Blog Tour: We Wait by Megan Taylor

Happy Halloween!

Today is my turn on the blog tour for We Wait by Megan Taylor. Thank you to Eyrie Press for a digital review copy. The book is out now and you can get a copy here!

Here’s the synopsis and my review:

Publication Date: 18 November 2019
Genre: Horror, Ghost Story
Author: Megan Taylor
Publisher: Eyrie Press
Pages: 238

Synopsis:

From the author of novels How We Were Lost, The Dawning and The Lives of Ghosts, and a short story collection, The Woman Under the Ground.

The wealthy Crawleys can’t abide a scandal, so when fifteen-year-old Maddie’s behaviour causes concern, she’s packed off to the family’s country estate, along with her best friend, Ellie. But while Maddie is resentful, Ellie is secretly thrilled. A whole summer at Greywater House, which she’s heard so much about – and with Maddie, who she adores…

But from the moment the girls arrive, it’s clear there’s more to the house and the family than Ellie could ever have imagined. Maddie’s aunt, Natalie, and her bedridden grandmother are far from welcoming – and something has been waiting at Greywaters, something that flits among the shadows and whispers in the night.

As the July heat rises and the girls’ relationship intensifies, the house’s ghosts can’t be contained, and it isn’t just Ellie who has reason to be afraid. Three generations of the Crawley family must face their secrets when past and present violently collide.

Review:

“We wait because the night is ours, as the house is ours, and as you are, or will be very soon.“

Set at the height of summer, 15-year-old Ellie and her friend Maddie are staying at Greywater House, Maddie’s family estate. Their trip is meant to be a reprieve after a terrible incident. But Maddie’s aunt Natalie isn’t happy to see them and Maddie’s grandmother is barely speaking. And something else lingers in the house.

We Wait is a lovely gothic horror that really captivated me. From the sticky heat as the girls lay at the lake to the cool darkness of the nearby woods, the setting provokes a claustrophobic feeling. The writing is descriptive and poetic. I thought the characters are beautifully portrayed. Ellie’s uncertainty and aching want, Maddie’s false bravado, Natalie’s despair; they all feel real. The house looms over them ominously through its dark hallways and fussy rooms. An unknown narrator whispers secrets, adding to the eerie atmosphere. Taking place in in 2016 and 1986, the parallel storylines illustrate the haunting way history tends to repeat itself.

While I don’t want to reveal too much, I want to highlight the fact that the book has queer representation. I thought it portrays sapphic relationships in a tender, thoughtful way. The horror thus comes not just from the supernatural but also from the hostility and repression of these desires. It’s emotionally resonant. I liked how the book leaves crumbs and pieces that fall into place at the end.

If you’re looking for an evocative ghost story about memories and secrets, you don’t want to miss We Wait!