A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**4.5-stars**
💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙
Ooo, this was very, very clever. Cooke delivered the exact level of unsettling atmosphere I was hoping for.
In this story we are treated to two very distinct and very memorable perspectives. We follow Nicky, whose story begins for us in 1901, as well as Dominique, who offers us a more present day perspective.
There are a few other, one section, perspectives we get every now and then just to help buff out some of our action. Cooke’s execution of this was fantastic, IMO. It sounds like a lot, but when you are reading it, it flows so well.
All of our drama sort of surrounds a ship known as the Ormen. In 1901, Nicky was attacked one night and wakes aboard the Ormen, a ship her father owns, where she is then kept and abused throughout an entire sea voyage.
Over a hundred years later, the wreck of the Ormen has washed ashore in a remote area of Iceland. It’s scheduled to be destroyed, but explorer Dominique feels compelled to document its last days.
I don’t want to say too much. This is so cunningly done, it’s best to just know the basics from above, or the publisher’s synopsis, and let the rest wash over you as it comes.
Some aspects of the story are absolutely gut-wrenching, particularly all that Nicky was subjected to aboard the Ormen. Her evolution as a character is horrific and also broke my heart. I loved being on this journey with her. It felt like honoring a memory in a way by bearing witness to it all.
I really enjoyed the back-and-forth between Nicky and Dominique. As the story was building, I was so curious how it was going to intersect. You could feel the past influencing Dominique, but how would it ultimately play out?
I was sad for Nicky, chest-achingly sad, and scared for Dominique. My emotions were all over the place. The stark atmosphere, cold and desolate, def got under my skin.
Additionally, the audiobook was fantastic. I felt like the narrator’s accent brought a certain level of authenticity to it that enhanced my experience.
I would 100% recommend this to Horror fans, particularly fans of Historical Horror, or Arctic Horror. The way this beautifully-blends those 2-subgenres is top shelf indeed!
Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I have truly enjoyed Cooke’s work thus far, and am definitely looking forward to more.