Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. Normally, I keep these posts casual and impersonal. Lately, though, I have been struggling a bit mentally. There’s been plenty of inner and outer turmoil circling around. I feel like I am in a state of limbo currently. I’ll be fine, but the future just feels a little too uncertain for my liking. I wish I had more confidence at this moment, but I don’t. I’m treading a fine line between realism and idealism. From what I understand, though, there is no one right way to live. There are many ways that we humans can be resilient in the face of uncertainty. I don’t intend to back down, and I fully intend to keep sharing my favorite books with all of you. This is my incredibly long-winded way to say that I care about you and that you matter in this world. Thank you for listening to my vague rambles and thank you for all of your continued support. Let’s get to what you came here for and that is my review of They Drown Our Daughters.

Content Warning: Grief and Mourning, Violence, Harm Towards Children, Some Sexual Content, Some Harsh Language, Disturbing Imagery, Self-Harm

After separating from her wife, Meredith has no choice but to take her daughter Alice back to her hometown of Cape Disappointment. The locals say that the cape is haunted, and Meredith has never truly believed in the rumors. When she returns home, Meredith finds her mother struggling with the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Her mother begins to claim that the ghost stories and curses are real. Meredith assumes it is her mother’s mind slipping from her. After strange things begin to happen that put their lives in danger, Meredith must confront the past and break the curse that has plagued the women in her family for nearly one hundred years.

They Drown Our Daughters is part supernatural thriller, part introspective novel about identity and motherhood. This haunting novel provides plenty of chills while examining the struggles surrounding mothers who don’t receive any support. I liked Monroe’s approach to such a heavy topic. It is a genuinely heart-breaking book that can be difficult to read because it confronts so many realistic problems like divorce, postpartum depression, and aging. That is why I appreciated this novel. The paranormal elements don’t cheapen Monroe’s overall message. The two elements balance each other out and harmonize in a way. Katrina Monroe’s novel is absolutely worth the read if you are looking for a meaningful horror novel.