Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

3⭐️s

This was my first time treading a book by Johanna Van Veen and I must say, the writing style, for me, was a little hard to get into. I thought a lot of the journal entries went on for too long, especially at the beginning. We spent a lot of time talking about that dang bog body. I usually love a gothic horror book, especially when it’s about “vampires” but this felt less gothic are more gore in a sense. I did like how the author tried to make it more about it being a parasite than a vampire thing but this book just wasn’t for me. I don’t think anything in this book was original or new so I didn’t feel invested in it sadly. I’ve heard her other book My Darling Dreadful was good so maybe I’ll give that a try.

"a girl needs to eat," she said simply. And she ate alright. Van Veen left absolutely no crumbs in this.

*Thanks to Nat Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for early access to this title in exchange for an honest review*

This one checked all the boxes for me. I love a good gothic horror and this one was giving all the Crimson Peak del Toro vibes. I was loving the nods to Dracula (one of my personal favorite books) as well. The inspo behind this was highly apparent but still maintained it's ability to be quite unique. I was literally in the fetal position for some of the tense moments and it's been a long time since a book has done that to me. I'll be sleeping with the lights on tonight.

I also loved the commentary on female love. While I personally question the morality behind the decision making, at the end of the day these girlies did what was right for them (murder). And you know what? I'm all for it, girl power!!

I have two complaints which i consider *minor* and that is some of the scenes were a bit... odd lol iykyk. And at points, the plot points felt a bit self serving to make sure all the potential holes were all patched up (ex. "I won't need to eat again for awhile!"). However, in the grand scheme this book was creative, well written, and consumable (pls hold for my finger cake recipe). Needs to be on every tbr from here to New York, Milan, Paris, or wherever!

Omg!!!! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this early!! Loooooved it!! It was sensational. Delicious. Devious and beautiful, I devoured it!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book with a dark, gothic, twisted atmosphere that's a tale about the love of family, struggles with mental health, and coping with trauma all with a mix of vampire/bog people creatures! The imagery throughout the book was so descriptive that you really feel like you are set within the time period.

I really enjoyed the characters and leaning about how the main character's sister Sarah becomes "Not Sarah." The descriptions of her interactions with the other characters, particularly some gruesome scenes later on in the story, are so descriptive it really adds to the creepiness of the entire situation.

I read the author's first book and love how she always seems to throw in aspects of struggling with mental health, and she does it well again in this book. Definitely give it a try if you're in for a spooky, sad, enraging, and engaging time!

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this intriguing book!
Blood on her Tongue by Johanna van Veen
4.5 out of 5 stars. ⭐

The title and the cover of this book spoke to some gothic dark side of me, and made me think of A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock. I really wanted to reexperience the discomfort of horrific gore elements, while being embraced in a slightly discomforting gothic atmosphere. This book delivered on all my expectations, and decided to sprinkle my treat with a good amount of feminism and female rage; and GOOD 👏 FOR👏 HER👏

After Lucy's twin sister, Sarah, uncovers the body of a woman in a bog, Sarah cannot get her out of her mind. In Sarah's spiral downwards into what the doctor says is insanity, Lucy decides to go visit her and her husband. When Lucy arrives, she suspects there's more to her sister's condition than is let on. When Sarah starts to show signs of hunger, and takes a turn for the worse, Lucy has to decide to look truth in the eyes or risk losing her sister forever.

This book gave me more than I ever expected. I loved the atmosphere and the framing of the horror of the plot and the horror of women's rights and advocacy in the 1900's. This helped pull the story together and keep you hanging on.

I thought the element I would know the best in this story would be the vampiric elements, but this book tweaked it and made it completely it's own, while making a real horror show out of it too. While van Veen makes this classic monster completely her own, I cannot help but feel like she has gone back to its original roots too.

If you are looking for something horrifically gothic to spend your time with - please look no further than here.

The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's condition, but it's clear her twin is hiding something. Then again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too.

Then, the worst happens. Sarah's behavior takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry.

Lucy soon comes to suspect that something is trying to possess her beloved sister. Or is it madness? As Sarah changes before her very eyes, Lucy must reckon with the dark, monstrous truth, or risk losing her forever.

This book had me asking my bestie if she would help me sustain myself by doing...criminal things in order for me to live -- and if that isn't a sign of a great book, I don't know what to tell you. Needless to say, I had a lot of fun reading this book. It was gripping and brutal. There were a few gnarly scenes that made me cringe in the best way. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys complex female relationships, especially between sisters/twins, historical fiction, and gothic literature.

Synopsis: Lucy’s twin sister, Sarah, is not mad. Lucy will not let her be, so determined is she to hide Sarah’s strange appetites, violent outbursts, and decaying body so she doesn’t end up in the asylum.
But will keeping this secret turn Lucy into the an even more dangerous monster than whatever ails her sister?

My thoughts: This gothic, slow-burn horror douses the reader in gore, absurdism, and feminine rage.
With its 1800s setting and quotes from Dracula that introduce each section, I worried that I would find van Veen’s story slow as a reader who really struggled with Stoker’s pacing.
However, this story feels fresh and pushes boundaries in ways that only proper horror can.
The main character’s moral code may seem simple on the surface, with her dedication to keep her sister safe. However, she makes decisions and gives into desires that will deter readers with an appetite for unproblematic main characters. I appreciated both of the sisters’ authentic flaws, and I personally will never balk at a woman’s audacity to turn feral to protect those she loves.
At around the 2/3 mark, it did get a bit windy and meandering. But I just chalked it up to the plot mirroring the supposed insanity of the “sickly” sister. When things picked back up, I felt very happy to be along for the ride.
All in all, this book was delightfully disturbing, and I will not be wandering too close to bogs any time soon.

This book totally scratched my itch for a dark, gothic and sometimes humorous story of female love and friendship! I really particularly enjoyed that this was an alternative, refreshing take on vampires and vampire lore too.

I'm quite new to the horror genre and before reading this novel I was so sure that I wouldn't be able to stomach any body horror... but I kind of loved it? 😂 I'd recommend this one to any reader who likes their gothic novels with a hefty dose of feminine rage!

Blood on Her Tongue is everything a gothic book should be! It was creepy, eerie, morally questionable, gory and mysterious as all great gothic works are. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, the characters' arcs were very intriguing and (my personal favorite) descending into morally questionable actions. The writing also helped with the atmosphere and successfully gave us insight on Lucy's thoughts in a way that evoked the big gothic stories. Definitely one of my favorite 2025 reads and looking forward to reading more from Johanna van Veen!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

It is a twisted, dark and disturbing book.

I forced my way through, but it was just not my type of book. If you are into shock factor, you may enjoy.

Not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book in exchange of an honest review!
Okay… this book was a little bit all over the place. It had a great start, very disturbing, dark, creepy (in a really good way, that’s exactly what I like in horror stories). But around the 60% mark, there was a sudden change that literally made me believe I was reading an entirely different book with entirely different characters. I don’t think there was a great introduction for this changes, and they made the story lose the mystery that I believed made the plot so interesting.
The story had great potential, but I unfortunately don’t think it lived up to it.

Made me feel superior for having a normal and healthy relationship with my identical twin. Interesting exploration of codependency and parasitism and what it means to still truly be yourself. I wasn’t a huge fan of Lucy and Sarah was a much more compelling character. I thought van Veen did a good job creating a dark and creepy atmosphere. This wasn’t super scary but there were definitely some gory and graphic scenes that I cringed while reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

The vibes are on point! The overall tone of female rage is a yes for me, and I loved the examination of sisterhood and loyalty. It’s got a great sense of foreboding and oppression, consistent with the theme of gender roles in this time and place. The vampire element was fairly unique, and the story surprised me in a positive way at several turns. I found the writing flows well, and the character of Lucy was vibrant.

Side characters are a little more flat, particularly the male ones, though that may serve a purpose in illustrating their (lack of) relevance to Lucy. Pacing chugs along excellently, it was a quick read for me. The body horror elements are STRONG and did give me the ick at times.

I enjoyed it, and I’m solidly a fan of this author, she delivers great feminist gothic horror!

Blood on Her Tongue was absolutely incredible. In all honesty, I was hesitant to read this new one because I loved my Darling Dreadful Thing so much. Surely it would not hold up to that! But amazingly, it did. This story was beautifully written with its ties to Netherlands in the 1800s, gothic tropes and complex family relationships. This story dove into ancient lore with talks of changelings and mystical bogs, all of which are creepy and intriguing. The title is blood on her tongue, but truly there is blood everywhere in this story. At the same time, it is well done and not grotesque. Johanna is becoming an icon in the horror world and I am here for it!

Holy… wow. To say I was left reeling after reading this book would’ve been an understatement. This was my first five-star read of the year, and the feeling I was left with after devouring this book in the entirety of one night makes it beyond worthy of that title. I’m still rather new to the gothic horror genre as a whole, but I’m so grateful that I’ve decided to step out of my comfort zone this year and read books like this. 

This was an eerie, unsettling, and exciting read! Every chapter had me clinging onto each word written, waiting to see what sort of madness would unravel next. I know this book won’t be for everyone due to the occasional detailed descriptions of gore and the shock value — but gosh, it was one of the things that hit home for me. There’s just something that I admire about a writer like Johanna Van Veen’s ability to make a reader’s palm sweat and stomach churn as they read.

Van Veen’s prose made it easy for me to immerse myself into this gloomy, gothic, eerie ambience that became almost addicting. For lack of a better terminology, ‘the vibes were immaculate’. 

There were definite undertones of feminism that were rooted into the story accompanied by a sapphic side story which were a definite bonus for me as well. 

There’s so much I could say in great detail that I loved about this book, but I really think it’s one of those books that you have to go into blind to fully experience for yourself. So even though I ended up annotating half of the book, I’ll refrain from sharing an excess of details. 

If you’re someone who loves gothic horror, the “good for her” trope / unhinged women in media, or lush prose that doesn’t feel overly contrived — you need to go purchase this book! Do yourself the massive favour.

What a great gothic tale about obsession, oppression, and thirst.

Our protagonist, Lucy, is a woman who deeply loves her sister-to the point of co-dependency. She is the meek to Sarah’s boldness, the proper to Sarah’s brashness. She is everything her sister is not. But she also is not above emboldening herself to protect her sister, even is that means tearing down the patriarchy surrounding her.

Sarah is a woman who longs to be able to do anything a man can, and it has come with unexpected consequences. Or did it? Sarah’s suffering is not what it seems, and may be a blessing in disguise for both her, and her sister.

I enjoyed this story and the push and pull of emotions as you venture further down the rabbit hole. It starts as a semi-typical vampire story but turns into a story of bucking against a system where men call the shots, and women are forced to comply. It also highlights the lack of bodily autonomy women had, and how women have the power to rise up and demand what should be given freely-dignity and choice. And Lucy’s power move? Absolutely bloody and unhinged.

If you are looking for a dark, disturbing, and bloody horror story, look no further.

Mmm mmmm mm it’s finger licking good.
Literally.

Dark, delicious, obsessed. I loved the twists and turns this book takes. Girl power am I right! Only criticism- a few plot holes at the end…. But we don’t need alllll the answers to enjoy this gothic tale ;)


Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley!! Very honored to review this.

This book grossed me out in the best way possible! I am obsessed with how gripping it was, the gothic elements and the bloody scenes!

What a delightful eerie gothic tale, the characters were delicious and the vibes were immaculate. We were thrown into the Netherlands within the 19th century, the sorry follows twin sisters who’s bond is so ever strong but after Lucy starts receiving frantic letters from her sister Sarah she knows something is not right and travels back to the estate to be with her sister.

A fascination with a big woman becomes the catalyst in this eerie tale and we are transported into a carefully balanced mix of gore and insanity. As time passes Lucy begins to question the unquestionable, deciphering her dearest twins frantic notes she fears for Sarah’s life has she been possessed or is it just madness?

The prose was nectareous and extremely enjoyable, tastefully dark no pun intended.
I found this novel so unique, I’ve never read anything like it and thought it was so beautifully dark and took many twists that got your pulse racing.

Our twin sisters hold a strong juxtaposition, an unspoken vow to never hold secrets from each other yet there are lingering under the surface.

We also explore the hysteria of a woman, how women have been branded as dramatic if they feel passionate about something. It was refreshing to see justice against prejudice alongside a slice of the daily female rage.

This was my first novel from this particular author and I’m keen to say I will definitely be getting my hands on every novel written or to be written by this fabulous author.

A hearty 4.5/5 stars for me!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this decadent novel and thank you to NetGalley.