Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars**
Sister, Maiden, Monster is a wild, imaginative, bizarre, toe-curling, cringe-inducing story that is a conglomeration of many different genres.
If I had to narrow it down, I would describe it as say, Cosmic Horror blended with Apocalyptic Pandemic Fiction, and I guess, a side of Transgressive Horror.
I read this in less than a day and it left my head spinning. I know I didn’t understand it all and honestly, I can’t even say that I ‘enjoyed’ it. Like it’s not a jolly good time, but I am sort of gobsmacked by the entire thing.
I don’t want to really go into the story at all, because I went into this knowing nothing about it, and I feel like that’s the way to go. Be warned however, as I mentioned earlier, that this is Pandemic Fiction.
I know a lot of people aren’t ready for that yet, considering all we’ve been through over the last few years.
This story is broken into distinct sections and each one follows a different perspective. In a way, that arrangement made it seem a bit more like connected novellas, as opposed to one cohesive story.
I wasn’t crazy about that format, I think I would have preferred to switch back and forth between the different perspectives as the story progressed. However, that is 100% personal taste and the author should be free to tell the story any way they wish.
For me though, I do think that had an effect on my experience with this story.
As far as the perspectives, I feel like my favorite was Erin. She is the first character we hear from and actually the one whose experience, with the pandemic unfolding, most closely relates to what we all experienced in early-2020.
By the end of the story, I was still enjoying the characters I was meeting, but I had less of a grasp on what was actually happening to them. And Baby Gregory, don’t even get me started! You’d have to read it to believe it.
I did really enjoy Snyder’s writing style. I felt it was very smooth and engaging. They also explored some interesting themes and were able to successfully carry those themes throughout.
Overall, I think this is a compelling story with a lot to cringe at and consider regarding our world. I would recommend this to people who enjoy Bizzaro Fiction, or Cosmic Horror. You need to be prepared for wild events if you pick this up though. I’m just saying.
Also, I did listen to the audiobook and absolutely recommend that medium. The narration was fantastic. It pulled me into the story right away.
Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
This is the first of Snyder’s work that I have picked up, but I am definitely interested in reading more. Sister, Maiden, Monster releases this Tuesday, February 21st!!!