Lauren Owen - Small Angels
5 ⭐
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Gothic, Mystery, LGBTQ+, Thriller, Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 480
Format: Paperback Proof
Publisher: Tinder Press
Date Published: 2nd August 2022
Huge Thank You to Tinder Press for a proof copy and for inviting me to be a part of the blog tour.
Book Blurb:
As a teenager, Kate found a safe harbour from her parents' constant fighting in the company of the four Gonne sisters, who lived with their strict grandparents next to Small Angels, a church on the edge of dense green woods. The first outsider to ever get close to the sisters, Kate eventually learned the family's secret: The woods are home to a capricious, menacing ghost whom generations of Gonne's had been charged with stopping from venturing into the village itself. But as the sisters grew older, braver, and more independent, bucking against the family's burden, the bulwark began to crack, culminating in a horrifying act of violence that drove a terrible wedge between the sisters and Kate.
Chloe has been planning her dream wedding for months. She has the dress, the flowers, and the perfect venue: Small Angels, a charming old church in the village where her fiancé, Sam, and his sister, Kate, grew up. But days before the ceremony, Chloe starts to hear unsettling stories about Small Angels--and worse, she begins to see, smell, and hear things that couldn't possibly be real.
Now Kate is returning home for the first time in years, for Sam and Chloe's wedding. But the woods are coming alive again, and Kate must reconnect with Lucia, the most troubled of the sisters and her first love, to protect Chloe, the village, and herself. An unforgettable novel about the memories that hold us back and those that show us the way forward--this is storytelling at its most magical. Enter Small Angels, if you dare.
Beautifully written, captivating
and chilling story. Absolutely adored it! Owen’s writing is full of brilliant
imagery and words that create such vivid scenes, at points making me think that
I am one of the characters in the story. Honestly, such a captivating read that
it was so hard to put down!
The story is set in a small
English village which is surrounded by mysterious Mockbeggar Woods. Through the
ages, local villagers knew that mystery, pain and folk tales all surrounded the
woods. They also knew that Mockbeggar Woods are not for them and they should
stay away from it. However, one day Chloe, who is marrying someone local from
the village, found herself fascinated by the woods and especially by the small
gothic church in the middle of it called Small Angels. She wants to get married
there but the villagers are worried and concerned that it might anger the woods,
yet part of them wants to see whether the folktales and mystery surrounding Harry
Child are real. When things and the atmosphere in the woods and the village start
to change just a few days before the wedding Chloe and the villagers realise that
they might have made a wrong choice by opening the doors of Small Angels and
entering into the secrets of the Mockbeggar.
I loved how atmospheric this book
is, especially that is set in a small English village and surrounded by folklore,
tales, ghost stories and mystery. I always imagined many small mysterious English
villages in this way and it was a pleasure to read a story set in this environment.
I also really liked the Gonne
family and their strong connection with nature and Mockbeggar. Although villagers
branded them as freaks and lunatics, as well as witches, they cherished their
lives around the Mockbeggar. I also really liked the relationship between the Gonne
sisters and how strongly they loved and fought for each other no matter what.
I really loved how this book
explored what power stories have on people and on how people perceive the world
because of certain stories. In the case of this book people in the village were always
afraid of Mockbeggar Woods because of the story about Harry Child told a few
hundred years ago, but that fear persisted for so long that people adjusted their
lives living without disturbing the peace of Mockbeggar Woods.
Overall: Captivating and beautifully
written yet chilling and atmospheric book. I loved how each character and their
stories, brought Mockbeggar Woods and Small Angles back to life. Although for
me this book was not as scary as some other thriller, horror and folklore stories
I have read, it did have some scary moments at the very end, which added so
much to the already powerful ending. Honestly, this book is one of my favourites from
this year and I cannot wait to read more from Lauren Owen, as I loved how atmospheric
and brilliant her writing is.
About the Author:
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