PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Cynthia Pelayo is Bram Stoker Award winning author who has been on my TBR list for, I shamefully admit, awhile. She is a Chicago native and most of her stories are set in Chicago. I am from the Chicago area, so I absolutely love to check out local authors. When the opportunity arose to read her latest book, Forgotten Sisters: A Novel, I jumped at the chance. What did I think of this book? Read on to find out!
Forgotten Sisters Synopsis
Sisters Anna and Jennie live in a historic bungalow on the Chicago River. They’re tethered to a disquieting past, and with nowhere else to go, nothing can part them from their family home. Not the maddening creaks and disembodied voices that rattle the old walls. Not the inexplicable drownings in the area, or the increasing number of bodies that float by Anna’s window.
To stave off loneliness, Anna has a podcast, spinning ghostly tales of Chicago’s tragic history. But when Anna captures the attention of an ardent male listener, she awakens to the possibilities of a world outside.
As their relationship grows, so do Jennie’s fears. More and more people are going missing in the river. And then two detectives come calling.
They’re looking for a link between the mysteries of the river and what’s housed on the bank. Even Anna and Jennie don’t understand how dreadful it is—and still can be—when the truth about their unsettled lives begins to surface.
The Cover
My Thoughts
I’ll be honest, at the beginning, I wasn’t sure about this book and the direction this story was going to go. Not in a bad way at all, I just wasn’t completely feeling it. However, I stuck with it and I kept reading further and soon I was fully invested in this book. I found myself thinking about it at work and wanting to get back to it on lunch. I haven’t had a read like this in quite some time.
The elements of this book include gothic horror blended with fairy tale horror. It also blends a psychological tale, that kept me enthralled and guessing until the end. It also blends haunted history, crime story, the supernatural and personal and heartfelt relationships. One of the strong elements in this book is grief and the difficulty of loss.
The characters really come alive off the page and you care about them and they are just so real. The story is unique and unfolds with a lot of twists and turns. This book has the chills of true crime, blended with fairy tales and gothic hauntings and mystery. It is a gorgeously written dark tale that will stay with you long after you finish.
I am without a doubt, seeking out all of Cynthia Pelayo’s works to read. She definitely has become a favorite of mine. Please go and check this book out, especially if you love gothic tales. It is available now in various formats on Amazon. You may also learn more about Cynthia Pelayo and her books on her website.
