Čia, Avalone

by Tara Isabella Burton

Kerinti Niujorko pasaka apie dvi seseris, kurias užburia paslaptinga kabareto trupė. Galbūt tai pavojingas kultas – bet toks, kurio paliktas materialistinis pasaulis ir pats atrodo dar grėsmingesnis.

Rozė nuėjo ilgą kelią. Užauginta plevėsos motinos chaotiškoje Niujorko bohemoje, Rozė pagaliau susikūrė gyvenimą, kokio visada troško: geras darbas, švarus butas, sužadėtuvės su savimi patenkintu technologijų įmonės vadovu, kaip ir ji, tikinčiu žmogaus potencialu, sunkiu darbu ir vaikiškų svajonių aukojimu.

O Rozės sesuo Sesilija taip ir nesuaugo. Neatsakinga, aikštinga, vieną mėnesį sprunkanti į vienuolyną Europoje, o kitą jau, žiūrėk, – į sakalų prieglaudą. Ji visą gyvenimą vaikosi pasakų apie transcendenciją ir tikrąją meilę – didingų idėjų, kurios tikrovėje niekada nepasiteisina. Kai, nutrūkus skubotai santuokai, Sesilija pareiškia visam laikui grįžusi namo į Niujorką, Rozė viliasi, kad sesuo pagaliau pasirengusi pradėti suaugusiosios gyvenimą su visais jo kompromisais.

Bet tuomet Sesiliją pavilioja iš pažiūros kultą primenanti kabareto trupė, kuri pasirodo tik naktį, paslaptingu raudonu laivu keliauja Niujorko vandens keliais. Netrukus Sesilija dingsta, kaip ir daugybė vienišų sielų, įtartinomis aplinkybėmis prašapusių miesto pražuvėlių. Vienintelis būdas Rozei surasti Sesiliją yra pačiai sekti jos pėdomis į Avaloną.

Bet kai Rozei pamažu ima aiškėti sesers dingimo paslaptis, Avalono kerai paveikia ir ją. Ir kuo giliau ji prasmenga į Avalono pasaulį, tuo labiau ima abejoti viskuo, ką žino apie savo pačios gyvenimą, ir dvejoti, ar nori palikti tikrovę.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Contemporary, Mystery, Adult, Audiobook

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 2, 2024

About the author

Tara Isabella Burton has followed a female hermit into the remote Caucasus, gotten love amulets from Turkish Islamic shamans, and held signs with the street preachers of Las Vegas.

Her work on religion, culture, and place can be found at National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera, The Economist's 1843, Aeon, The BBC, The Atlantic, The American Interest, Salon, The New Statesman, The Telegraph, and more. Her fiction has appeared at The New Yorker's Daily Shouts, Great Jones Street, Tor.com, PANK, Shimmer, and other places. She has received The Spectator's 2012 Shiva Naipaul Memorial Prize and a 2016 Lowell Thomas Award.

​Her first novel, Social Creature, is forthcoming from Doubleday (US) and Bloomsbury/Raven (UK) in June 2018, and will be translated into nine more languages, including Italian, French, and Russian. She is also working on a non-fiction book about new religious and "replacement religion" movements, Strange Rites: Cults and Subcultures After the Death of God, to be published by Public Affairs in 2019.

Tara recently completed a doctorate in theology as a Clarendon Scholar at Trinity College, Oxford. She is currently a staff writer on the religion beat at Vox.

Reviews

[Sarah (berriesandbooks) *semi hiatus* · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lordddddd I hate manic pixie girls.

[Paige- TheBookandtheBoston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was pure enchantment for me. And not in the actual literal sense- this book does not fall under fantasy or even magical realism. But the way hearing the most beautiful song, seeing the most beautiful painting, or in my case, reading the most beautiful book, feels magical. Tara Isabella Burton writes prose that feels like she herself belongs in Avalon. Prose so charming that you can get lost in it. And get lost in it, I did.

I loved both of the main characters. Cecilia- how can you not love Cecilia with how the author describes her in such lovely and fascinating detail. At times I was frustrated with her, but it was easy to fall under her spell. And Rose. Oh how much I identified with pragmatic, detail oriented Rose. I, too, was a double major with one of my majors being mathematics. I, too, love to code, as one of my favorite details of my job. But I also have an art-loving side that I undernourished as I got older and more realistic about my life goals. Reading is one of my ways to connect to that side again, and this book reminded me of how great it is I’m doing exactly that.

This book is an excellent read if you’re looking to get swept away, to get lost in the beauty of the world, and take a break from the monotony that life can be.

📖 Read if: 📖
✔️ You’re a lover of the fine arts
✔️ You’re looking for an enchanting read but not necessarily one rooted in fantasy
✔️ Some references to Arthurian legends thrown in to a book makes you happy
✔️ An author’s prose influences your enjoyment of a book

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5) After a tumultuous childhood, Rose has settled into a sensible job and steady relationship. Her flighty sister Cecilia has done no such thing: she’s never truly grown up and has spent her life bouncing from place to place, obsession to obsession, taking up with eccentric new friends or lovers only to quickly discard them. When Cecilia vanishes while Rose is planning her wedding, it seems pretty typical. Then Rose uncovers her involvement with a cult-like group, Avalon, and becomes concerned. So she joins Avalon herself. Soon Rose is in way too deep – lying to her fiancé, having secret meetings with Cecilia’s estranged husband, entranced by Avalon’s charismatic followers...

I liked but didn’t love Here in Avalon, and I feel bad about it, if only because Tara Isabella Burton’s previous novels are both among my favourites of all time. There’s an odd tension in this book, and I struggled with it: while everything deliberately feels fantastical, it emphatically isn’t, the point being that Avalon purposely manufactures this atmosphere, creating the impression – only the impression – of an escape from real life. Even away from Avalon, though, the characters seem as exaggerated as figures in a fable. This is especially true of Cecilia, who it is impossible to picture as a real person. She’s reminiscent of Ava in Mona Awad’s Bunny (and if you’ve read Bunny, you might understand why that’s a problem). Her wimpy husband is barely more credible.

In her non-fiction book Strange Rites, Burton writes about the obsessive fandom surrounding immersive theatre, her own involvement in that scene, and her theory that such performances are (one example of) the modern equivalent to a religious ritual. It’s easy to see how this has fed into Here in Avalon, but I wonder if the author’s enchantment with the idea is the reason it lacks an essential spark on the page. I suppose it’s easier to imagine being bewitched by an interactive cabaret if you’ve got personal experience of that. I’m afraid to say that for me, nothing about Avalon seemed particularly interesting or beguiling. Instead I just felt utter frustration that Rose was risking her career and relationship to dance on a boat with a few people in costumes. Maybe that means I’m not open enough to the suggestion of magic or something, and that’s probably part of the problem here: I couldn’t meet the world of the story halfway. It’s just... if I’m reading a novel about a seductive cult, I want to feel that I too could be seduced. I don’t want to have to try too hard to see how it might happen.

You know when you watch a film and the production values are amazing, sets and costumes all stunning, yet there’s no chemistry between the actors? That’s what this book is like. The plot flows smoothly and Burton’s prose is as gorgeous as ever; it just doesn’t quite click. An engaging story, for sure, with moments worth revisiting, but I’d recommend both Social Creature (more compelling) and The World Cannot Give (more emotionally resonant) over this.

I must say, though: I loved the little Easter egg-style details in Here in Avalon that confirm all Burton’s novels take place within the same universe.

I received an advance review copy of Here in Avalon from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Knygu_burtai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tai antrasis šios autorės kūrinys, kurį perskaičiau. Ir turiu pasakyti, kad vėlgi patiko☺️ "Čia, avalane" - kūrinys, kuris galbūt patiks ne visiems dėl savo savotiškumo, mistiškos atmosferos, tačiau jei įtrauks, tai bus tikrai įdomu iki galo. 👌 Šįkart autorė pasakoja apie dvi seseris, kurios tokios skirtingos: viena, turinti jau suplanuotą ir tvarkingą gyvenimą, o kita - vėjavaikė ir neatsakinga, kuri nežino, ko nori iš gyvenimo ir vis laksto ieškodama tos gyvenimo prasmės ir tikslo iki kol sužino apie paslaptingąją vietą - Avaloną.
Man labai patiko, kaip autorė kūrė sudėtingus santykius tarp seserų, šiek tiek "patampė" nervus, tačiau tai ir palaikė intrigą kūrinyje. Labai įdomu buvo skaityti apie patį Avaloną, personažus, kurie priklausė jam ir jų tam tikras gyvenimiškas istorijas.
Vieninteliai minusai - daugiau tikėjausi iš Kalebo, Rozės sužadėtinio, ir pačioje pabaigoje iš Polo. Norėjosi, kad pabaiga būtų labiau išpildyta nei kad kuo užbaigė.
Apibendrinus romanas tikrai įdomus, kitoks - su įdomia mintimi, įdomiais personažais ir jų pasaulio suvokimu. Aš būtinai skaitysiu ir kitus autorės kūrinius, jei tokių bus, o jums rekomenduoju perskaityti "Čia, Avalone" ☺️

[Bill Kupersmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am just such a Tara Isabella Burton crushlet. (A "crushlet" is someone who wants to be you even more than you do). Like her, I imagine school stories with theological themes and practice mystical spirituality but she's travelled to remote places I couldn't even pronounce and is a successful novelist and cultural critic and I'm but an obscure amateur. I doubt she shares my fantasies of living in an Anglo-Catholic integralist society based on T. S. Eliot's The Idea of Christian Society, but I imagine her living in an apartment in New York with real art on the walls with a storage space converted into a private chapel with icons and listening to Byrd and Tallis before composing snarky articles for The Misandrist and The Egret. Like Kit Howard's Roses and Rot, which I loved, Here in Avalon was inspired by Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market, where a young woman has to rescue her sister from the land of faerie. In Roses and Rot there is an art colony with a bridge leading to fairyland. Burton's faeries operate in New York, and carry off from the subjects of their glamour in an enchanted boat from unappealing settings like Red Hook. As in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, we have two sisters, the practical and prosaic Rose, who writes code and is engaged to a dot.com CEO named Caleb, and her crazy romantic sibling Cecilia (no points for Latinists picking up the obvious symbolism), who seems to be estranged from her husband Paul, a prep school teacher (at Saint Dunstan's--see Burton's The World Cannot Give). The fairies spot their prospects in bars (they call these pick-up expeditions "raids") and then test them with cryptic clues to locations (like The Cloisters) to rendezvous with the magic barge where they hear music literally out of this world and drink the dew of fairyland. Or so it seems, even to Rose when she herself is enchanted whilst pursuing her sister.

It doesn't require a total bore like Caleb to enquire whether we're in the world of fantasy fiction (where if your lover's glamour isn't working you might notice he has antlers) or if this novel is "realistic" fiction and something else is "really" going on. (In "literary fiction" a pretentious writer might opt for "magical realism" but this book is actually fun to read.) I'll not go there in review as much of the pleasure is finding out for oneself. But the more you know and love Arthurian literature, Medieval romance, the Lays of Marie de France, Le Grand Meaulnes and the Castle of Sir Bertilak of Haute Desert, the more you will enjoy how Tara Isabella Burton has brought them back to appear in contemporary New York.

[sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is not fantasy OR magical realism like the tags indicate, and if it was it would have been better! i am so tired of manic pixie dream new yorkers and i am tired of the most incompetent protagonists you’ve ever read about in your entire life and i am TIRED of litfic. non-genre fic is over for a little bit because i just cannot stand it any more 👍

[talia ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

do you ever finish a book and think, "that was nice but literally what was the point of any of it?"

i WILL say that the last paragraph was an absolute banger and saved a lot of my overall feelings of the book.

[Geonn Cannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won't waste too much time here. I hated this book. Maybe it wasn't for me. I don't know. I hated the characters, I hated everything they did, the fact they wouldn't just TALK TO EACH OTHER to move the plot along. Also, can authors get sponsorship deals? Because the amount of times the author mentions The RealReal had to have been motivated by SOMETHING. I've literally only ever seen it mentioned in ads at the end of Wheel of Fortune, and a modicum of research tells me it's sketchy and full of fake merchandise. So why on earth would the author name-drop it so much (I did a search and apparently she "only" brings it up five times. But SHE BRINGS IT UP *FIVE TIMES*).

Another thing that grated on my nerves: the book says Paul "still bore traces of a British accent." Which the audiobook narrator took to mean "HE SPEAKS IN A FULL IRISH BROGUE AT ALL TIMES." Not even a good brogue. She made him sound like Scrooge McDuck. The joy of spending a book with a character who is not only awful and bland, but everything he says makes you cringe. Ugh.

I guess I did waste a lot of time. Well, the book wasted more of MY time, so I guess that's on par. A good summary of the book. A waste of everyone's time.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it’s a mood thing.

I went into this book expecting fantasy, which it is decidedly not. Also, I anticipated a darker tone to the content, given the “dangerous cult” we’re contemplating. Perhaps those false expectations altered my enjoyment. I’m not sure.

Pacing is quite slow, especially through the first half.

The entire vibe feels philosophical and contemplative. I’m normally fine with that, but I have to be fully invested in the characters, which I wasn’t here. They felt too much at polar extremes, rather than actual people I could envision in life.

I understand and respect the message the author was going for here, but for me, the execution fell a little short. I did enjoy this one, but I didn’t love it.

*Thanks to Simon and Schuster, and the Simon Books Buddy program for my free copy.*

[Mai H.]

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With her third novel, Tara Isabella Burton has created something truly special and unique. Here in Avalon is an urban fairy tale about sisters, magic, freedom, and being brave enough to choose a different kind of life.

Sisters Cecilia and Rose couldn't be more different. Cecilia, the older sister, is flighty and impulsive and irresponsible, while Rose has settled into a life of structure, routine, and an ordinary, mundane sort of happiness. When Cecilia returns to New York City after a whirlwind marriage, she insists to Rose that this time she's staying put. And just as Rose is beginning to believe her, Cecilia disappears again. This time, she's been swept away by a mysterious traveling cabaret troupe known as the Avalon -- a group that appears only at night on a red boat and has been linked to suspicious disappearances around the city. Following an impulse even she can barely understand, Rose decides to track down the Avalon in an effort to rescue her sister...and maybe even rescue herself.

Here in Avalon really does read like a fairy tale; Burton's writing is whimsical and enchanting and laced with dark magic as she explores the bonds of sisterhood and what it truly means to live a full, satisfying life. Burton gives readers so much to think about in regards to living an artistic, free-spirited life vs. a more pragmatic, structured one. The magic of it all really worked on me -- I think most people have, at one point or another, yearned to be whisked away from our ordinary lives into something more magical outside the bounds of "normal" society. The Avalon, like all the best (maybe not the right word choice, LOL) cults, is a place of both refuge and danger, depending on your perspective.

Here in Avalon is a book about how happiness looks different for everyone, and how truly loving someone means accepting who they are, even if it's not who you want them to be. It's beguiling and beautiful and swept me away while I was reading it, into a magical, ethereal world outside of reality. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.

[Jody Reads Smut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially, it was so hard for me because the first few chapters seemed a bit slow. Nevertheless, while reading Part Two of the book, I experienced a pleasant shock when I discovered that the speed had intensified significantly, and it was just impossible not to fall in love with the book. It is praiseworthy that the author managed to arouse some sense of mystery and tension within the tale.

However, when I finished reading the book, I was disappointed. I could not help feeling that something was missing – this caused feelings of wanting some better closure. I realize that the author might as well have intended not to define the motif of keeping magic, but I wished that all my beloved characters had definite endings.

It was a good read, as the ending slightly disappointed me, but at least it did not bore me throughout. How the story was narrated made it enjoyable; how she created a plot was sincerely fascinating. I connected with the characters because they had strong personalities that made it easy for me to feel their struggles.

However, the beginning chapters were a bit dragged, and it was only in the latter part that the book caught up. Even though I wished for a better resolution, I acknowledge the author’s decision to keep some parts unclear and encourage readers to develop their conclusions.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

[Jami M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the writing.

I didn’t like the juxtaposition of the soulless lifestyles of the technologically dependent young professionals with the soulful, magical lifestyle of the wandering, artistic dreamers of the world. The back and forth between the two sisters and the differences in their lives didn’t make for a strong plot.

And then a magic boat shows up.

I don’t know. I wanted to like this, but it was not for me.

[Valda · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

[Katya · Rating 4 out of 5]

As somewhat of a surprise, I had ended up loving Burton's previous novel, The World Cannot Give so I was pretty excited to receive an ARC of Here in Avalon and promptly dove in.

It's clear that Burton has grown as a writer between World and Avalon, not least because she's writing about (young) adults as opposed to teenage girls. I did appreciate the wink and nod to World in the form of a cheeky little easter egg! The themes between the two books are similar - women feeling out of place/time in their own lives and seeking something beyond the confines of their everyday borders - and this, too, is a coming-of-age of sorts.

Rose is a sympathetic enough lead, and the push-pull she feels between her carefully orderly life and artistic tendencies is very relatable. Burton ratcheted up the tension masterfully in the first half of the book, to the point where even I wasn't sure whether this would turn out to be an urban fantasy or more of the magical realism sort. The eventual reveal, while not what I had personally hoped for, made perfect sense within the context of the Avalon's world. Perhaps I enjoyed it so much because, in part, I'm very much one of those who would absolutely run away with the fairies if given the chance.

Another life is possible. 4.5 stars.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC!

[AndiReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two sisters, Rose and Cecilia. Rose is preparing to marry and leave her home in NYC. There is little to tie her to New York - the traumatic upbringing has forced her to make a life of her own. She raised herself and her sister and is ready to take the next steps into "adulthood" when Cecilia comes back into her life like a chaotic boomerrand.

Rose's fiance hopes she cuts ties with Cecilia but instead, Rose follows her into a fairy tale in real life -myterious red boat that picks and chooses it's passengers and offers a way to escape everyday life.

The question is - does Rose want to escape?
#Simonandschuster #HereinAvalon #taraisabellaburton

[Lilibet Bombshell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here in Avalon is a literary fiction novel that exists in a liminal space: it’s a fantasy that’s not quite a fantasy novel, it’s a mystery that’s not quite a mystery novel, it’s a thriller but not quite a thriller novel, and it’s magical but not entirely magical realism. The best way I can describe Here in Avalon is it’s a love letter: to New York, to cults, to sisters, to beauty, and to love itself.

I’ve made it no secret that I adore Tara Isabella Burton. I own both of her other novels and adore them. So maybe I’m coming from a place of bias as I read this book and as I’m writing this review, but reading a Burton book is like sinking into a dreamscape. She simply doesn’t see the world the same as I do. Maybe it’s different for other people, but to me she writes the world like it still has mystery, magic, and enchantment to it. For a very cynical person like me who tends to fear everyone and think catastrophically, books like hers are like fairy tales. Maybe that’s by virtue of her academic background. Maybe that’s just intrinsically who she is at heart. Who knows? All I care about is that she keeps writing utterly beautiful books like these for as long as it makes her happy to do so.

The story of Rose, Cecilia, and The Avalon is compelling from the start, from Rose and Cecilia’s negligent childhood and their insistence that New York City raised them to Cecilia’s adult wanderlust that carries her all over the globe to Rose’s adulty-adultiness to the events that lead Cecilia and then Rose to The Avalon…It’s what happens once they get there that starts to whip your heart into a frenzy and turn page over page. The days bleed into nights into weeks into months. It’s so beautiful and sad and lovely.

When I came to the end I was both sad and satisfied. Sad because I had finished yet another Tara Isabella Burton novel and would have to wait for the next. Satisfied because it was perfect.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Cult Fiction/Literary Fiction

[Asta Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bet juk įmanomas kitoks gyvenimas.

Patinka imtis knygų apie seseris. Nes, kaip ir gyvenime, jų santykių būna itin įvairių, nevienasluoksnių. Turbūt tuo ir patraukė „Čia, Avalone". Plius – žadama magija.
Ką gavom? Dvi mergaitės, auginamos neatsakingos, nepastovios, bohemiškos motinos. Normaliai nė mokyklos nelankiusios. Viena – Sesilija – išauga besiblaškanti svajoklė, neįvykusi muzikė. Tuo tarpu Rozė vinimis prisikala prie pastovumo, realių dalykų. Numetusi piešimą, užsiima programėlėmis, turi mylimąjį ir jam jaučia jausmus, kuriuos gali paaiškinti logiškai. Gyvenimą, kurio kryptis tokia aiški. Tačiau kartą Sesilija mįslingai pradingsta. Rozė įtaria, jog su tuo susijęs mistiškasis Avalonas, ir metasi jos ieškoti...

Apie absoliučiai skirtingus dalykus – tai, ko ieškome ir ko išties ieškome. Vienatvę, išdavystes ir kasdienybę. Išbarstytas svajones, be kurių taip ir netampame laimingi. Mūsų trapumą ir prasmės, reikalingumo poreikį. Gyvenimo chaosą, kuriame bandome stvarstytis už nors kiek stabilesnių atramų. Kad ir kiek šios tvertų. Stebuklus, kuriuos kuriame ir naikiname patys.

„Kaipgi bet kas aname pasaulyje galėtų prilygti akimirkoms, kai plauki atviru vandeniu, alsuoji žvaigždėmis, šviesomis ir vietomis, kur žvaigždės nesiskiria nuo šviesų; toms akimirkoms, kai vėl iš naujo įsmyli mėnulį ir bangas ir – jeigu gerai įsižiūrėsi – bangas mėnulyje? Kaip bet koks gyvenimas gali prilygti akimirkoms, kai pažvelgi į paklaikusias nepažįstamojo akis ir priverti jį patikėti, kad bangos pilnos angelų?"

Pagavo. Nors ir pasispyriojau.

[Keri Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rated up because I genuinely enjoyed my time reading this! This is like a cross between The Hazel Wood and the movie Midnight in Paris. It’s classified as a fantasy, but like many other reviewers have pointed out, that label isn’t accurate. I see why it is, though, because the story feels magical all the way through. New York fairy tale as a description is dead on! To me, Here in Avalon is a metaphor for artistic people trying to survive in a world that doesn’t appreciate them or make accommodations for them.

Tara Isabella Burton has a way of writing her books that makes it impossible to put them down. But Burton does take nearly half the book to move past the real world and truly get some fantastical elements going in the plot, which I imagine could be aggravating for many readers. But I didn’t care! I even ended up loving the non-fantastical parts.

Burton allows her characters to be grey and complex and doesn’t provide the reader with easy answers when it comes to what’s going on with the cult, or to the complicated human relationships in the story. Readers who appreciate grey-ness in stories and characters will be more on board with this than other readers.

I feel like the book loses steam towards the end once you find out what’s going on. The story is at its strongest when it’s able to retain the mystery. This definitely would have been a 4 star read for me rather than a 3.5 if the ending was stronger.

[annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

an enchanting, page-turning fairytale of a book about the competing drives to live a structured, practical life and to live a free, artistic life. a highlight of this book to me was the complicated, messy, yet loving relationship between rose and cecilia, and i enjoyed seeing the different ways their background impacted them explored here. also thought the exploration of cults/cultish groups was fascinating, though i would have loved a little more character development for some of the members of avalon. overall, though, i had a great time with this, and tara isabella burton is def cemented as an autobuy author for me.

4.5 stars

[Katrina Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Rounding up because it doesn't deserve a 3.59 rating.

Beautiful and lyrical. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, though it never really did.

I loved the vision of caring for the down trodden. I loved the vision of turning 100% of your energy on someone else and making them feel special and worthy because everyone is worthy. I appreciated the courage to sacrifice for those you love. I appreciated the criticism that escape is not actually the best end. I appreciated the strength to face consequences for one's actions.

-0.5 stars because I prefer defined endings.

[Neringa Cikanaitė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buvo įdomu sužinoti kas gi vis dėlto tas Avalonas ir kokia jo istorija. visgi pabaigoje kažko pritrūko

[Matthew Loftus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. I read it in a single day. It is sad, but not in a particularly depressing way. It is a book that gently skewers many of the excesses of modern life (especially among hyper-achieving young people) but not in a cruel or unrealistic way. It is a book that talks about the power of art, but in a way that feels far more true to life than Social Creature (the author's first novel) ever did. There are plot holes and unanswered questions, but the author still succeeded in creating a fictional world I would like to be a part of, perhaps for just an evening.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perfect if you want to be bored and annoyed

[Maddie Joyner]

Our professor had us read this without knowing what it was going to be about. Read the first sentence of the summary & imagine what a ride it was

[Whitney Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was nothing like I expected and yet more than I ever could have imagined.

Here in Avalon was so intelligently written; an urban fairytale that reminds us of the power and magic of found family.

As someone who has spent a lot of time in New York City, I absolutely love the way Burton used New York as a poetic playground. The city truly felt like a main character.

The story centers around two sisters who couldn’t be more different, yet find themselves both searching for the same kind of happiness and meaning in life.

It was dark, surreal, operatic and mysterious, with a 1920’s noir vibe that I couldn’t get enough of!

A contemporary, atmospheric story of the beauty and poetry that can only be found outside of “real life”; Here in Avalon illuminates the fact that a new, more beautiful way of life is always possible, no matter your situation.

A brilliant first read of the year!

[Deanna Rodriguez (Cook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting story. At first it felt a little slow, but I was invested in the characters and their unfolding story after a bit. I really don’t even know what category this book would fall under. Almost magical realism but not quite. It was definitely a story that held my attention once the reveals began. I think the one also felt really relatable, in the sense that every once in a while or even more often we all wonder, what is the point. We wonder what am I doing and what should I be doing to feel like I’m making a difference or something along those lines. I really enjoyed this one and it really wasn’t a very long read! Definitely recommend!

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable contemporary fairytale. I loved the author’s writing style in this book and found it to be very captivating. I loved the main characters Cecelia and Rose and enjoyed following them throughout this book. There was so much to this book and it was very well done. If you are looking for a magical realism read, you may want to check this one out.

Thank you @simonbooks for my gifted copy.

[Alicia Ceasar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here in Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton is a story that follows two sisters as their lives are changed by a mysterious cabaret. Whimsical and dark, this story explores the need to be free and what all comes with that need.

I really enjoyed this book. It is almost a fairytale story about a cult. I have always been fascinated with the idea of cults but I feel like any “cult” book I pick up lets me down because I don’t see why people are drawn to the cult. This story made is feel desirable. The idea of this almost theatrical experience of an initiation was mesmerizing.

I found myself fully engaged through this whole story. I loved the sister relationship because it was the perfect mix of love and annoyance. The chapters in this book are a little long which I usually don’t like, but I was so absorbed, I didn’t notice it as much.

This is my second book by this author and I think she is definitely an auto-read author for me now. I love how character driven her books feel. The writing is just shy of feeling pretentious so it scratches that itch in my brain for something that makes me think.

I just had a great time with this book. I am the kind of person who would sail away to Avalon so this was a perfect read for me.

Huge thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of its release. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Cathie (ClassyLibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book cast a spell on me. I had to find out what happens to Rose and Cecilia. The pacing is nice, there were a few time when I felt certain words could have been edited. They just did not lend anything to the characters conversation. The gritty dark magical fairy tale was just an overall satisfying read.