Can words explain the strange appeal of this riveting psychological horror?
It’s so exciting, I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways!
These are absolutely my own thoughts and opinions.
It was very exciting to receive this book. The idea sounded so unusual and fascinating that I knew immediately that I was going to have to read it.. and love it.
It may not look like much (it’s a rather short book so.. it’s quite small) but it packs a punch!
Fair warning: There are absolutely going to be spoilers.
Side Note: To anyone who has read this book as well.. I would be very interested in discussing your opinion on what the frack I just read. Because.. Wow.
This one is weird!
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Follow Me to Ground by Sue Rainsford
With our main character, Ada, I don’t for a second believe that the author ever intended for her to seem even remotely human. From go, there’s an instinctive wariness you feel towards her, which is only further punctuated by a sense of otherness that is chilling.
You know the raptors in Jurassic park? Think that.
Her ‘Father’, savage in his own right, plays the role of (a mostly ignored) voice of caution. Ada is often dismissive and views him as controlling and overprotective. When, really..
His presence barely restrains this thing shaped like a girl.
“Father was always more creaturely than me. There were nights when he’d let his spine loosen and go running on all fours, leaving sense and speech behind.”
‘Cures’ are what they call the humans that come to be treated for whatever ails them. Simple fixes require little work.. a small slice here, crack them open-just meat and bones. More serious cases go in ‘The Ground’ where they sleep. Their bodies are cut, emptied, buried. And not quite dead, nor alive, ‘The Ground’ cures them. They heal people and earn a measure of tolerance from the community.
“We give them any cause to be frightened and they’ll forget how much they need us.”
I’m not really certain what these mysterious places where the Earth is special, where the land both heals and devours, are ultimately intended for.
It gives life.
It heals.
It hungers.
But it’s purpose and origin are never revealed.
“The Burial Patch let Cures sleep-sped up stitch and suture-but The Ground, the long, long lawn, it gorged on bodies. Shaped them to its own liking.”
There is something ‘not quite right’ with her lover Samson. Throughout the course of the book our protagonist is warned away from him, told of his sickness and perversion. Why else would a man be interested in such a young looking girl, such a child-like creature? What really made him this way? Are the rumors about him all true?
“He thought something slippery had gone wrong with him, I could tell that much. Something he knew by feeling but wasn’t sure how to say, something he felt certain would show up in the organs and muscles beneath his flesh.”
Ada doesn’t care. He is hers.
And his very pregnant sister, Claudia.. is twisted. Something inside of that girl is disturbed and broken. Why? What actually happened between the siblings? What does it have to do with Ada?
“Anything happens to that baby ands it’s Olivia. Soon as it’s out of her she’s liable to eat it with a spoon.”
The end is.. Sad? Haunting? Shocking? Unexpected?
All of these things and a giant ‘what the frack’ too?
Four and a Half Stars!
If the object of this book was to leave me in a storm of frustrated curiosity? Mission accomplished!
Side Note: Very little is told about the species of Ada and her father, leaving me still slightly flabbergasted as to what exactly they are.. Infact, I am all questions and very few answers.
Upside: I do want to give the author credit. Her unusual writing style, the unique story, and the strange and creepy characters(even a tad underdeveloped) are so compelling that you can’t put it down. I consumed this in just a few short hours and still feel it was a worthwhile experience.
Downside: Very thin book. I’m talking less than two hundred pages. Ridiculously short chapters. And a crap load of questions that will eat you alive! I need more!
Overall? I liked it a lot. I have every intention of reading more from this author.
If you like odd, strange, or unusual.. This book is for you!
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Love the name, the book cover and the intriguing story. Somehow I also like the fact that it’s only 200 pages – a light read. But I get your point with such genre of novels you need bigger novels answering all our fantastical questions.
Right? It is. And I’ve convinced myself that it being longer would have only created more questions. Surprisingly, I’m not all that bothered. It was a great read. 😊🤭