Rating: 3 out of 5 ⭐️
Title: The Twisted Ones
Author: T. Kingfisher (alias of author Ursula Vernon)
Published: 2019 (Gallery/Saga Press, New York)
Pages: 385 (Hardcover)
Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Folk Horror, Supernatural
CW: violence, supernatural elements, mild sexual themes, abuse
Link Here

Hello, everyone! This week’s review is going to be pretty short. Not because of anything negative about this book, but because I do not have much to say on it. This is the first book I’ve read by alias T. Kingfisher, a.k.a Ursula Vernon, who by her real name writes children’s books and comics. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this one, and by the end of it, I was mostly not disappointed.

“A semi came screaming around a bend in the road, interrupting my thoughts and reminding me suddenly of why walking by the side of the road on a country lane was best reserved for historical romance and Led Zeppelin songs” – T. Kingfisher, The Twisted Ones

This work of supernatural and folk horror is about a young woman nicknamed Mouse as she goes to clean out her recently deceased grandmother’s old home in North Carolina. Mouse’s grandmother was a a hoarder, and a pretty severe one at that. But as Mouse starts clearing away the piles of creepy dolls and newspapers, she finds something more sinister watching her from the woods. Between the creepy tales from her step-grandfather’s journals to noises that go bump in the night, this tale is pretty sinister from start to finish.

“Books on World War II appear spontaneously in any house that contains a man over a certain age. I believe that’s science” – T. Kingfisher, The Twisted Ones

I liked this spooky read! Lovecraftian in style and execution, The Twisted Ones keeps the reader guessing. This book was spine-tingling creepier in certain aspects, but lacking in actual gory and bone-chilling horror. The author’s writing was simple but witty, and to me, the narration fell in line with the fast paced quips of a true crime podcast. The only part I wish were different is more emphasis on character development, and focus on some of the lesser-mentioned characters. But maybe because this book was supposed to feel more like an oral tale, the character details were not the main focus. I would read another book by T. Kingfisher, but maybe not by Ursula Vernon… but only because she writes children’s books.

I give this a 3 out of 5!

_Elizabeth

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