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Voice Like a Hyacinth
Five young women eager for success rely on the unspeakable to make their dreams come true in a chilling novel about martyrdom, ritual, and obsession by the author of We Ate the Dark.
Art student Jo Kozak and her fellow classmates and best friends, Caroline, Finch, Amrita, and Saz, are one another’s muses—so close they have their own language and so devoted to the craft that they’ll do anything to keep their inspiration alive. Even if it means naively resorting to the occult to unlock their creativity and to curse their esteemed, if notoriously creepy, professor. They soon learn the horrible price to be paid for such a transgressive ritual.
In its violent aftermath, things are changing. Jo is feeling unnervingly haunted by something inexplicable. Their paintings, once prodigious and full of life, are growing dark and unhealthy. And their journey together—as women, students, and artists—is starting to crumble.
To right the wrong they’ve done, these five desperate friends will take their obsession a step too far. When that happens, there may be no turning back.
Art student Jo Kozak and her fellow classmates and best friends, Caroline, Finch, Amrita, and Saz, are one another’s muses—so close they have their own language and so devoted to the craft that they’ll do anything to keep their inspiration alive. Even if it means naively resorting to the occult to unlock their creativity and to curse their esteemed, if notoriously creepy, professor. They soon learn the horrible price to be paid for such a transgressive ritual.
In its violent aftermath, things are changing. Jo is feeling unnervingly haunted by something inexplicable. Their paintings, once prodigious and full of life, are growing dark and unhealthy. And their journey together—as women, students, and artists—is starting to crumble.
To right the wrong they’ve done, these five desperate friends will take their obsession a step too far. When that happens, there may be no turning back.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2025
3058 people are currently reading
18878 people want to read
About the author
Mallory Pearson
2 books289 followersMallory Pearson is a writer and artist portraying themes of folklore, queer identity, loss, and the interaction of these elements with the southern United States. She studied painting and bookbinding, and she now spends her time translating visual art into prose. She is an avid fan of horror movies and elaborate stews cooked in big witchy pots. Her work has appeared in Electric Literature, Capsule Stories, and Haverthorn Press, among others. Mallory lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her dearest friends. For more information, visit her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 572 reviews
January 2, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, 47 North Publishing, and Mallory Pearson for this early read ARC. Pub Date: February 1, 2025.
I’m struggling to find a positive place to start, but I have to be honest: I did not enjoy this book at all. The characters felt annoyingly childish, their struggles were unconvincing and repetitive, and the constant declarations of obsessive love for one another were tiresome. Instead of drawing me in, these elements pushed me further away from the story.
The premise follows five friends in art school who form an intense, exclusive clique. All queer women, they share a deep love for art—and for each other, to the point of suffocation. When they stumble upon a spell book, they cast a spell meant to elevate their art beyond their peers, with the hope of securing the coveted senior-year Solo art show. Predictably, the spell comes with consequences, testing their love and loyalty.
On paper, this sounds like a promising Dark Academia plot. But in execution, it falls flat. The characters lack depth and feel more like lifeless dolls being moved through a predictable narrative. The story desperately tries to deliver a message about friendship, ambition, and the cost of competition in a high-stakes environment, but it’s bogged down by repetitive themes and a lack of authenticity.
I rarely write reviews for books I don’t enjoy, but having finished this one, I felt compelled to share my thoughts. While the concept had potential, the execution left much to be desired. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book.
I’m struggling to find a positive place to start, but I have to be honest: I did not enjoy this book at all. The characters felt annoyingly childish, their struggles were unconvincing and repetitive, and the constant declarations of obsessive love for one another were tiresome. Instead of drawing me in, these elements pushed me further away from the story.
The premise follows five friends in art school who form an intense, exclusive clique. All queer women, they share a deep love for art—and for each other, to the point of suffocation. When they stumble upon a spell book, they cast a spell meant to elevate their art beyond their peers, with the hope of securing the coveted senior-year Solo art show. Predictably, the spell comes with consequences, testing their love and loyalty.
On paper, this sounds like a promising Dark Academia plot. But in execution, it falls flat. The characters lack depth and feel more like lifeless dolls being moved through a predictable narrative. The story desperately tries to deliver a message about friendship, ambition, and the cost of competition in a high-stakes environment, but it’s bogged down by repetitive themes and a lack of authenticity.
I rarely write reviews for books I don’t enjoy, but having finished this one, I felt compelled to share my thoughts. While the concept had potential, the execution left much to be desired. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book.
August 2, 2024
Oh, these young women hurt my heart so much!
They’re ravenous for everything – for success, for love, for belonging, for revenge, and just to feel.
This is The Craft meets Dark Academia meets a Sapphic coming of age and it’s kind of everything.
This gets dark and eerie and is simply filled with such yearning that it becomes a gut punch of a read.
Excellent.
• ARC via Publisher
They’re ravenous for everything – for success, for love, for belonging, for revenge, and just to feel.
This is The Craft meets Dark Academia meets a Sapphic coming of age and it’s kind of everything.
This gets dark and eerie and is simply filled with such yearning that it becomes a gut punch of a read.
Excellent.
• ARC via Publisher
September 13, 2024
It's books like this one that you read and think about, over and over again-creeping up in the back of your mind at unexpected moments.
This is centered around a close group of friends during their final year at art school, all competing for a coveted solo spot. They can't all win it, but that doesn't stop them from trying.
When one of the friends suggests a ritual to help them be their most creative self, they reluctantly agree, and the results are devastating. We follow the friend group as they each, and as a whole, completely and totally unravel.
Part horror, part kitch (in the vein of "Charmed" or "The Craft"), this has cemented, for me, that Mallory Pearson is a horror writer to follow. Not only was the writing deeply lush and sentimental, but the moments of satisfactory plot are handed to the readers without feeling overblown or corny.
You get exactly what you want from this gorgeously haunting novel, even if you never see it coming.
This is centered around a close group of friends during their final year at art school, all competing for a coveted solo spot. They can't all win it, but that doesn't stop them from trying.
When one of the friends suggests a ritual to help them be their most creative self, they reluctantly agree, and the results are devastating. We follow the friend group as they each, and as a whole, completely and totally unravel.
Part horror, part kitch (in the vein of "Charmed" or "The Craft"), this has cemented, for me, that Mallory Pearson is a horror writer to follow. Not only was the writing deeply lush and sentimental, but the moments of satisfactory plot are handed to the readers without feeling overblown or corny.
You get exactly what you want from this gorgeously haunting novel, even if you never see it coming.
April 27, 2025
A group of 5 close friends are moving back into the house and starting their senior year of Art School. They are connected to each other in every way and Jo, the narrator cannot begin to imagine (or want to imagine) what life will be like after graduation.
At the beginning of the story I was reminded of being in Art school with my 2 roommates and all of the hard work, and fun and stress and laughs we shared with each other. This warmed my heart and I am so grateful to have these memories and to have created a lifelong friendship from this experience.
First semester of senior year- they are all focused on building a body of work that will get 5 students picked for a show and finally, in the 2nd semester only 1 of those 5 will be chosen to have a solo art show which is certain to jump start a successful career in the art world.
No matter what your major is, college is stressful. There is a big feeling of needing to succeed or the rest of your life won’t be good. Of course this isn’t true but that feeling is real at 19 or 20 years old.
So much so, that these friends perform a strange ritual with a professor’s personal belongings and some of his bloody nose tissues to make sure they succeed. This part reminded me of The Craft a bit and they even mentioned it in the story.
Things don’t quite go as planned and whether it’s guilt or stress from school or both, the friendship begins to crack, sleep is impossible, stress is at its highest level. This part reminded me of The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
Then something awful happens and they will never be the group of 5 friends they were once before.
This book was a dark read and there weren’t any warm and fuzzies at all in it.
My favorite line was one that the author writes in her acknowledgements:
“Finally, to all the queer girls. You’re the most important thing in this world. Make art and make Magic and love each other beyond words.”
At the beginning of the story I was reminded of being in Art school with my 2 roommates and all of the hard work, and fun and stress and laughs we shared with each other. This warmed my heart and I am so grateful to have these memories and to have created a lifelong friendship from this experience.
First semester of senior year- they are all focused on building a body of work that will get 5 students picked for a show and finally, in the 2nd semester only 1 of those 5 will be chosen to have a solo art show which is certain to jump start a successful career in the art world.
No matter what your major is, college is stressful. There is a big feeling of needing to succeed or the rest of your life won’t be good. Of course this isn’t true but that feeling is real at 19 or 20 years old.
So much so, that these friends perform a strange ritual with a professor’s personal belongings and some of his bloody nose tissues to make sure they succeed. This part reminded me of The Craft a bit and they even mentioned it in the story.
Things don’t quite go as planned and whether it’s guilt or stress from school or both, the friendship begins to crack, sleep is impossible, stress is at its highest level. This part reminded me of The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
Then something awful happens and they will never be the group of 5 friends they were once before.
This book was a dark read and there weren’t any warm and fuzzies at all in it.
My favorite line was one that the author writes in her acknowledgements:
“Finally, to all the queer girls. You’re the most important thing in this world. Make art and make Magic and love each other beyond words.”
February 20, 2025
We get it. You're gay. You're an art major. You're insecure. You're obsessed with your girl squad. And...????
And nothing. There's a bit of a plot line about a supernatural ritual but that's almost tertiary to the sapphic love fest between the 5 main characters and the desperately immature need to name drop artists.
I didn't care about a single character in this book. Not a one. And that's a huge problem for me. I identified mostly with Finch... Because she was smart enough to stay the hell away from these co-dependent bitches.
This novel was simply exhausting. By the middle I was skimming entire pages because there are only so many times that I want to read about college girls drinking coffee as if it's manna from heaven and draping themselves across one another, heads on shoulders, arms around waists, hands on hips. Good grief! It's as if the writer never experienced female friendship prior to attending her liberal arts college.
Why is this even a book?
And nothing. There's a bit of a plot line about a supernatural ritual but that's almost tertiary to the sapphic love fest between the 5 main characters and the desperately immature need to name drop artists.
I didn't care about a single character in this book. Not a one. And that's a huge problem for me. I identified mostly with Finch... Because she was smart enough to stay the hell away from these co-dependent bitches.
This novel was simply exhausting. By the middle I was skimming entire pages because there are only so many times that I want to read about college girls drinking coffee as if it's manna from heaven and draping themselves across one another, heads on shoulders, arms around waists, hands on hips. Good grief! It's as if the writer never experienced female friendship prior to attending her liberal arts college.
Why is this even a book?
September 1, 2024
thank you to NetGalley, 47North, and Mallory for the advanced copy of my most anticipated book of 2025.
this will be published on January 7, 2025. add it to your tbrs. now.
--
i've been putting off writing this review for a while. i don't know, book, if i loved you less i'd be able to talk about you more. listen, i've said it before - mallory writes The Books of my heart. her first book, we ate the dark, felt so familiar that it made me feel seen. voice like a hyacinth made me feel seen because in the dreamy prose i have always loved from mallory, she lovingly described a world that i want for myself so much.
voice like a hyacinth is about a group of girls who love each other in some of the most intimate, beautiful ways imaginable. they're all art students at one of those teeny tiny universities. when i tell you the setting was vibrant, what i really mean is that you can ear the skittering of leaves as we follow characters walking to class. you can see the ivy crawling up old stone buildings. you can feel the chill in the air. and you can feel the warmth emanating from the cozy home that jo shares with her friends.
but it's senior year, a culmination of all the time the five have shared together. and maybe this is the year that they fracture too, jo fears. because now they're being asked to compete against each other and the rest of their class. and for some of the group, those coveted spots mean everything. and so they end up convening in a field, doing a macabre ritual to help them create. and then, when their teacher dies, they begin to wonder if they've bitten off more than they can chew.
hello, this is the dark academia sapphic dream book. i really don't know how to adequately convey how much i love this book. all i can tell you is that this book felt like the word yearn. all i can tell you is that the comraderie between friends, the blurry lines between fondness and pining, the long, delicious moments between the girls, the intimacy - well. i can't really explain to you how much i love it.
people are going to compare this to the craft and though i don't necessarily think that's incorrect, i think that presents an incomplete description of the love and queer joy that this book is thoroughly imbued with at every level. i love the craft, don't get me wrong, but where that film makes enemies out of women, voice like a hyacinth is so full of love and pure adoration in its celebration of desire, queerness, and girlhood.
not kidding you when i say this is one of my favorite books of all time. read it.
--
I AM SAT, I AM READY, I NEED IT. LOOK AT THAT COVER!
can't wait to read my favorite book of 2025!!!!!!
--
arc acquired. thank you netgalley, thank you mallory for letting me know it was available. i. am. so. excited.
this will be published on January 7, 2025. add it to your tbrs. now.
--
i've been putting off writing this review for a while. i don't know, book, if i loved you less i'd be able to talk about you more. listen, i've said it before - mallory writes The Books of my heart. her first book, we ate the dark, felt so familiar that it made me feel seen. voice like a hyacinth made me feel seen because in the dreamy prose i have always loved from mallory, she lovingly described a world that i want for myself so much.
voice like a hyacinth is about a group of girls who love each other in some of the most intimate, beautiful ways imaginable. they're all art students at one of those teeny tiny universities. when i tell you the setting was vibrant, what i really mean is that you can ear the skittering of leaves as we follow characters walking to class. you can see the ivy crawling up old stone buildings. you can feel the chill in the air. and you can feel the warmth emanating from the cozy home that jo shares with her friends.
but it's senior year, a culmination of all the time the five have shared together. and maybe this is the year that they fracture too, jo fears. because now they're being asked to compete against each other and the rest of their class. and for some of the group, those coveted spots mean everything. and so they end up convening in a field, doing a macabre ritual to help them create. and then, when their teacher dies, they begin to wonder if they've bitten off more than they can chew.
hello, this is the dark academia sapphic dream book. i really don't know how to adequately convey how much i love this book. all i can tell you is that this book felt like the word yearn. all i can tell you is that the comraderie between friends, the blurry lines between fondness and pining, the long, delicious moments between the girls, the intimacy - well. i can't really explain to you how much i love it.
people are going to compare this to the craft and though i don't necessarily think that's incorrect, i think that presents an incomplete description of the love and queer joy that this book is thoroughly imbued with at every level. i love the craft, don't get me wrong, but where that film makes enemies out of women, voice like a hyacinth is so full of love and pure adoration in its celebration of desire, queerness, and girlhood.
not kidding you when i say this is one of my favorite books of all time. read it.
--
I AM SAT, I AM READY, I NEED IT. LOOK AT THAT COVER!
can't wait to read my favorite book of 2025!!!!!!
--
arc acquired. thank you netgalley, thank you mallory for letting me know it was available. i. am. so. excited.
February 7, 2025
2.5/3 from me. I really wanted to love this book because the blurb sounded like it was written for me!
While I enjoyed the plot and had no issues finishing the book, I felt that the prose was too descriptive for my taste and didn’t reflect Jo‘s and the group’s descent into madness well enough. There was potential for so much conflict and madness but the book didn’t explore it fully—at least not in the way I expected and would have liked to see for the intriguing premise the book explores.
While I enjoyed the plot and had no issues finishing the book, I felt that the prose was too descriptive for my taste and didn’t reflect Jo‘s and the group’s descent into madness well enough. There was potential for so much conflict and madness but the book didn’t explore it fully—at least not in the way I expected and would have liked to see for the intriguing premise the book explores.
January 3, 2025
Feels like a YA, and not in a great way
From the beginning, the story is written in a way that feels very disorienting, and when you reach a point where you feel like you're on a path, it goes off again. In some works, that is the sign of an author skilled in their craft, but here it falls flat & feels more like the author dropped one thread & decided to play with another. It reads largely like fan fic written by someone who wants to age up the characters from living at a boarding school, so they're college students. Not something that makes me intrigued to pick up more from this author.
From the beginning, the story is written in a way that feels very disorienting, and when you reach a point where you feel like you're on a path, it goes off again. In some works, that is the sign of an author skilled in their craft, but here it falls flat & feels more like the author dropped one thread & decided to play with another. It reads largely like fan fic written by someone who wants to age up the characters from living at a boarding school, so they're college students. Not something that makes me intrigued to pick up more from this author.
May 27, 2025
Voice Like a Hyacinth by Mallory Pearson 🪻🎨🎭🔥
A ritual. A bond. A descent into madness.
Mallory Pearson’s Voice Like a Hyacinth is a haunting symphony of art, obsession, and the supernatural.
Set within the gothic halls of Rotham School, five art students—Jo, Caroline, Finch, Amrita, and Saz—share more than just a living space; they share an intense, almost coven-like connection. All five girls are queer, creative, and deeply connected, but also caught in a storm of ambition, desire, and something darker. Told through Jo’s eyes, we see how tightly she clings to their friendship, her need for their love and unity clouding her view of reality. As a major solo exhibition approaches, tensions rise. The pressure builds. Their sleep vanishes. Their minds fray. And Jo starts to see things—whether they’re real or imagined, we’re never quite sure.
What I loved most was how hauntingly beautiful the writing is. Every sentence feels carefully crafted, like a piece of art in itself. Pearson’s prose is vivid and poetic without being too flowery. I could see the story so clearly in my mind—every shadow, every paint-stained corner of Rotham. It pulled me in completely. I also really loved how queerness is never questioned or made into a plot point—it just is, and that felt refreshing and real.
This book is dark academia with teeth. It slowly twists and tangles into something eerie and unforgettable. There’s a deep sense of longing in Jo’s voice—longing for love, connection, and for things to stay the same—but you can feel how unstable everything is under the surface. It made my chest ache in the best way.
5 stars from me. Beautiful, intense, unsettling. I couldn’t look away. If you like stories about art, obsession, queer longing, found family, and the fine line between genius and madness, this one’s for you.
A ritual. A bond. A descent into madness.
Mallory Pearson’s Voice Like a Hyacinth is a haunting symphony of art, obsession, and the supernatural.
Set within the gothic halls of Rotham School, five art students—Jo, Caroline, Finch, Amrita, and Saz—share more than just a living space; they share an intense, almost coven-like connection. All five girls are queer, creative, and deeply connected, but also caught in a storm of ambition, desire, and something darker. Told through Jo’s eyes, we see how tightly she clings to their friendship, her need for their love and unity clouding her view of reality. As a major solo exhibition approaches, tensions rise. The pressure builds. Their sleep vanishes. Their minds fray. And Jo starts to see things—whether they’re real or imagined, we’re never quite sure.
What I loved most was how hauntingly beautiful the writing is. Every sentence feels carefully crafted, like a piece of art in itself. Pearson’s prose is vivid and poetic without being too flowery. I could see the story so clearly in my mind—every shadow, every paint-stained corner of Rotham. It pulled me in completely. I also really loved how queerness is never questioned or made into a plot point—it just is, and that felt refreshing and real.
This book is dark academia with teeth. It slowly twists and tangles into something eerie and unforgettable. There’s a deep sense of longing in Jo’s voice—longing for love, connection, and for things to stay the same—but you can feel how unstable everything is under the surface. It made my chest ache in the best way.
5 stars from me. Beautiful, intense, unsettling. I couldn’t look away. If you like stories about art, obsession, queer longing, found family, and the fine line between genius and madness, this one’s for you.
February 23, 2025
Some dark academia, some witchy lesbians, some incredible descriptions of friendship, let’s just say I did NOT want this book to end.
Reading this while watching Yellowjackets had me levitating in my bed at night.
Reading this while watching Yellowjackets had me levitating in my bed at night.
February 1, 2025
“I was terrified of the possibility: how untethered and expansive it was, how there seemed to be no limit to our belief in the potential of magic. I was afraid that this was a precipice we could not walk back from”
For fans of If We Were Villains, Bunny and The Craft, comes a dark-academia-horror novel about art, obsession, and a hint of the occult.
Set in a prestigious art-college, we follow a group of 5 young women, tangled in a specific kind of deep friendship that can only exist in a high-stake environment, between young people. They are each other’s confidants, each other’s obsession, and each other’s muses when it comes to their art. When artistic-, academic- and peer-pressure combine into a fatal chain of events, their friendship is put to the ultimate test. An occult ritual, aimed to spark their inspirations, results in the death of their professor, and continues to haunt them throughout the rest of their academic year.
What I loved:
My big gripe with many dark academia novels is how often the actual dark-academia-elements get romanticized, thereby missing the entire point of the gerne. Voice like a Hyacinth luckily doesn’t fall into that trap. The codependent, obsessive, toxic and sweltering dynamic between this group of friends (and in the art school at large), is the star of the show from the start. It’s a group of young women, not completely formed in their individual identity, clinging completely to each other in a semi-cultish and ritualistic way, before the actual occult elements even come into play. Their devotion to each other is unrivaled and I loved how the author explored the beauty of that, but also the deep unsettling wrongness.
The characters themselves are largely underdeveloped and it took me a while to even tell them apart, but considering the books themes and its exploration of that formative adolescent-phase in a high-pressure environment, I think that’s the point. They’re pretentious and childish, immature but obsessed with the “image of maturity”. If you’ve even been to college, you’ll recognize their accuracy from a mile away…
I enjoyed how the horror was a mixture of psychological and supernatural as well. Without giving away massive spoilers, there’s a scene involving a bore on a deserted road at night which genuinely gave me goosebumps.
Finally; my biggest concern going into this book was the writing style, as I DNF’ed Pearsons debut because I couldn’t get past the overwritten prose. She greatly improved in that regard. Yes, we’re still teetering on the edge at times, but she toned the purple prose down just enough to land in the territory of lyrical writing, fitting of the dark-academia genre.
What I didn’t love:
The novels major flaw is its predictability. Dark Academia as a genre is absolutely oversaturated and between all the familiar tropes it uses, Voice like a Hyacinth does little to innovate. If you are an avid Dark Academia fan, this is an easy recommendation to get your next fix. But maybe don’t expect it to completely reinvent the wheel or rock your world.
Many thanks to 47North Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
For fans of If We Were Villains, Bunny and The Craft, comes a dark-academia-horror novel about art, obsession, and a hint of the occult.
Set in a prestigious art-college, we follow a group of 5 young women, tangled in a specific kind of deep friendship that can only exist in a high-stake environment, between young people. They are each other’s confidants, each other’s obsession, and each other’s muses when it comes to their art. When artistic-, academic- and peer-pressure combine into a fatal chain of events, their friendship is put to the ultimate test. An occult ritual, aimed to spark their inspirations, results in the death of their professor, and continues to haunt them throughout the rest of their academic year.
What I loved:
My big gripe with many dark academia novels is how often the actual dark-academia-elements get romanticized, thereby missing the entire point of the gerne. Voice like a Hyacinth luckily doesn’t fall into that trap. The codependent, obsessive, toxic and sweltering dynamic between this group of friends (and in the art school at large), is the star of the show from the start. It’s a group of young women, not completely formed in their individual identity, clinging completely to each other in a semi-cultish and ritualistic way, before the actual occult elements even come into play. Their devotion to each other is unrivaled and I loved how the author explored the beauty of that, but also the deep unsettling wrongness.
The characters themselves are largely underdeveloped and it took me a while to even tell them apart, but considering the books themes and its exploration of that formative adolescent-phase in a high-pressure environment, I think that’s the point. They’re pretentious and childish, immature but obsessed with the “image of maturity”. If you’ve even been to college, you’ll recognize their accuracy from a mile away…
I enjoyed how the horror was a mixture of psychological and supernatural as well. Without giving away massive spoilers, there’s a scene involving a bore on a deserted road at night which genuinely gave me goosebumps.
Finally; my biggest concern going into this book was the writing style, as I DNF’ed Pearsons debut because I couldn’t get past the overwritten prose. She greatly improved in that regard. Yes, we’re still teetering on the edge at times, but she toned the purple prose down just enough to land in the territory of lyrical writing, fitting of the dark-academia genre.
What I didn’t love:
The novels major flaw is its predictability. Dark Academia as a genre is absolutely oversaturated and between all the familiar tropes it uses, Voice like a Hyacinth does little to innovate. If you are an avid Dark Academia fan, this is an easy recommendation to get your next fix. But maybe don’t expect it to completely reinvent the wheel or rock your world.
Many thanks to 47North Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
January 26, 2025
How many times can someone describe non-food items as delicious before it becomes impossible to take them seriously? I don’t know an exact number but this book came close.
I read this because I read We Ate the Dark. I found that book long winded and repetitive but I thought the author had a nice way with words, even if I felt like they used too many of them. So I wanted to give their next book a try to see if they’d found a way to tell a story without the unnecessary rambling. They did not and this one felt even more sluggish because it was a single narrator, Jo.
Jo is a lesbian who fits all the cliches of a tortured artist bro. I could not stand her. There is a lot about her character that bothered me but one thing in particular: she talks on end about her love and affection for “my women” (she actually refers to them as “my women” many times) yet she can’t be honest with them, particularly about the haunting visions she begins having. I personally took her feelings about them as behavior that objectified them. Her constant inner monologues about each of them seem obsessive in the worst way.
That, plus the absolute lack of any horror or action or movement to the plot. I stopped 70 pages shy because I didn’t even care anymore. I think this would’ve worked fine as a novella. I like the concept and I still think the author has a nice way with words. Most of this book was a lot of “blah, blah, whine, obscure art reference, whine, blah blah” that added nothing of any substance to the plot.
I read this because I read We Ate the Dark. I found that book long winded and repetitive but I thought the author had a nice way with words, even if I felt like they used too many of them. So I wanted to give their next book a try to see if they’d found a way to tell a story without the unnecessary rambling. They did not and this one felt even more sluggish because it was a single narrator, Jo.
Jo is a lesbian who fits all the cliches of a tortured artist bro. I could not stand her. There is a lot about her character that bothered me but one thing in particular: she talks on end about her love and affection for “my women” (she actually refers to them as “my women” many times) yet she can’t be honest with them, particularly about the haunting visions she begins having. I personally took her feelings about them as behavior that objectified them. Her constant inner monologues about each of them seem obsessive in the worst way.
That, plus the absolute lack of any horror or action or movement to the plot. I stopped 70 pages shy because I didn’t even care anymore. I think this would’ve worked fine as a novella. I like the concept and I still think the author has a nice way with words. Most of this book was a lot of “blah, blah, whine, obscure art reference, whine, blah blah” that added nothing of any substance to the plot.
January 13, 2025
3.5 rounded up for this weird, queer dark academia horror about a group of very gen z art school friends who become wrapped up in the occult. This was my first experience with Mallory Pearson's work, and I really enjoyed her writing style, which has a good amount of lyrical flair without leaning too far into purple prose. I mostly liked the slow burn, but there were a few places where the story dragged. The ending also wrapped up a little too neatly and left a lot of questions unanswered.
June 1, 2025
“In Greek mythology, hyacinths are supposed to represent devotion beyond death.”
4.5 stars. Breathtakingly good. A really compelling mix of horror, dark academia and literary fiction that follows a group of queer best friends at an art college. I fell all the way in love with this, almost from the moment it began. The mix of genres really, really worked for me. There was just enough horror to be chilling and satisfying; just enough dark academia to fit into the genre and add immaculate vibes. But this was mostly fiction about friendship and love and the deep and profound bonds between queer women, and I LOVED that about it. Thinking back to certain lines and moments makes me want to cry, and I already cried while reading it.
Jo is in her last year at a prestigious art college. She, her four best friends (Amrita, Saz, Caroline and Finch) and the rest of her cohort will be competing for the chance to be the Solo artist on display at the end of the year. The five of them are closely knit together, closer than any other relationships they have; creating different art but being constantly inspired by one another. They come across a ritual that could give them an edge in the upcoming competition, and curse their creepy professor at the same time. Things start to spiral after that. I think if you read the blurb, it might give you certain ideas about how things are going to play out, ideas which probably won't align with the trajectory of the book? But I didn't read the blurb; I just picked this up based on vibes and liking the author's previous work. So I had no expectations, and I loved this. I liked the author's writing in her debut, but I did find it just a little but cluttered, a little bit too choked. Here, it was definitely more polished, and just so beautiful. So many evocative descriptions, lovely ruminations on art and its importance; on how powerful and earthshaking these friendships are.
Could the hand move separately from the mind? Could my body translate something buried insensate, speak it through strokes and image? Wrist twisting innately, color spreading in broad washes, figures forming out of the cold blue?
There are lots of moments where the author pauses to paint a picture of the characters' work, and the way every piece of art was described was immaculate. I could SEE their different styles and methods. The lush writing and flowery language were perfect for a book like this, that centres art. And yet it was never too much (imo), never crossed the line into purple. I loved every single relationship, and how the author took time to cultivate each of them, show us how Jo interacted with Amrita, Saz, Caroline and Finch, and together as a group. I predictably loved Finch the most. Listen, that 'Pretty girls don't open their own beers' line was TOO SMOOTH. And every romantic moment had me by the throat, even if there weren't many. But the friendships are really what made this shine for me. Even when things start taking a turn, even when they start cracking under the emotional burdens, even when things get a little unhinged, their love for each other is a lodestone at the centre of the book. Certain things just... broke my heart. I started this book liking it, and by the end, it resonated with me so much that I'm already planning a reread.
There were a few plot holes; or rather, things that kinda frustrated me, because I kept expecting the characters to say or do certain things, and they just... didn't?
But it's all forgivable, in the grand scheme of things. I enjoyed this so so much. I listened to the audiobook as read by Kira Fixx, aka Allie Shae, and it was divine. She was already becoming one of my favourite narrators but this sealed it. I think this is my first non-romance book that I've listened to her narrate, and she absolutely nailed it. This was full of tension, desire, longing, and so much raw emotion, and listening to it made it even more visceral. Really excellent reading experience. This was a standout of my reading month, and is definitely going to be up there with my favourites of the year. I can't wait to read from Pearson again!
Content warning:
I imagined that every relationship, platonic or romantic or some twist of the two, had the capability to leave you in reverence of it. You could only worship ordinary adoration for so long before it became sacred.
January 21, 2025
3.25 ⭐️
Codependent, queer art students performing grotesque rituals to get ahead academically? The unravelling that comes along with a ritual that didn’t go quite right? This had all the makings of a book that I should’ve absolutely loved, but something about it fell really flat.
I wanted the codependency and academic pressure to feel claustrophobic. I wanted it to be the driving force for the actions the characters took, and I wanted to feel caught up in the mind of an unreliable narrator. Instead, what we got was a narrative that felt inauthentic and somewhat shallow.
I think the author tried to create a story that hinged on the intensity of the relationships between the main characters, but without allowing us to fall in love with the characters in the first place. You can see a shadow of what the author was trying to portray in Jo’s inner monologue, but ultimately, it wasn’t executed well. Despite wanting to love these characters, I just couldn’t get attached to them in any way. I think the author relied too heavily on repetitive statements about how much the main character loved them, without really showing us why. Maybe if this was written from the point of view of one of the other characters, it would have worked better.
That being said, I still loved the premise, and the horror elements were interesting. The prose might be a bit too purple for some people, but I think it helped create a creeping atmosphere that worked well within the context of the story.
Ultimately, it’s hard to rate a book that you both loved and disliked in equal measure. I’m mostly just disappointed that this wasn’t what I thought it would be, especially since the author is so clearly talented. The prose and imagery were phenomenal; the characterization was just too weak for a book that leaned so heavily on it to progress the plot.
Codependent, queer art students performing grotesque rituals to get ahead academically? The unravelling that comes along with a ritual that didn’t go quite right? This had all the makings of a book that I should’ve absolutely loved, but something about it fell really flat.
I wanted the codependency and academic pressure to feel claustrophobic. I wanted it to be the driving force for the actions the characters took, and I wanted to feel caught up in the mind of an unreliable narrator. Instead, what we got was a narrative that felt inauthentic and somewhat shallow.
I think the author tried to create a story that hinged on the intensity of the relationships between the main characters, but without allowing us to fall in love with the characters in the first place. You can see a shadow of what the author was trying to portray in Jo’s inner monologue, but ultimately, it wasn’t executed well. Despite wanting to love these characters, I just couldn’t get attached to them in any way. I think the author relied too heavily on repetitive statements about how much the main character loved them, without really showing us why. Maybe if this was written from the point of view of one of the other characters, it would have worked better.
That being said, I still loved the premise, and the horror elements were interesting. The prose might be a bit too purple for some people, but I think it helped create a creeping atmosphere that worked well within the context of the story.
Ultimately, it’s hard to rate a book that you both loved and disliked in equal measure. I’m mostly just disappointed that this wasn’t what I thought it would be, especially since the author is so clearly talented. The prose and imagery were phenomenal; the characterization was just too weak for a book that leaned so heavily on it to progress the plot.
Read
January 26, 2025I do usually find Dark Academia dense, and this is not a exception, but Pearson has such a evocative writing style that it was quite enjoyable! The way the relationship between the five girls was so tangible as well, the reader being completely drawn into the group.
The horror doesn’t come from on-page (although the description of the horrific things are graphic) but rather the consequences of actions, which is a stronger horrifying effect in my opinion.
The end made me shiver, the implication that things never do leave, but can shift to become more hopeful.
Thank you Netgalley! (I think this was a Read Now title but I can’t quite remember)
The horror doesn’t come from on-page (although the description of the horrific things are graphic) but rather the consequences of actions, which is a stronger horrifying effect in my opinion.
The end made me shiver, the implication that things never do leave, but can shift to become more hopeful.
Thank you Netgalley! (I think this was a Read Now title but I can’t quite remember)
January 30, 2025
Mallory Pearson really cooked with this one. If there’s one thing about me it’s that I love an academic setting where everyone loves/hates each-other. Add in 5 lesbians and a ritual sacrifice and you have me sold.
January 3, 2025
Jan 2025
Kindle edition
Amazon first reads for Jan 1 out of 2
My first pick out of thrillers and historicals. It was an interesting one, a sisterhood of friends that left no room for anyone else. The more the story progressed between them, I started thinking there was lesbian vibes. It felt more like a poly relationship. As things progressed it became more obvious. Jo wanted her friends (her women) and a love relationship with Finch.
I groaned at the ritual. Those never work out well. The competition was cutthroat. Moment of sexual harassment in there, sealing the deal for the boar king. After that things got twisted with the art and hallucinations. Hint of cheating at a party, even though they weren't exclusive. I felt sorry for Finch. She tried. She had other friends, her art and she backed out of the ritual. The no escape ending was harsh. Friends forever really took on a whole new meaning.
Kindle edition
Amazon first reads for Jan 1 out of 2
My first pick out of thrillers and historicals. It was an interesting one, a sisterhood of friends that left no room for anyone else. The more the story progressed between them, I started thinking there was lesbian vibes. It felt more like a poly relationship. As things progressed it became more obvious. Jo wanted her friends (her women) and a love relationship with Finch.
I groaned at the ritual. Those never work out well. The competition was cutthroat. Moment of sexual harassment in there, sealing the deal for the boar king. After that things got twisted with the art and hallucinations. Hint of cheating at a party, even though they weren't exclusive. I felt sorry for Finch. She tried. She had other friends, her art and she backed out of the ritual. The no escape ending was harsh. Friends forever really took on a whole new meaning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2024
In college, I had a group of friends that I was extremely close with. There were 4 girls and 4 boys. We were constantly together, on campus, in class, at parties. We had designated TV nights at one of the two houses. We had themed dinners/drinking nights. We had a standing Sunday lunch date of just the 8 of us. We slept at each other's house, in various pairs. I thought we could have stayed like that forever, that we would leave school and just all move to the same place.
Voice Like a Hyacinth by Mallory Pearson is the story of 5 young women, all friends in their last year at an art school. It's a story of codependence, of terror, of stress and pressure, and. overall, the story of friendship.
There are art references, some of which I needed to look up, just for clarification, but that did not take away from the story. The fears and longing is a universal feeling. Everyone goes through this at some point in their life, minus the PTSD/paranoia that these girls did. Not everyone is going to go the way that these women did in order to reach their goal, but that's what makes this book fun.
The tone of Mallory Pearson's writing is insightful and deep. I can't help but feel that this is a personal story - with the caveat that I would HOPE she and her friends didn't do the ritual.
The idea of being with your friends forever is ideal. Could I still, 20+ years later, be living with those people? No, but at 21, it was a nice thought.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Voice Like a Hyacinth by Mallory Pearson is the story of 5 young women, all friends in their last year at an art school. It's a story of codependence, of terror, of stress and pressure, and. overall, the story of friendship.
There are art references, some of which I needed to look up, just for clarification, but that did not take away from the story. The fears and longing is a universal feeling. Everyone goes through this at some point in their life, minus the PTSD/paranoia that these girls did. Not everyone is going to go the way that these women did in order to reach their goal, but that's what makes this book fun.
The tone of Mallory Pearson's writing is insightful and deep. I can't help but feel that this is a personal story - with the caveat that I would HOPE she and her friends didn't do the ritual.
The idea of being with your friends forever is ideal. Could I still, 20+ years later, be living with those people? No, but at 21, it was a nice thought.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
January 14, 2025
I really did not enjoy this book. It was written by a woman and perhaps the intended audience was other women. I kept waiting for some kind of action. The vast majority of the book was about feelings. Jo, a lesbian and the narrator continually remarked of the feelings she got with her four friends. It would be only a look or a touch that would cause her to fall in love all over again. I was 25% into the book before they decided to deal in the occult and things got interesting. Unfortunately, even that didn't last very long because the rest of the book was about how they were feeling about the incident.
February 5, 2025
This book was so bad. It tried so hard to be poetic and spooky at the same time, and it did not deliver on either. The scary parts were half-baked and the poetic parts came across weird, childish, and obsessive.
Save yourself the trouble.
Save yourself the trouble.
February 19, 2025
This was bizarre, and emotional, and bleak, and unlike anything I've ever read. I really enjoyed Mallory's style of writing and I feel like the mood she was trying to convey really came through.
There were a few gripes: "my women" became cringey from overuse. It was a little repetitive in parts.
There were a few gripes: "my women" became cringey from overuse. It was a little repetitive in parts.
February 3, 2025
i have mixed feelings about this book
January 24, 2025
Voice Like a Hyacinth was my Kindle First Reads selection for January 2025..
Voice Like a Hyacinth is about a group of five talented young women who have formed an extremely close bond throughout their years at a prestigious art school. When the book begins, they're just starting their final year at Rotham and the friends are excited, yet simultaneously devastated to see this chapter of their lives nearing it's end. It doesn't help that the school is extremely competitive and that all of their hard work over the years will feel obsolete if they don't get chosen for the coveted solo exhibition at the end of the year... As the name suggests, since it is a soloist spot, only one will achieve that dream-- and that knowledge leads the women down a dark path of ritual, obsession, and madness.
I'm really struggling to come up with words to describe this book. Amazon labeled it as dark fantasy--the dark part I agree with-- but I would definitely consider it to be within the horror genre, rather than fantasy. With that being said, though, it's not your typical horror either. It's full of flowery prose (YES, I said flowery-- but I didn't say that the flowers aren't dead or black or something). At its heart, this book is about our deepest darkest tendencies: obsession, greed, a ravenous desire to not only succeed--but also to love and be loved-- and how quickly we can lose ourselves to these forces...
The storyline was good and kept me engaged but more than anything, I have to applaud this author's unique voice and ability to immerse me into the narrator's dark and hallucinatory headspace. This rare type of artistic and highly cerebral horror is one of my favorite things to stumble upon within the horror genre. 👏👏👏👏
Voice Like a Hyacinth is about a group of five talented young women who have formed an extremely close bond throughout their years at a prestigious art school. When the book begins, they're just starting their final year at Rotham and the friends are excited, yet simultaneously devastated to see this chapter of their lives nearing it's end. It doesn't help that the school is extremely competitive and that all of their hard work over the years will feel obsolete if they don't get chosen for the coveted solo exhibition at the end of the year... As the name suggests, since it is a soloist spot, only one will achieve that dream-- and that knowledge leads the women down a dark path of ritual, obsession, and madness.
I'm really struggling to come up with words to describe this book. Amazon labeled it as dark fantasy--the dark part I agree with-- but I would definitely consider it to be within the horror genre, rather than fantasy. With that being said, though, it's not your typical horror either. It's full of flowery prose (YES, I said flowery-- but I didn't say that the flowers aren't dead or black or something). At its heart, this book is about our deepest darkest tendencies: obsession, greed, a ravenous desire to not only succeed--but also to love and be loved-- and how quickly we can lose ourselves to these forces...
The storyline was good and kept me engaged but more than anything, I have to applaud this author's unique voice and ability to immerse me into the narrator's dark and hallucinatory headspace. This rare type of artistic and highly cerebral horror is one of my favorite things to stumble upon within the horror genre. 👏👏👏👏
January 17, 2025
"I wanted nothing to change. I thought if it changed, any of it—if they went on to live lives that I couldn’t be a part of—I’d turn to dust. And if I could capture it in the paintings, the world might keep moving on around me, but at least I’d have proof that it had existed in the first place."
Voice Like a Hyacinth was one of those I could not put down. I loved Pearson's descriptions and images, and enjoyed the story of Jo and her tight-knit group of college friends at a prestigious art school. They stumble upon a summoning ritual that sacrifices an awful person and in return, would give them the inspiration and creativity they desired in their final year of school. Of course, dealing with death never goes the way you think it will. This is a slow-woven story with the main character descending into the brink of madness.
A few notes:
-- this book is too long. While I mentioned above how much I loved the writing and descriptions, it started to become repetitive and unnecessary. I went from being excited to read this book to checking how much longer I had.
--We read the story from Jo's POV and hear her thoughts and conversations with her friends, and they all started to meld together. While Caroline ends up being in the position she's in at the end, you could have replaced her with any of the other characters and I would have been indifferent. I don't know if I liked Caroline enough to care.
--Which being said, Jo grew a bit tiresome as the book went on.
--I think I'm a bit too old for this book, because the level of their friendship seemed over the top. Everyone's hanging on everyone all the time? Maybe that's how kids are now a days -- me, that sounds like a nightmare.
--I will be honest, I don't know how I feel about the epilogue. Not about the art retreat, that was fine. I mean, the epilogue makes sense, since Jo wanted all of her friends still with her --- but still, poor Caroline! I guess we see the madness is still hanging out in the back of Jo's mind.
--I appreciated the the LBGTQ+ character rep in this book.
Voice Like a Hyacinth was one of those I could not put down. I loved Pearson's descriptions and images, and enjoyed the story of Jo and her tight-knit group of college friends at a prestigious art school. They stumble upon a summoning ritual that sacrifices an awful person and in return, would give them the inspiration and creativity they desired in their final year of school. Of course, dealing with death never goes the way you think it will. This is a slow-woven story with the main character descending into the brink of madness.
A few notes:
-- this book is too long. While I mentioned above how much I loved the writing and descriptions, it started to become repetitive and unnecessary. I went from being excited to read this book to checking how much longer I had.
--We read the story from Jo's POV and hear her thoughts and conversations with her friends, and they all started to meld together. While Caroline ends up being in the position she's in at the end, you could have replaced her with any of the other characters and I would have been indifferent. I don't know if I liked Caroline enough to care.
--Which being said, Jo grew a bit tiresome as the book went on.
--I think I'm a bit too old for this book, because the level of their friendship seemed over the top. Everyone's hanging on everyone all the time? Maybe that's how kids are now a days -- me, that sounds like a nightmare.
--I will be honest, I don't know how I feel about the epilogue. Not about the art retreat, that was fine. I mean, the epilogue makes sense, since Jo wanted all of her friends still with her --- but still, poor Caroline! I guess we see the madness is still hanging out in the back of Jo's mind.
--I appreciated the the LBGTQ+ character rep in this book.
September 17, 2025
this mentioned one of my favorite paintings, what else is there to say??
May 26, 2025
This felt like falling slowly into a paint-smeared fever dream. What starts out as a story following 5 young women in the height of their college careers and all vying for the prestigious spot of solo-ing their art collections turns into ritual sacrifice, a slow-decent into sleepless frenzy and supernatural horrors. The writing was like nothing I've ever read - poetic, visceral, combative, unreliable, poignant. One of the most delicious & dark sapphic horrors I've ever read and I will be telling everyone I know to read it.
April 4, 2025
This book had so much potential! I really liked the dark academia vibe and thought the author really portrayed the horror and gore well- I just wish certain ideas went in a different direction. I was left wanting too much more.
January 9, 2025
I had such high hopes for this, but was left bored.
This was supposed to be a horror, but there is darker material and more twists in Scooby Doo!
The characters were bland, with no depth and their interactions all felt forced, much like an arranged marriage, even though they were supposed to be a tight-knit group.
The weak lesbian story was probably the best bit, as there was a hint of real emotion going on there.
If you're looking for horror, don't look here.
This was supposed to be a horror, but there is darker material and more twists in Scooby Doo!
The characters were bland, with no depth and their interactions all felt forced, much like an arranged marriage, even though they were supposed to be a tight-knit group.
The weak lesbian story was probably the best bit, as there was a hint of real emotion going on there.
If you're looking for horror, don't look here.
July 22, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
I am obsessed with this book. It may be one of my top five of the year. It had a combination of so many things that I love, art school, which described in such loving (and accurate detail!), hauntings, friendship, found family. The writing was breathtaking and visceral and really grounded. I couldn't stop reading it
I am obsessed with this book. It may be one of my top five of the year. It had a combination of so many things that I love, art school, which described in such loving (and accurate detail!), hauntings, friendship, found family. The writing was breathtaking and visceral and really grounded. I couldn't stop reading it
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