie beauty of its cover art, and I was not disappointed by the richly atmospheric story within. Van Veen's creativity captivates us with every twist and turn, making "My Darling Dreadful Thing" a hauntingly memorable read. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of sordid backroom séances, drawing readers into a mysterious realm that becomes both enthralling and unsettling. Van Veen masterfully navigates the delicate balance of uncertainty, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat as Roos contends with accusations and the enigmatic allure of a crumbling estate. As a fervent admirer of unreliable narrators, I found Roos' perspective to be both intriguing and enigmatic, adding layers of complexity to the unfolding drama.

This book swallowed me whole. Van Veen has crafted a masterpiece of a debut, a story hauntingly beautiful and achingly sapphic.

In a post-WWII Netherlands, Roos Beckman has no shortage of clients for her Mama's seances. Unwillingly, and only to appease her abusive caregiver, Roos allows the dead to crawl down her throat and use her voice to speak. Except, there are no dead to possess her- only her spirit companion Ruth.

<b>I was never a happy child. I think that, if I had been, things would have gone very differently with me. For one, I don't think Ruth would have become my constant companion. Spirits like her are not drawn to the happy and carefree; they want salt, be it blood or be it tears.</b>

Roos' supposed ability to conjure the dead eventually draws the attention of the rich, young, recently widowed Agnes Knoop. Agnes is not only pleased by the session, but requests that Roos accompany her back to Rozentuin, the grand estate left empty and rotting after her husband's death. Roos, eager to escape the claws of her Mama, agrees. What awaits her there, even Ruth can't protect her from.

<b>To draw blood is just another kind of passion, isn't it?</b>

Following Roos was compelling from start to finish. Her desperation, her willpower, her desire to love and be loved, were written so beautifully that my copy of the book is marred with highlights. I could get inside her head as easily as Ruth could (ha), and her terrifying descent into the murky, boggy depths of Rozentuin dragged me right into the mud with her. Would recommend for fans of creeping, slow-burn horror, sapphic love stories, and the atmosphere and aesthetics of Crimson Peak.