About the book
BOOK SUMMARY
A dark fairy tale set in rural Alaska, following Birdie, a struggling single mother drawn to Arthur, a mysterious man who lives deep in the wilderness. After moving with her daughter to his isolated cabin, her dream of escape turns dangerous as Arthur’s true nature is revealed.
Published 2025
Magical Realism
306 pages
Literal events ruined the metaphor
January 4, 2026
Not for me. I think it was trying to be a metaphor about the struggle to meet societal expectations while also wanting to explore our more wild inner selves, but I had a hard time appreciating that message because I couldn’t get past my issues the literal characters and events.
Birdie bothered me the most. The book seems to want us to view her as quirky or complicated, yet her neglect of Emaleen and her treatment of Arthur were more unsettling than anything. There was some straight-up child abuse going on, and borderline sexual assault.
I also struggled with Emaleen’s character. Her age, voice, and the way she’s treated do not align, which made parts of the story hard to believe. I wish she had been written either older, or more realistically for her age.
Some of the book’s more fascinating concepts ideas are mostly glossed over. I would have loved to spend more time inside Arthur’s inner world, for example.
The third act is the strongest section, but for me it wasn’t enough to make this an especially satisfying read.
kelsi’s reading diary 