My fixation this week: more creepy books. Why? Maybe the current political climate doesn't give me enough of a pending sense of doom. Or maybe I just need a break from internet AI slop. Regardless, we’ll be diving into a Gothic-style novel with dark fairy tale vibes.

— Nic

The premise of this novel: in the 18th-century English village of Little Nettlebed, paranoia reigns and superstition rules. A brutal drought has crops failing and wells running dry … and someone must be to blame. Outsiders are regarded with suspicion, especially the five Mansfield sisters — haughty orphans who don't bend to societal expectations, making them easy targets. Soon, the sisters are the focus of the villagers' hysteria: a witch hunt built on the claim that the girls turn into vicious dogs at night to slaughter their livestock.

✅ Why It Works: I love the growing sense of dread that permeates this book. The prose is beautifully descriptive. You can nearly smell the stifling summer air and physically feel the villagers' uneasiness as the drought progresses and their desperation rises.

The story is told from five viewpoints, adding layers of complexity onto the narrative as the villagers watch the sisters from afar. Notably, we never hear from the girls themselves.

The truth is left up to interpretation. Are the sisters really dogs? Or is it a heat- and hatred-filled collective delusion from small-minded townsfolk?

❌ Why It Doesn’t: This was a solid book. The biggest criticism I have is that it takes a few chapters to keep the narrators straight. I found it was best to pause at a chapter break if I wanted to jump back in later.

🤔 Read It? Yes! If you like slow-burn narratives, Gothic-inspired vibes, and enjoyed reading “The Crucible” in high school, you’ll love this.

Rating: ✨✨✨✨✨/5

See what else I’ve reviewed »

Not a subscriber yet? I send free, unsponsored reviews most Sundays. Sign up here.

🥸 Watch out, glassholes. A new Android app called Nearby Glasses alerts you when it picks up the smart glasses’ Bluetooth signals. Anything to fight back against creeps is a win to me.

🛳️ Bon voyage! At least 180,000 U.S. citizens relocated overseas in 2025, marking the first year that departures exceeded arrivals since the Great Depression. Ooof. That's a vote of no confidence in the American Dream.

🐦 A small Canadian study found that expert birdwatchers had denser brain tissue in areas associated with attention and perception compared to novices. Is "birdbrained" now a compliment?

📚 The long list for the 2026 International Booker Prize has been announced. I am ashamed to admit I have read none of the nominations.

🥒 E.l.f. hopes their new limited-edition dill pickle lip balm will be a big dill. Idk, this feels very 2016 mustache-style humor to me.

See you next Sunday, cult members.

Rate this week’s issue:

😍obsessed 😃 liked it 🫤 meh