Wonderfully atmospheric with an absolute gut punch of a last line. The description, the imagery, the cast of believably small town characters and the experience with the Liths - it all builds into a wonderful, eerie story that evokes Poe or Lovecraft. Truly a delight to read and a lovely way to pass an afternoon.
I will be seeking out Caitrin Casey's novel Green Grow the Rushes.
4.5 stars, rounded up. The atmospheric energy this book held and the eeriness of the town and the liths sucked me in. The writing is compelling and makes it hard to put down. It did take two or three pages for the story to get going but when it did, it drags you in and makes you feel like you're in the story and feeling the dread the liths bring.
saw this on bluesky under my feed for books and was intrigued, so i went ahead and got a copy. it was really good! this is a super short one, you could blow past it in under an hour i think. despite its brevity, it's really good and tells a story in a straightforward, very anecdotal way. i'd love to read more by this author!
Fantastically unsettling with a powerful sense of atmosphere and narrative voice. So compelling - I can't wait to suggest it to teenagers who love horror!