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In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts
Not yet published
Expected 15 Sep 26Stoker winner Gwendolyn Kiste holds up a dark, queer mirror to The Great Gatsby in In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts, a haunting exploration of the obsession and control at the edges of an American classic.
In 1955, Daisy Buchanan is found dead in an abandoned West Egg mansion, but her daughter Mel knows she's really been gone for years. No one knows whether Daisy was murdered, or if it was a simpler, slower death: her yearslong spiral of alcohol, abuse, and helplessness. But when Mel enters the estate, she finds Daisy's ghost, somehow frozen at twenty-three, and a charming, bleeding phantom that used to be Jay Gatsby.
To free her mother, Mel must carve a path through family secrets and decaying revelers: deep into Gatsby’s starving house, as it gorges itself on unfulfilled love and grows stronger every night.
In 1955, Daisy Buchanan is found dead in an abandoned West Egg mansion, but her daughter Mel knows she's really been gone for years. No one knows whether Daisy was murdered, or if it was a simpler, slower death: her yearslong spiral of alcohol, abuse, and helplessness. But when Mel enters the estate, she finds Daisy's ghost, somehow frozen at twenty-three, and a charming, bleeding phantom that used to be Jay Gatsby.
To free her mother, Mel must carve a path through family secrets and decaying revelers: deep into Gatsby’s starving house, as it gorges itself on unfulfilled love and grows stronger every night.
176 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 15, 2026
About the author
Gwendolyn Kiste
124 books914 followersGwendolyn Kiste is the four-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens, Reluctant Immortals, The Haunting of Velkwood, Boneset & Feathers, and Pretty Marys All in a Row, among others. Her short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in outlets including Lit Hub, Nightmare, Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, Vastarien, Tor Nightfire, Titan Books, and The Dark. She's a Lambda Literary Award winner, and her fiction has also received the This Is Horror award for Novel of the Year as well as nominations for the Shirley Jackson, Premios Kelvin, Ignotus, and Dragon awards.
Originally from Ohio, she now resides on an abandoned horse farm outside of Pittsburgh with her husband, their excitable calico cat, and not nearly enough ghosts. Find her online at gwendolynkiste.com
Originally from Ohio, she now resides on an abandoned horse farm outside of Pittsburgh with her husband, their excitable calico cat, and not nearly enough ghosts. Find her online at gwendolynkiste.com
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March 5, 2026I blurbed this one!
"Clever, compelling, and creepy: In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts is the sapphic sequel to The Great Gatsby we have all been waiting for as fervently as Gatsby waited for Daisy."
"Clever, compelling, and creepy: In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts is the sapphic sequel to The Great Gatsby we have all been waiting for as fervently as Gatsby waited for Daisy."
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
✨ In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts ✨
I can appreciate the attempt at a queer Great Gatsby retelling, but this one just fell flat for me. It felt too short to fully explore the ideas it was reaching for, which left the story feeling underdeveloped and a bit too fast paced.
🖤 What to Expect
• Queer gothic horror
• Great Gatsby reimagining
• Haunted mansion
• Ghostly mother
_ _ _
⭐ Final Score: 2.5
📅 Pub Date: September 15, 2026
📝 Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
I can appreciate the attempt at a queer Great Gatsby retelling, but this one just fell flat for me. It felt too short to fully explore the ideas it was reaching for, which left the story feeling underdeveloped and a bit too fast paced.
🖤 What to Expect
• Queer gothic horror
• Great Gatsby reimagining
• Haunted mansion
• Ghostly mother
_ _ _
⭐ Final Score: 2.5
📅 Pub Date: September 15, 2026
📝 Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
May 4, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 very solid stars)
At the forefront of this novella is Daisy’s and Mel’s mother-daughter relationship. It’s complex, difficult but inevitably soo emotional too. And without spoiling, just let me say that this novella raised so many questions within me such as how much of our parents is in us? How much are we alike? How much of our past or the one of our parents define us and how do you learn to live with your past without wanting to erase certain points?
To put it mildly, this was veryyy emotional, even more so at the end. Especially because in the very end, it felt like I was reading a story which teaches me to learn how to let go, of the past, of people long gone and in a way even people who are still very much alive and mean so much to one but hinder us to move on in a way. And all of this, to get your own chance to live a life according to your own terms. Which is exactly why I would say this is so very emotional but also a really important read. Moreover, it was very well written and put together in a way that I wish it would’ve been longer and had even more detail. Though, I gotta admit, reading this almost made me nostalgic to read ‘The Great Gatsby’ again (haha).
Overall, I really really enjoyed reading this and I can recommend this a thousand times. It’s really sooo good!!
Ps: We all surely had a Jordan in our life, I know for sure I had one 🙂↕️
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this novella in exchange for an honest and voluntarily given review!
At the forefront of this novella is Daisy’s and Mel’s mother-daughter relationship. It’s complex, difficult but inevitably soo emotional too. And without spoiling, just let me say that this novella raised so many questions within me such as how much of our parents is in us? How much are we alike? How much of our past or the one of our parents define us and how do you learn to live with your past without wanting to erase certain points?
To put it mildly, this was veryyy emotional, even more so at the end. Especially because in the very end, it felt like I was reading a story which teaches me to learn how to let go, of the past, of people long gone and in a way even people who are still very much alive and mean so much to one but hinder us to move on in a way. And all of this, to get your own chance to live a life according to your own terms. Which is exactly why I would say this is so very emotional but also a really important read. Moreover, it was very well written and put together in a way that I wish it would’ve been longer and had even more detail. Though, I gotta admit, reading this almost made me nostalgic to read ‘The Great Gatsby’ again (haha).
Overall, I really really enjoyed reading this and I can recommend this a thousand times. It’s really sooo good!!
Ps: We all surely had a Jordan in our life, I know for sure I had one 🙂↕️
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this novella in exchange for an honest and voluntarily given review!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Reading for review in a future issue of Booklist
Three Words That Describe This Book: book about a book, immersive and visceral, reclaiming forgotten women (specially discarded daughters)
This one is a solid 4.5 stars.
More than a retelling, this is a horror novel that explores and probes its inspiration-- The Great Gatsby and creates something new. But it keeps the sensual, decadence and glamor of the original as well. It uses the source material to tell a new story. Similar to Reluctant Immortals but not as wide in scope-- both in the breadth of the story and length-- this is a novella that can be read in 2 sittings-- and you will want to do that.
Also I stand behind the word Visceral here but this book is not "gross" in a standard use of that word. The house-- Gatsby's West Egg mansion is a sentient haunted house, it can create corporeal ghosts out of its memories-- conjure them-- but it needs to feed off the living to gain strength. The more living breathing humans who visit from 3-4 am, the more it can feed and then do. So this book is sticking with the ectoplasm that oozes down the walls and sticks to the people. The ghosts it creates are in various states of building-- some are grotesquely missing major parts, some are rotting, some are just slightly, but very creepily off.
Let's back up a bit though. This book hinges on the appearance, very small, of Daisy's daughter Pamela in the source text (The Great Gatsby). Like Kiste does with all of her work-- she gives voice to the voiceless women in the world (whether they are of her creation or from other works of literature). In this case, she dedicated the book to "discarded daughters" and that is the focus here. Pamela, who prefers to go by Mel, is our protagonist and POV here. Kiste empowers her with her own story and her own happy ending.
Kiste also makes reference to the film version which readers may notice and if not, she tells you in the acknowledgements.
It is 1955 and Daisy has just died-- found dead at the West Egg Mansion of Gatsby, obviously long dead as readers of the course material know. Mel gives readers the view of Daisy after the novel. Washed up at 25 but living in the past to almost 60. Mel's life has not been easy and she grew up very poor knowing her family had once been rich. Once nice touch in Kiste's hands here is that over the course of the novel, Mel comes to learn more truth about her mother, Gatsby and more.
Mel is 35 but her whole life she has toiled and tried to earn her mother's love. Her mother seemed to only live in the past. Mel has a good job at a dry cleaner working with a woman who is her best friend but who she also has feelings for.
When she finds out her mom was with a famous spiritualist at West Egg when she died, this starts the horror action. Mel is drawn to participate in connecting with the ghosts who appear every night at West Egg to live an echo of the great parties from the heights of the novel. At the center of it all is Gatsby himself. But Mel goes with the spiritualist in an attempt to find the ghost of her mother. What she finds is a lot more than she bargained for, but it might be just what she needs to start living her life for herself for the first time ever.
Readers see immediately that the house holds a grotesque power of its own from the start. Mel feels it. The visceral things I mention above are key. The details are immersive. You are there both in 1955 with Mel (whether it is in NYC at her job and walking the streets o visiting the lesbian bar) AND at West Egg in the Gatsby pre cars 1920s and the abandoned decrypted house of 1955.
Fun thing here, Kiste makes Gatsby, his parties, and his death part of the world's history-- so Mel can go to the NYPL and look up news stories about it.
This is a story that probes the source material to move it into a future and tell Mel's story, but it also closes some loops in the original. It is also an immersive and imaginative sentient haunted house story. It is also a novel that gives the power and happy ending to discarded daughters and forgotten women everywhere.
I found the resolution a little too fairy tale-esaue and neat for horror, but I have read a lot of Kiste's work and love all of it. I know she doesn't usually do this so I know she had a reason.
Like all of her books and stories, this is impeccably written. The imagery is vivid, the characters come alive, the writing is beautiful (even when about gross things like a ghastly built body) and accessible. It is a joy to read and will linger with you long after.
I for one will never be able to look at The Great Gatsby the same way again. And that is a HUGE win. This is from a smaller press but totally worth a read by anyone who like Gwendolyn Kiste (raises my own hand).
For any readers who love to read original retellings of classics by today's horror authors but especially the way Helen Oyoyemi does it.
Also if you like this decadent and glamorous but still visceral horror of forgotten women getting their due, try Donyae Coles-- Midnight Rooms yes because a type of haunted house Gothic, but especially the upcoming (August) The Sunken, the Adored.
Three Words That Describe This Book: book about a book, immersive and visceral, reclaiming forgotten women (specially discarded daughters)
This one is a solid 4.5 stars.
More than a retelling, this is a horror novel that explores and probes its inspiration-- The Great Gatsby and creates something new. But it keeps the sensual, decadence and glamor of the original as well. It uses the source material to tell a new story. Similar to Reluctant Immortals but not as wide in scope-- both in the breadth of the story and length-- this is a novella that can be read in 2 sittings-- and you will want to do that.
Also I stand behind the word Visceral here but this book is not "gross" in a standard use of that word. The house-- Gatsby's West Egg mansion is a sentient haunted house, it can create corporeal ghosts out of its memories-- conjure them-- but it needs to feed off the living to gain strength. The more living breathing humans who visit from 3-4 am, the more it can feed and then do. So this book is sticking with the ectoplasm that oozes down the walls and sticks to the people. The ghosts it creates are in various states of building-- some are grotesquely missing major parts, some are rotting, some are just slightly, but very creepily off.
Let's back up a bit though. This book hinges on the appearance, very small, of Daisy's daughter Pamela in the source text (The Great Gatsby). Like Kiste does with all of her work-- she gives voice to the voiceless women in the world (whether they are of her creation or from other works of literature). In this case, she dedicated the book to "discarded daughters" and that is the focus here. Pamela, who prefers to go by Mel, is our protagonist and POV here. Kiste empowers her with her own story and her own happy ending.
Kiste also makes reference to the film version which readers may notice and if not, she tells you in the acknowledgements.
It is 1955 and Daisy has just died-- found dead at the West Egg Mansion of Gatsby, obviously long dead as readers of the course material know. Mel gives readers the view of Daisy after the novel. Washed up at 25 but living in the past to almost 60. Mel's life has not been easy and she grew up very poor knowing her family had once been rich. Once nice touch in Kiste's hands here is that over the course of the novel, Mel comes to learn more truth about her mother, Gatsby and more.
Mel is 35 but her whole life she has toiled and tried to earn her mother's love. Her mother seemed to only live in the past. Mel has a good job at a dry cleaner working with a woman who is her best friend but who she also has feelings for.
When she finds out her mom was with a famous spiritualist at West Egg when she died, this starts the horror action. Mel is drawn to participate in connecting with the ghosts who appear every night at West Egg to live an echo of the great parties from the heights of the novel. At the center of it all is Gatsby himself. But Mel goes with the spiritualist in an attempt to find the ghost of her mother. What she finds is a lot more than she bargained for, but it might be just what she needs to start living her life for herself for the first time ever.
Readers see immediately that the house holds a grotesque power of its own from the start. Mel feels it. The visceral things I mention above are key. The details are immersive. You are there both in 1955 with Mel (whether it is in NYC at her job and walking the streets o visiting the lesbian bar) AND at West Egg in the Gatsby pre cars 1920s and the abandoned decrypted house of 1955.
Fun thing here, Kiste makes Gatsby, his parties, and his death part of the world's history-- so Mel can go to the NYPL and look up news stories about it.
This is a story that probes the source material to move it into a future and tell Mel's story, but it also closes some loops in the original. It is also an immersive and imaginative sentient haunted house story. It is also a novel that gives the power and happy ending to discarded daughters and forgotten women everywhere.
I found the resolution a little too fairy tale-esaue and neat for horror, but I have read a lot of Kiste's work and love all of it. I know she doesn't usually do this so I know she had a reason.
Like all of her books and stories, this is impeccably written. The imagery is vivid, the characters come alive, the writing is beautiful (even when about gross things like a ghastly built body) and accessible. It is a joy to read and will linger with you long after.
I for one will never be able to look at The Great Gatsby the same way again. And that is a HUGE win. This is from a smaller press but totally worth a read by anyone who like Gwendolyn Kiste (raises my own hand).
For any readers who love to read original retellings of classics by today's horror authors but especially the way Helen Oyoyemi does it.
Also if you like this decadent and glamorous but still visceral horror of forgotten women getting their due, try Donyae Coles-- Midnight Rooms yes because a type of haunted house Gothic, but especially the upcoming (August) The Sunken, the Adored.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Title: These Gilded Ghostly Hearts
Author: Gwendolyn Kiste
Publisher: Creature Publishing
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What happens when the flamboyance of the 1920s decays into the cold reality of 1955? In These Gilded Ghostly Hearts, Gwendolyn Kiste crafts a brilliant, heart-wrenching gothic horror sequel to The Great Gatsby that handles generational trauma and historical tragedy with absolute mastery.
The story follows Pamela Buchanan, the daughter of the infamous Daisy. Daisy is dead, found in the crumbling, ectoplasm-infused ruins of Gatsby’s old mansion. Trapped there by a predatory charlatan named Harrison, Daisy’s spirit is suddenly young again, locked in the past she spent thirty years longing for. It’s up to Pam, her "sister-figure" Jordan Baker, and Harrison to free her. But as Pam digs into West Egg’s history, she realizes the house itself harbors a sentient, gluttonous malice that isn't ready to let the Buchanan family go.
At its core, this is a story about loss: the loss of parents, the sting of unrequited love, and the heavy burden of family wreckage. Kiste brilliantly explores Pam’s internal struggles as a queer woman navigating the terrifying "Lavender Scare" of the 1950s. Pam’s quiet, aching love for her friend Vera acts as a beautiful counterweight to the literal ghosts of her parents' past.
Pamela's analysis of her mother is devastatingly sharp. Daisy is a character to be both pitied and despised—a spoiled socialite trapped by her times, whose emotional absence haunted Pam long before her physical death. For years, the only way to be close to Daisy was to be close to death.
Without giving away the explosive climax, the return of classic Gatsby characters shifts the narrative into a chaotic, breathless rhythm where the boundaries between the living and the dead entirely dissolve. The story delivers a profoundly satisfying, heart-wrenching resolution that forces Pam to decide whether she will succumb to her family's tragic legacy or finally break the cycle to face a loving future of her own making.
Kiste hits every single note perfectly. A masterclass in gothic horror and literary continuation.
Likes:
Fast pacing paired with a deeply flawed, fiercely relatable main character.
A brilliant, seamless integration of The Great Gatsby lore and themes.
Classic characters felt entirely natural to the spooky environment, not forced.
Dislikes:
Left me craving just a bit more backstory on the mysterious dynamic between Harrison and his assistant, Lili!
Many favorite quotes to come after official publication!
Thank you Creature Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Author: Gwendolyn Kiste
Publisher: Creature Publishing
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What happens when the flamboyance of the 1920s decays into the cold reality of 1955? In These Gilded Ghostly Hearts, Gwendolyn Kiste crafts a brilliant, heart-wrenching gothic horror sequel to The Great Gatsby that handles generational trauma and historical tragedy with absolute mastery.
The story follows Pamela Buchanan, the daughter of the infamous Daisy. Daisy is dead, found in the crumbling, ectoplasm-infused ruins of Gatsby’s old mansion. Trapped there by a predatory charlatan named Harrison, Daisy’s spirit is suddenly young again, locked in the past she spent thirty years longing for. It’s up to Pam, her "sister-figure" Jordan Baker, and Harrison to free her. But as Pam digs into West Egg’s history, she realizes the house itself harbors a sentient, gluttonous malice that isn't ready to let the Buchanan family go.
At its core, this is a story about loss: the loss of parents, the sting of unrequited love, and the heavy burden of family wreckage. Kiste brilliantly explores Pam’s internal struggles as a queer woman navigating the terrifying "Lavender Scare" of the 1950s. Pam’s quiet, aching love for her friend Vera acts as a beautiful counterweight to the literal ghosts of her parents' past.
Pamela's analysis of her mother is devastatingly sharp. Daisy is a character to be both pitied and despised—a spoiled socialite trapped by her times, whose emotional absence haunted Pam long before her physical death. For years, the only way to be close to Daisy was to be close to death.
Without giving away the explosive climax, the return of classic Gatsby characters shifts the narrative into a chaotic, breathless rhythm where the boundaries between the living and the dead entirely dissolve. The story delivers a profoundly satisfying, heart-wrenching resolution that forces Pam to decide whether she will succumb to her family's tragic legacy or finally break the cycle to face a loving future of her own making.
Kiste hits every single note perfectly. A masterclass in gothic horror and literary continuation.
Likes:
Fast pacing paired with a deeply flawed, fiercely relatable main character.
A brilliant, seamless integration of The Great Gatsby lore and themes.
Classic characters felt entirely natural to the spooky environment, not forced.
Dislikes:
Left me craving just a bit more backstory on the mysterious dynamic between Harrison and his assistant, Lili!
Many favorite quotes to come after official publication!
Thank you Creature Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I haven't read The Great Gatsby (yet) so I can't tell how close to the original story this sequel of sort is, but the author did a good job at giving me enough of the original story that I never felt lost.
If you're looking for a scary haunted mansion or an action pack novella, this isn't the book for you. This book is slow, very introspective, and all about Mel and her learning to let go of the past, of her mother, of family bagages.
Daisy wasn't a good mother by any stretch of the imagination so I understand why some people wouldn't understand Mel need to save her, but I get it. I know people who should let go of parents that aren't and have never been good for them or to them, but they can't. I witnessed the anguish and the desire to let go while being unable to "fail their duties" and I saw that in Mel in lot. Maybe my own experience colors my liking for the character but I really liked her and I was rooting for her all the way, knowing she would get there eventually and mentally nudging her forward.
I also enjoyed the other characters, they're all flawed (expect Nora. Nora deserved to be more fleshed out in my opinion because she was mostly just a plot device and she deserved better) and not all of them grow from the story. I think you'll enjoy them even more if you've read the original story.
And I really liked the atmosphere. I don't usually like historical , but I figured I could deal with 20th century and I did enjoy it. I liked how queer the story was and the hint of how difficult life could be for queer folks in the 50's but the book also doesn't dwell on it. It's a realistic background, not the main focus and I appreciated that in a story that was already emotionally heavy.
The writing is very lush, very old fashioned, clearly a well thought decision that fit the story. It can be a bit much at times, but it fits the vibe and I don't think the story would have worked in another writing style. It needed to be grandiose and over the top because Gatsby and his whole parties were.
I'm really glad I gave this book a try. This wasn't what I expected going in, because like I said the haunted mansion wasn't scary at all and I wouldn't really call this horror, but the story I got instead was worth my time. It was sad, hopeful, and touching in ways I wasn't expecting.
A copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
If you're looking for a scary haunted mansion or an action pack novella, this isn't the book for you. This book is slow, very introspective, and all about Mel and her learning to let go of the past, of her mother, of family bagages.
Daisy wasn't a good mother by any stretch of the imagination so I understand why some people wouldn't understand Mel need to save her, but I get it. I know people who should let go of parents that aren't and have never been good for them or to them, but they can't. I witnessed the anguish and the desire to let go while being unable to "fail their duties" and I saw that in Mel in lot. Maybe my own experience colors my liking for the character but I really liked her and I was rooting for her all the way, knowing she would get there eventually and mentally nudging her forward.
I also enjoyed the other characters, they're all flawed (expect Nora. Nora deserved to be more fleshed out in my opinion because she was mostly just a plot device and she deserved better) and not all of them grow from the story. I think you'll enjoy them even more if you've read the original story.
And I really liked the atmosphere. I don't usually like historical , but I figured I could deal with 20th century and I did enjoy it. I liked how queer the story was and the hint of how difficult life could be for queer folks in the 50's but the book also doesn't dwell on it. It's a realistic background, not the main focus and I appreciated that in a story that was already emotionally heavy.
The writing is very lush, very old fashioned, clearly a well thought decision that fit the story. It can be a bit much at times, but it fits the vibe and I don't think the story would have worked in another writing style. It needed to be grandiose and over the top because Gatsby and his whole parties were.
I'm really glad I gave this book a try. This wasn't what I expected going in, because like I said the haunted mansion wasn't scary at all and I wouldn't really call this horror, but the story I got instead was worth my time. It was sad, hopeful, and touching in ways I wasn't expecting.
A copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is the retelling of the famous book "The Great Gatsby", which has always held an indescribable fascination, especially for what happens to him and the heartbreaking story of love and friendship.
This book is about Pamela/Mel Buchanan, Daisy's daughter, who tries to heal the wounds of a difficult past with a mother lost in her memories and her great love for Gatsby.
"The only way to be close to my mother was to be close to death."
I loved the ghostly part, the haunted house and the queer love. I love to meet old friends like Nick.
I hoped until the end that Mel would do the right thing, which isn't always easy, especially in the 1950s, where queer love was not accepted by society.
The haunted house is a dominant part of the novel; everything revolves around the house where Gatsby held his parties and where he met his death in the novel.
"Sometimes, the house forgets what it's doing. It can't always remember how to put the ghosts togheter again."
"But the house never forgets you." I gaze at him, at that perfect face. Something like an angel. Or maybe more like the second cousin of the devil. "You don't fade away like the others."
I loved the ghosts and the unique way of describing them, of bringing the past to life in such a "sticky" way that seems like the underlying theme of the novel: that it's difficult to detach ourself from the past and our own history.
It's not a scary book, but it's fascinating and at times disturbing. The author did a good job of conveying the melancholy of Gatsby and the 1920s, which, despite their opulence, concealed something akin to sadness, loneliness, and uncertainty beneath the veneer.
The author's writing is fluid and descriptive. I appreciated Mel's sensitivity, the way she handled her feelings while keeping them hidden and respecting the taboos of those years.
The writer also respected Nick—my favorite character from the original novel—I found him again, just like finding a friend after a long time.
I loved the metaphors she used to describe the places and the sensations, transporting me along with her in this truly captivating story.
Thank you so much to the writer and NetGalley for this incredible opportunity.
I can't wait for it to come out so I can buy it in paperback and add it to my library.
Rebecca
This book is about Pamela/Mel Buchanan, Daisy's daughter, who tries to heal the wounds of a difficult past with a mother lost in her memories and her great love for Gatsby.
"The only way to be close to my mother was to be close to death."
I loved the ghostly part, the haunted house and the queer love. I love to meet old friends like Nick.
I hoped until the end that Mel would do the right thing, which isn't always easy, especially in the 1950s, where queer love was not accepted by society.
The haunted house is a dominant part of the novel; everything revolves around the house where Gatsby held his parties and where he met his death in the novel.
"Sometimes, the house forgets what it's doing. It can't always remember how to put the ghosts togheter again."
"But the house never forgets you." I gaze at him, at that perfect face. Something like an angel. Or maybe more like the second cousin of the devil. "You don't fade away like the others."
I loved the ghosts and the unique way of describing them, of bringing the past to life in such a "sticky" way that seems like the underlying theme of the novel: that it's difficult to detach ourself from the past and our own history.
It's not a scary book, but it's fascinating and at times disturbing. The author did a good job of conveying the melancholy of Gatsby and the 1920s, which, despite their opulence, concealed something akin to sadness, loneliness, and uncertainty beneath the veneer.
The author's writing is fluid and descriptive. I appreciated Mel's sensitivity, the way she handled her feelings while keeping them hidden and respecting the taboos of those years.
The writer also respected Nick—my favorite character from the original novel—I found him again, just like finding a friend after a long time.
I loved the metaphors she used to describe the places and the sensations, transporting me along with her in this truly captivating story.
Thank you so much to the writer and NetGalley for this incredible opportunity.
I can't wait for it to come out so I can buy it in paperback and add it to my library.
Rebecca
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
While I did like the overall story, I found my enjoyment inconsistent. The first half was pretty slow, which is silly because of how short this book actually is. Then it picked up very quickly and finally it ended, though satisfyingly, way too soon.
I really liked The Great Gatsby back when I read it. And the movie was also very good. I’m not the story’s number one fan, but I like it well enough. And I’m also always a sucker for a good retelling, make it queer too and I’m automatically on board.
This novella is based off of the book but the character we’re following is Daisy Buchanan’s daughter. The year is 1955 and Pamela Buchanan has lost her mother recently, then she finds her ghost. I know. It’s actually very emotional. She also finds the spirit of the man Gatsby himself.
It’s a story of family, how alike them we are, unrequited love. Things most people have experienced, questioned themselves about, at least once in their life, but it’s got that prose that will have you feeling all the emotions alongside Mel. I really wish I enjoyed the first half of the book as much as I did the second.
Something I have to say is that I’m a firm believer in the fact that Nick harbored some type of feelings for Gatsby. I don’t know what kind of feelings, but there were feelings involved. And this book acknowledged that, thereby making me happy. Even in the way that they were mentioned, in correlation to Mel’s situation. Her and Jordan, and how they mirror Jay and Nick.
But the best part of this book was the relationship dynamics and all the talk of family. The mother-daughter relationship between Mel and Daisy and how important it is. How Mel felt and behaved has you feeling sad, emotional even. There’s something familiar about it all to me. Love, the kind that never comes to anything at that, loss. And I can’t praise the book enough for that.
The issue I had with this novella was mainly the pacing because the book itself was actually good. It went slow then very fast, almost too fast. I wish it was longer so that we had a bit more time to work through the pacing issues. Overall, I’d recommend it to everyone who has read the original classic this is based on, especially if you like your retellings with a queer twist to it. I’d recommend everyone read the og before going into this one because you’ll enjoy it a lot more I think. 4/5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked The Great Gatsby back when I read it. And the movie was also very good. I’m not the story’s number one fan, but I like it well enough. And I’m also always a sucker for a good retelling, make it queer too and I’m automatically on board.
This novella is based off of the book but the character we’re following is Daisy Buchanan’s daughter. The year is 1955 and Pamela Buchanan has lost her mother recently, then she finds her ghost. I know. It’s actually very emotional. She also finds the spirit of the man Gatsby himself.
It’s a story of family, how alike them we are, unrequited love. Things most people have experienced, questioned themselves about, at least once in their life, but it’s got that prose that will have you feeling all the emotions alongside Mel. I really wish I enjoyed the first half of the book as much as I did the second.
Something I have to say is that I’m a firm believer in the fact that Nick harbored some type of feelings for Gatsby. I don’t know what kind of feelings, but there were feelings involved. And this book acknowledged that, thereby making me happy. Even in the way that they were mentioned, in correlation to Mel’s situation. Her and Jordan, and how they mirror Jay and Nick.
But the best part of this book was the relationship dynamics and all the talk of family. The mother-daughter relationship between Mel and Daisy and how important it is. How Mel felt and behaved has you feeling sad, emotional even. There’s something familiar about it all to me. Love, the kind that never comes to anything at that, loss. And I can’t praise the book enough for that.
The issue I had with this novella was mainly the pacing because the book itself was actually good. It went slow then very fast, almost too fast. I wish it was longer so that we had a bit more time to work through the pacing issues. Overall, I’d recommend it to everyone who has read the original classic this is based on, especially if you like your retellings with a queer twist to it. I’d recommend everyone read the og before going into this one because you’ll enjoy it a lot more I think. 4/5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In a nutshell: An amazing sapphic retelling of Gatsby, following Pamela, the daughter of Daisy. This is a story of losing a parent, discovering family secrets, letting go of the past, navigating life in the 1950s as a queer person and of course haunted mansions.
What I loved: Immediately, I will start by saying that the way this book is written is beautiful. It definitely fits the theme and time period that it describes within each page. As someone who hasn't read Gatsby, it was easy to follow, and so I picked things up relatively quickly.
Pam's relationship with her mother was...not great. You can feel from the very start that her mother's priorities were very self-focused. That being said, I can understand why Pam just couldn't let her mother go and felt the need to "save her." I feel like it comes with that time period and the need to fulfill your role.
I loved the addition of Jordan and the relationship between her and Pam. Immediately, I thought there was definitely some romance there; perhaps in another life, it may have been the case. I loved how much care Jordan showed Pam every step of the way, not to mention how she embodied confidence and glamour in such an effortless way, whilst also keeping herself mysterious.
It was then a nice contrast to see Pam and Vera interacting, both craving a certain type of future and freedom but feeling the confines of the current world around them. I think the interpersonal relationships throughout this were my favorite, for sure!
Gatsby was just as I had imagined him to be, and with his entry into the story, we find ourselves shifting into the great world of the Gatsby parties. However, the parties are quite literally oozing, the guests starving, and it's Pam who needs to figure out what is going on with Gatsby and his haunted house of ghosts.
My least fav parts: I do feel like, perhaps, it could have been longer. Only because I would have loved to be able to dive into some of the characters more.
Memorable quote: "“Do you think it was hungry back when you went to Gatsby’s parties?”
“Oh, darling,” Jordan says with a sly grin, “that house was positively starving.”
What I loved: Immediately, I will start by saying that the way this book is written is beautiful. It definitely fits the theme and time period that it describes within each page. As someone who hasn't read Gatsby, it was easy to follow, and so I picked things up relatively quickly.
Pam's relationship with her mother was...not great. You can feel from the very start that her mother's priorities were very self-focused. That being said, I can understand why Pam just couldn't let her mother go and felt the need to "save her." I feel like it comes with that time period and the need to fulfill your role.
I loved the addition of Jordan and the relationship between her and Pam. Immediately, I thought there was definitely some romance there; perhaps in another life, it may have been the case. I loved how much care Jordan showed Pam every step of the way, not to mention how she embodied confidence and glamour in such an effortless way, whilst also keeping herself mysterious.
It was then a nice contrast to see Pam and Vera interacting, both craving a certain type of future and freedom but feeling the confines of the current world around them. I think the interpersonal relationships throughout this were my favorite, for sure!
Gatsby was just as I had imagined him to be, and with his entry into the story, we find ourselves shifting into the great world of the Gatsby parties. However, the parties are quite literally oozing, the guests starving, and it's Pam who needs to figure out what is going on with Gatsby and his haunted house of ghosts.
My least fav parts: I do feel like, perhaps, it could have been longer. Only because I would have loved to be able to dive into some of the characters more.
Memorable quote: "“Do you think it was hungry back when you went to Gatsby’s parties?”
“Oh, darling,” Jordan says with a sly grin, “that house was positively starving.”
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
4.5 I am not a fan of The Great Gatsby, but I loved The Haunting of Velkwood, so I decided to give this novella a chance, and I am so glad I did. Kiste managed to do something that all three of my reads of Gatsby failed to do: make me care about those two insufferable characters. In this retelling, we follow Mel Buchanan (Pamela) as she grapples not only with the death of her mother, Daisy, but also with finding her mother's ghost and putting it to rest, a journey that leads her to Gatsby's haunted mansion.
Kiste's prose is lush and poetic, weaving an atmosphere that is both haunting and melancholic. The energy of Gatsby's Roaring Twenties mansion is subdued by the more pragmatic atmosphere of the present-day Nifty Fifties, creating a story tinged with self-aware nostalgia. I found myself highlighting passage after passage, fully entranced by how beautiful the writing was. Even the horror, which features several incredibly effective scenes, is presented in a way that makes the grotesque feel strangely alluring.
While this is a Gatsby “retelling”, at its core it's a story about parental emotional neglect and abuse, generational trauma, obsession masquerading as love, and healing enough that the darkest corners of your soul begin to look more like shade instead. I absolutely loved how Kiste explores the complexities of mothers and daughters, as well as her inclusion of the real-life persecution faced by queer people who simply wanted to exist.
The romantic subplot is tender and full of love, but it's also the reason this wasn't a five-star read for me. I do not understand the trend of writing characters who meet when one is a child and the other is an adult, only for one or both of them to develop romantic feelings later in life. In this case, it's thankfully one-sided, and the adult clearly doesn't view Mel that way, but it still gave me the ick and undercut the romance for me.
I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to get my shelf trophy!
PS I am not sure retelling is the proper word for this book. It reads much more like a continuation than a retelling.
Kiste's prose is lush and poetic, weaving an atmosphere that is both haunting and melancholic. The energy of Gatsby's Roaring Twenties mansion is subdued by the more pragmatic atmosphere of the present-day Nifty Fifties, creating a story tinged with self-aware nostalgia. I found myself highlighting passage after passage, fully entranced by how beautiful the writing was. Even the horror, which features several incredibly effective scenes, is presented in a way that makes the grotesque feel strangely alluring.
While this is a Gatsby “retelling”, at its core it's a story about parental emotional neglect and abuse, generational trauma, obsession masquerading as love, and healing enough that the darkest corners of your soul begin to look more like shade instead. I absolutely loved how Kiste explores the complexities of mothers and daughters, as well as her inclusion of the real-life persecution faced by queer people who simply wanted to exist.
The romantic subplot is tender and full of love, but it's also the reason this wasn't a five-star read for me. I do not understand the trend of writing characters who meet when one is a child and the other is an adult, only for one or both of them to develop romantic feelings later in life. In this case, it's thankfully one-sided, and the adult clearly doesn't view Mel that way, but it still gave me the ick and undercut the romance for me.
I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to get my shelf trophy!
PS I am not sure retelling is the proper word for this book. It reads much more like a continuation than a retelling.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts by Gwendoline Kiste returns to the world of The Great Gatsby, examining how the events of the novel impacted Mel Buchannan, the daughter of Daisy and Thomas. After the sudden death of her mother, Daisy Buchannan, Mel is persuaded by her family friend (and long-time crush) Jordan Baker and a medium looking for fame to return to the site of her death. She finds herself attending the ghosts of Gatsby's parties in the West Egg each night, and trying to figure out why her mother's phantom is stuck there, frozen at the age of 23. Mel must figure out what is going on before it is too late, and move on from the past that haunts her so.
Personally, I found this book just didn't hit the mark. The characters felt a bit annoying and whiny at times, and just flat in general, and for such a short book, it definitely dragged at times. I normally enjoy Kiste's work, but this really was not it for me. I would have loved more interactions with Mel and some of the other characters, especially Gatsby and Vera, as I felt that they were really integral to the plot but weren't present for enough of the story.
If you're looking for other Gatsby retellings, I would recommend The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (Jordan Baker-centric, with a sinister magical twist done much better than in this work) and Self-made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore (t4t Nick and Jay), which have (in my opinion) far more developed characters and plot. Overall I give this 3/5 stars. It was a slog for me to read, but I can see how some people would really enjoy it. Thank you to Creature Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Personally, I found this book just didn't hit the mark. The characters felt a bit annoying and whiny at times, and just flat in general, and for such a short book, it definitely dragged at times. I normally enjoy Kiste's work, but this really was not it for me. I would have loved more interactions with Mel and some of the other characters, especially Gatsby and Vera, as I felt that they were really integral to the plot but weren't present for enough of the story.
If you're looking for other Gatsby retellings, I would recommend The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (Jordan Baker-centric, with a sinister magical twist done much better than in this work) and Self-made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore (t4t Nick and Jay), which have (in my opinion) far more developed characters and plot. Overall I give this 3/5 stars. It was a slog for me to read, but I can see how some people would really enjoy it. Thank you to Creature Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5. this book seems to have everything it needs to succeed, but it disappointed me so much. the more i think about why, the more i’m convinced it’s because it lacks atmosphere. there’s just no tension built, no mystery, we are thrown into the action from the first chapter and things just happen out of a sudden and for no reason, and they feel scattered and often not even connected well. most of the characters’ motivations and actions seemed pretty shallow and didn’t make sense as well, and the romance was formulaic, not even developed in any way, and just painfully predictable.
i see the potential there, i like the idea of the past and the characters still haunting gatsby’s mansion as ghosts, but what i read felt like a series of random scenes. maybe this should have been longer and better developed, or maybe some scenes and plots needed to be cut, especially when they didn’t add much (like visiting myrtle’s sister). but like that, this just fell flat.
the writing also felt too lofty and overdone in some places, or maybe it was the problem of the narrator—just suddenly contemplating the meaning of life, or complaining that all her life people see in her only the similarity to her mother; things were said insistently instead of shown. the main character also felt pretentious sometimes, like she knew all about the people who died when she was a child, and could pass a judgment.
i’m also not sure if this was meant for readers who know the great gatsby, or for those who don’t. for the former, there was no mystery around the past events, for the latter, not enough was explained, in my opinion.
overall, it just didn’t work for me.
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
i see the potential there, i like the idea of the past and the characters still haunting gatsby’s mansion as ghosts, but what i read felt like a series of random scenes. maybe this should have been longer and better developed, or maybe some scenes and plots needed to be cut, especially when they didn’t add much (like visiting myrtle’s sister). but like that, this just fell flat.
the writing also felt too lofty and overdone in some places, or maybe it was the problem of the narrator—just suddenly contemplating the meaning of life, or complaining that all her life people see in her only the similarity to her mother; things were said insistently instead of shown. the main character also felt pretentious sometimes, like she knew all about the people who died when she was a child, and could pass a judgment.
i’m also not sure if this was meant for readers who know the great gatsby, or for those who don’t. for the former, there was no mystery around the past events, for the latter, not enough was explained, in my opinion.
overall, it just didn’t work for me.
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an advanced copy of In These Gilded Ghostly Hearts from the author Gwendolyn Kiste, whose work I continue to admire with each new horror novel or story she puts out into the world. And I feel much the same about this new book, which is set in the world of The Great Gatsby.
Mel has had an estranged relationship with her mother Daisy Buchanan for years. Even when they lived together, Mel has always known that her mother was never really there, lost to abuse, alcohol, and the ghosts of her past. But when Daisy is found dead in an abandoned West Egg mansion in 1955, Mel follows her mother out to the estate, where she meets a would-be psychic promising that she will be able to communicate with her mother again. Instead, she encounters the charming Jay Gatsby, still the center of the swirling, dancing spirt memories of the massive parties he once through, still longing for the Daisy he once lost.
Kist writes her ghosts with a gilded edge, evoking the grandeur of Gatsby’s parties with a sense of crowded, lush vibrancy layered with the dripping, rot of those long since dead. This is a past that will not let go, the revelers still lost in the lust and greed of their festivities. Even the mansion itself is hungry, clinging to and feeding off of the desires of the living. All of which makes Mel’s attempt to free her mother from the house extremely dangerous.
Kiste’s supernatural story feels like a fitting continuation. The 1950s she presents is vastly different from the 1920s opulence in the original Gatsby, and yet, the tale circles many of the same themes regarding wealth, capitalism, and the great longing for what we can seem to have — be it success or love.
Mel has had an estranged relationship with her mother Daisy Buchanan for years. Even when they lived together, Mel has always known that her mother was never really there, lost to abuse, alcohol, and the ghosts of her past. But when Daisy is found dead in an abandoned West Egg mansion in 1955, Mel follows her mother out to the estate, where she meets a would-be psychic promising that she will be able to communicate with her mother again. Instead, she encounters the charming Jay Gatsby, still the center of the swirling, dancing spirt memories of the massive parties he once through, still longing for the Daisy he once lost.
Kist writes her ghosts with a gilded edge, evoking the grandeur of Gatsby’s parties with a sense of crowded, lush vibrancy layered with the dripping, rot of those long since dead. This is a past that will not let go, the revelers still lost in the lust and greed of their festivities. Even the mansion itself is hungry, clinging to and feeding off of the desires of the living. All of which makes Mel’s attempt to free her mother from the house extremely dangerous.
Kiste’s supernatural story feels like a fitting continuation. The 1950s she presents is vastly different from the 1920s opulence in the original Gatsby, and yet, the tale circles many of the same themes regarding wealth, capitalism, and the great longing for what we can seem to have — be it success or love.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
thank you to edelweiss for the arc! please don't let my haterism dissuade you from reading this;
maybe you'll love it, but I sure didn't. Typically I try to dnf arcs if I know I won't like them, but this was so squarely in my niche (gay gatsby genre fiction) that i couldn't resist finishing it. I went in with a generous heart, but I couldn't ignore the boring character work and the juiceless horror (ironic). I regret to inform you that even being gay as fuck could not save this book. Yes, I'm sad about it too.
Conceptually, this is solid — Daisy's daughter investigating Gatsby's haunted house IS cool — but if you're doing Gatsby fanfic you simply Have to bring something to the table not already explored by the original text. and this really doesn't. everyone reading this novella will probably have read the original, or at least have cultural knowledge of the character's archetypes, which makes every agonizingly repetitive sentence about Tom/Daisy/Gatsby/Nick spelling out their feelings and motives VERY boring. The only character with original flavor is Jordan, and I'm giving her a whole extra star for being the milfy bisexual ladykiller of my dreams. Hello and god bless. She was complicated and interesting and not wholly transparent, unlike literally every other character.
My biggest gripe: retellings don't ever require the author to prove to the reader that they know the original back to front. It's always tedious and it's bad storytelling.
and also you cannot use "aw shucks" as an adjective, and you certainly can't do it TWICE
maybe you'll love it, but I sure didn't. Typically I try to dnf arcs if I know I won't like them, but this was so squarely in my niche (gay gatsby genre fiction) that i couldn't resist finishing it. I went in with a generous heart, but I couldn't ignore the boring character work and the juiceless horror (ironic). I regret to inform you that even being gay as fuck could not save this book. Yes, I'm sad about it too.
Conceptually, this is solid — Daisy's daughter investigating Gatsby's haunted house IS cool — but if you're doing Gatsby fanfic you simply Have to bring something to the table not already explored by the original text. and this really doesn't. everyone reading this novella will probably have read the original, or at least have cultural knowledge of the character's archetypes, which makes every agonizingly repetitive sentence about Tom/Daisy/Gatsby/Nick spelling out their feelings and motives VERY boring. The only character with original flavor is Jordan, and I'm giving her a whole extra star for being the milfy bisexual ladykiller of my dreams. Hello and god bless. She was complicated and interesting and not wholly transparent, unlike literally every other character.
My biggest gripe: retellings don't ever require the author to prove to the reader that they know the original back to front. It's always tedious and it's bad storytelling.
and also you cannot use "aw shucks" as an adjective, and you certainly can't do it TWICE
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This latest dive into Gothic fiction has left me with a few lingering chills and a bit of uncertainty. In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts is a haunting tale that attempts to balance historical elegance with a supernatural edge.
I’m giving this a 3-star review! ⭐⭐⭐
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this story. As always, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
The Review:
This was an interesting read, but I’m settling on three stars. While the atmosphere is undeniable, I found myself waiting for a bit more momentum to carry me through the middle of the book. It is a beautifully written story, but it didn't quite reach the heights I was hoping for in a Gothic thriller.
The Good:
Gwendolyn Kiste is a master of atmosphere. The "gilded" setting feels lush and oppressive in all the right ways, making the "ghostly" elements feel grounded in the world. The prose is evocative and poetic, perfectly suiting the dark, historical tone of the narrative.
The Not-So-Good:
The pacing felt a bit sluggish at times, with the plot occasionally getting lost in the descriptive language. I also found it difficult to fully connect with the characters' motivations during certain key turning points, which made the stakes feel a little more distant than I would have liked
I’m giving this a 3-star review! ⭐⭐⭐
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this story. As always, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
The Review:
This was an interesting read, but I’m settling on three stars. While the atmosphere is undeniable, I found myself waiting for a bit more momentum to carry me through the middle of the book. It is a beautifully written story, but it didn't quite reach the heights I was hoping for in a Gothic thriller.
The Good:
Gwendolyn Kiste is a master of atmosphere. The "gilded" setting feels lush and oppressive in all the right ways, making the "ghostly" elements feel grounded in the world. The prose is evocative and poetic, perfectly suiting the dark, historical tone of the narrative.
The Not-So-Good:
The pacing felt a bit sluggish at times, with the plot occasionally getting lost in the descriptive language. I also found it difficult to fully connect with the characters' motivations during certain key turning points, which made the stakes feel a little more distant than I would have liked
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts is a queer continuation of The Great Gatsby, following Daisy Buchanan's daughter Pamela (Mel) over 30 years after the events of the original novel. Daisy is found dead in Gatsby's mansion, though Mel knows Daisy has been spiraling out of control for years. At Gatsby's estate, she fin's her mother's ghost and tries to figure out how to free her from the house.
The novella has stunning writing which drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked in like the house and its "visitors." Gatsby is one of my favorite novels and I loved seeing where Gwendolyn took this "sequel" of the story. There are many different eerie and creepy scenes which were so good.
Along with Mel, we get some new characters and then many of the characters from the classic including Jordan Baker and Nick Carraway. Nick is my favorite character from the original novel and the author does an incredible job with his characterization in this. The haunted house became a character itself and I loved reading about its hunger. I think it's interesting how grief and guilt are looked at in this novella.
Overall this was a very entertaining read, I highly enjoyed reading as a big fan of The Great Gatsby.
*Thank you to Edelweiss, Creature Publishing, and Gwendolyn Kiste for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
The novella has stunning writing which drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked in like the house and its "visitors." Gatsby is one of my favorite novels and I loved seeing where Gwendolyn took this "sequel" of the story. There are many different eerie and creepy scenes which were so good.
Along with Mel, we get some new characters and then many of the characters from the classic including Jordan Baker and Nick Carraway. Nick is my favorite character from the original novel and the author does an incredible job with his characterization in this. The haunted house became a character itself and I loved reading about its hunger. I think it's interesting how grief and guilt are looked at in this novella.
Overall this was a very entertaining read, I highly enjoyed reading as a big fan of The Great Gatsby.
*Thank you to Edelweiss, Creature Publishing, and Gwendolyn Kiste for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
“These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts” is the sapphic, light horror sequel to the Great Gatsby you didn’t know you needed. If you’re into feminist retelling of popular fiction, this is the book for you.
Torn between the last and the present, the main character, a Mary Sue-style character, bucks the norms of the horror genre by taking the narrative into her hands in the book’s final chapters. While the plot does largely happy TO her as opposed to being driven BY her, she makes big decisions at pivotal moments that give the narrative a satisfying edge.
While I’m not always a fan of books without a “perfect” happy ending or resolution (a character flaw on my part), the novels closes in a way that fits the tone of the book - a little hopeful, a lot nostalgic, with some mild to medium trauma thrown in.
If you’ve been wanting to dip your toe into the horror or gothic-style of sapphic fiction, but been a little too chicken to do so, this would be a perfect intro to the genre. Just creepy and mildly gross enough to give you goose bumps, not scary enough to nightmares (I am a notorious scaredy cat, so I still read this during the day JUST IN CASE).
Overall, a compelling read that fits well into the genre and brings its own personal flair.
“These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts” is the sapphic, light horror sequel to the Great Gatsby you didn’t know you needed. If you’re into feminist retelling of popular fiction, this is the book for you.
Torn between the last and the present, the main character, a Mary Sue-style character, bucks the norms of the horror genre by taking the narrative into her hands in the book’s final chapters. While the plot does largely happy TO her as opposed to being driven BY her, she makes big decisions at pivotal moments that give the narrative a satisfying edge.
While I’m not always a fan of books without a “perfect” happy ending or resolution (a character flaw on my part), the novels closes in a way that fits the tone of the book - a little hopeful, a lot nostalgic, with some mild to medium trauma thrown in.
If you’ve been wanting to dip your toe into the horror or gothic-style of sapphic fiction, but been a little too chicken to do so, this would be a perfect intro to the genre. Just creepy and mildly gross enough to give you goose bumps, not scary enough to nightmares (I am a notorious scaredy cat, so I still read this during the day JUST IN CASE).
Overall, a compelling read that fits well into the genre and brings its own personal flair.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This one felt very me in some ways… and then also like it didn’t fully give me everything I wanted.
I went into In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts really excited because the concept is so good—Gatsby but haunted, queer, and a little twisted? I’m in. And honestly, the atmosphere delivered. The house, the ghosts, the whole decaying, stuck-in-time feeling… it was eerie in that quiet, unsettling way I love. Not scary, but definitely haunting.
But this is one of those reads that leans way more into mood than story. It’s very dreamy, very emotional, very “sit in the feeling”… and I needed just a little more substance. I wanted more depth with the characters, more connection, and honestly more time for everything to breathe. The relationships, especially, could’ve hit harder.
I didn’t dislike it at all—it was quick, different, and I appreciate what it was trying to do. I just didn’t feel fully pulled in the way I wanted to be.
This feels like a solid 3.5 stars for me.
If you love gothic vibes, ghost stories, and books that are more about atmosphere than plot, you’ll probably enjoy this. I just wish it went a little deeper because it had the potential to be a 4+ star read for me.
I went into In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts really excited because the concept is so good—Gatsby but haunted, queer, and a little twisted? I’m in. And honestly, the atmosphere delivered. The house, the ghosts, the whole decaying, stuck-in-time feeling… it was eerie in that quiet, unsettling way I love. Not scary, but definitely haunting.
But this is one of those reads that leans way more into mood than story. It’s very dreamy, very emotional, very “sit in the feeling”… and I needed just a little more substance. I wanted more depth with the characters, more connection, and honestly more time for everything to breathe. The relationships, especially, could’ve hit harder.
I didn’t dislike it at all—it was quick, different, and I appreciate what it was trying to do. I just didn’t feel fully pulled in the way I wanted to be.
This feels like a solid 3.5 stars for me.
If you love gothic vibes, ghost stories, and books that are more about atmosphere than plot, you’ll probably enjoy this. I just wish it went a little deeper because it had the potential to be a 4+ star read for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC Review - Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC
First off, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was an easy read, I was able to finish it in one sitting, and I was a huge fan of the way it incorporated the queer reading of The Great Gatsby into the story. The inclusion of secret queer clubs and the red light warnings was so small but so important to the world-building and I applaud the author for how well they were able to build the world in a way that felt subtle and natural. I enjoyed the character of Mel, and she felt extremely well-rounded: the classic parentified daughter with an almost compulsive need to do anything and everything for people who would not do the same for her. She resonated deeply, and I found her girlhood crush on Jordan to be extremely realistic, but I have to admit that overall the romances felt a little flat to me. I wasn't really that invested in the romance subplots, though I understand what they represented for the character. I just wish there had been a bit more to make me care about them, but I'm not sure exactly what it was that was missing. Besides that, I think this is an amazing story, and it is perfect for any and all fans of The Great Gatsby.
First off, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was an easy read, I was able to finish it in one sitting, and I was a huge fan of the way it incorporated the queer reading of The Great Gatsby into the story. The inclusion of secret queer clubs and the red light warnings was so small but so important to the world-building and I applaud the author for how well they were able to build the world in a way that felt subtle and natural. I enjoyed the character of Mel, and she felt extremely well-rounded: the classic parentified daughter with an almost compulsive need to do anything and everything for people who would not do the same for her. She resonated deeply, and I found her girlhood crush on Jordan to be extremely realistic, but I have to admit that overall the romances felt a little flat to me. I wasn't really that invested in the romance subplots, though I understand what they represented for the character. I just wish there had been a bit more to make me care about them, but I'm not sure exactly what it was that was missing. Besides that, I think this is an amazing story, and it is perfect for any and all fans of The Great Gatsby.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
With In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts, Gwendolyn Kiste’s once again demonstrates that she is the master of revisiting the casts and locales of classic literature through a darkly distorted lens. We meet Mel, the daughter of Daisy Buchanan, as she is trying to navigate the grief of her mother’s passing and the difficulty of her attraction to two different women, one her current coworker, the other one she has known all her life.
She visits the once infamous now run down mansion in West Egg with a would be medium and discovers that Jay Gatsby still holds court over the ghosts of parties past. The sinister ruins still hold an otherworldly draw to those seeking fame and frivolity, including her mother. Mel has to uncover the mysteries of the spectral remnants of party-goers to find Daisy and finally be able to let her go. To do this she must confront Gatsby’s ghost and the manse which threatens to drain the living to feed the dead.
A moving tale of loss and love, In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts is perfect for lovers of horror and sapphic romance, the perfect companion to Fitzgerald’s novel.
Thank you to the author, Creature Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
She visits the once infamous now run down mansion in West Egg with a would be medium and discovers that Jay Gatsby still holds court over the ghosts of parties past. The sinister ruins still hold an otherworldly draw to those seeking fame and frivolity, including her mother. Mel has to uncover the mysteries of the spectral remnants of party-goers to find Daisy and finally be able to let her go. To do this she must confront Gatsby’s ghost and the manse which threatens to drain the living to feed the dead.
A moving tale of loss and love, In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts is perfect for lovers of horror and sapphic romance, the perfect companion to Fitzgerald’s novel.
Thank you to the author, Creature Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I read an ARC thanks to Edelweiss and Creature Publishing.
A gothic, atmospheric horror story with a lot of depth and style! ‘In These Gilded, Ghost Hearts’ takes place in the same world as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1923 classic: ‘The Great Gatsby’. It’s not exactly a re-telling, or a pastiche. Instead, this feels more like a re-framing of Gatsby’s core characters and themes to tell a timeless story about obsession, nostalgia, and illusion. If that sounds ambitious, it absolutely is–and Kiste nailed it.
The story follows Mel–better known as Pamela, the daughter of Tom and Daisy. But this story doesn't take place in the 20s, it’s set in the mid-50s. Mel is now a woman, and after her mother’s body is discovered at the abandoned Gatsby mansion, Mel feels compelled to investigate the property herself, hoping to find answers to her mother’s mysterious passing. She certainly finds something.
I buddy-read this ARC with a BookTok friend and we both flew through it pretty quickly. It would be a great book club pick. You do not need to have read ‘The Great Gatsby’ in order to enjoy the story or connect with Kiste’s themes. It stands perfectly well on its own. But if you did read Gatsby in high school, you may find yourself appreciating Kiste’s craftsmanship here.
A gothic, atmospheric horror story with a lot of depth and style! ‘In These Gilded, Ghost Hearts’ takes place in the same world as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1923 classic: ‘The Great Gatsby’. It’s not exactly a re-telling, or a pastiche. Instead, this feels more like a re-framing of Gatsby’s core characters and themes to tell a timeless story about obsession, nostalgia, and illusion. If that sounds ambitious, it absolutely is–and Kiste nailed it.
The story follows Mel–better known as Pamela, the daughter of Tom and Daisy. But this story doesn't take place in the 20s, it’s set in the mid-50s. Mel is now a woman, and after her mother’s body is discovered at the abandoned Gatsby mansion, Mel feels compelled to investigate the property herself, hoping to find answers to her mother’s mysterious passing. She certainly finds something.
I buddy-read this ARC with a BookTok friend and we both flew through it pretty quickly. It would be a great book club pick. You do not need to have read ‘The Great Gatsby’ in order to enjoy the story or connect with Kiste’s themes. It stands perfectly well on its own. But if you did read Gatsby in high school, you may find yourself appreciating Kiste’s craftsmanship here.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The only reason I didn’t DNF this book is because it was short but those 176 pages felt like 600. I like horror, I like queer stories, but I’m tired of trauma being the only thing that seems to matter in literature right now. It’s exhausting. I went in hoping for a haunting story that would genuinely chill me to the bone and give me goosebumps, but instead it just made me roll my eyes. I’ve honestly felt more scared reading Goosebumps books than this.
The worst part? Aside from the heavy focus on trauma, definitely the mommy issues. If I had a mother like Daisy, I wouldn’t care about her at all. There’s no way I’d go chasing her or her ghost into a haunted house. I’d be running the other way. Another thing that really bothered me was Mel and us focusing more on her love life that the actual story. The haunted house? Not haunted. Not scary. Just kind of… there. The ghosts were fine, I guess. Daisy’s were the only ones that stood out even a little.
At least now I know that “feminist horror” apparently means “no horror, just vibes and trauma.”. But hey, at least it was short.
The worst part? Aside from the heavy focus on trauma, definitely the mommy issues. If I had a mother like Daisy, I wouldn’t care about her at all. There’s no way I’d go chasing her or her ghost into a haunted house. I’d be running the other way. Another thing that really bothered me was Mel and us focusing more on her love life that the actual story. The haunted house? Not haunted. Not scary. Just kind of… there. The ghosts were fine, I guess. Daisy’s were the only ones that stood out even a little.
At least now I know that “feminist horror” apparently means “no horror, just vibes and trauma.”. But hey, at least it was short.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I’ll start off by saying that I’m a fan of this type of horror. Ghosts of the past, metaphorical ghosts, real ghosts, you name it… if you love the horror of all of the above, you’ll love this.
“How do you explain all the ways your life is haunted to someone who can’t even fathom ghosts?”
✷ Great Gatsby inspired
✷ queer horror
✷ haunted house
✷ ghosts
This is a haunting story about forgiveness and acceptance. I had to sit with this one for a while… and it might stay with me for a little. I found myself highlighting more than I thought I would, and the way it relates to my life and my relationship with my own parents was surprising to me, but I shouldn’t be surprised. I always loved The Great Gatsby.
“It’s 1955, for god’s sake; by now, the world should be more civilized than this.”
This book was on the shorter end but it packed a punch of emotion for me. The writing was descriptive, beautiful and even funny at times… if you have laugh at a funeral type humor. Highly recommend for a novella in this genre.
Thank you to the NetGalley Team and Gwendolyn Kiste for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
“How do you explain all the ways your life is haunted to someone who can’t even fathom ghosts?”
✷ Great Gatsby inspired
✷ queer horror
✷ haunted house
✷ ghosts
This is a haunting story about forgiveness and acceptance. I had to sit with this one for a while… and it might stay with me for a little. I found myself highlighting more than I thought I would, and the way it relates to my life and my relationship with my own parents was surprising to me, but I shouldn’t be surprised. I always loved The Great Gatsby.
“It’s 1955, for god’s sake; by now, the world should be more civilized than this.”
This book was on the shorter end but it packed a punch of emotion for me. The writing was descriptive, beautiful and even funny at times… if you have laugh at a funeral type humor. Highly recommend for a novella in this genre.
Thank you to the NetGalley Team and Gwendolyn Kiste for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ll be honest, I’ve never loved The Great Gatsby. I’ve always felt the story might’ve hit harder if it were told from Gatsby’s perspective instead of Nick’s. Still, I’ve always been drawn to its atmosphere, the glamour, the tragedy, the sharp edges beneath the shine—so the premise of this sequel immediately hooked me.
Kiste reimagines that world through Daisy’s daughter, Mel, now grown but still haunted by her parents’ choices and the ripple effects they’ve left behind. When Daisy dies, Mel becomes obsessed with reaching her, desperate for answers, for closure, for some understanding of what really happened in her final moments.
This is a ghost story in every sense. The past doesn’t just linger—it manifests. The pages are filled with literal hauntings, but also emotional ones: regret, longing, and the ache of things left unsaid. Kiste has a gift for writing sadness that feels heavy yet strangely luminous, balancing heartbreak with a quiet thread of hope.
If you’re a Gatsby fan, or if you love a moody, emotionally rich ghost story, this one is absolutely worth your time.
*ARC was given to me for review.
Kiste reimagines that world through Daisy’s daughter, Mel, now grown but still haunted by her parents’ choices and the ripple effects they’ve left behind. When Daisy dies, Mel becomes obsessed with reaching her, desperate for answers, for closure, for some understanding of what really happened in her final moments.
This is a ghost story in every sense. The past doesn’t just linger—it manifests. The pages are filled with literal hauntings, but also emotional ones: regret, longing, and the ache of things left unsaid. Kiste has a gift for writing sadness that feels heavy yet strangely luminous, balancing heartbreak with a quiet thread of hope.
If you’re a Gatsby fan, or if you love a moody, emotionally rich ghost story, this one is absolutely worth your time.
*ARC was given to me for review.
July 3, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I read The Great Gatsby immediately before reading this, and I’m glad I did; it brought a lot more depth to the experience of reading it and to understanding what Gwendolyn Kiste is aiming for.
That is probably captured in the Acknowledgements, where she says about the story’s protagonist (Tom and Daisy’s daughter Pamela), “I hope I gave you a better ending than your parents did.” She has absolutely succeeded in that. In the original novel, the child is trotted into a room to act as a prop for Daisy to perform a bit of mothering, and that’s the last you see of her. She barely has a beginning, much less a middle or ending. What we have in this novella is the decades-long aftermath of what those “careless people” did, and how their (and Gatsby’s) selfishness affected everyone around them. For Pamela, that means never being able to be her own fully realized individual, and always having at least one eye toward the past. Here, she becomes one of the “other people clean(ing) up the mess they had made,” but in the process of doing so, she also finally begins to stand on her own and look toward her own future. I finished the original novel with a deep sense of antipathy toward the Buchanans (and not much more positive feelings toward Gatsby), as though nothing could be resolved. I finished this novella, however, feeling satisfied and happy for Pamela, and that what could be resolved, had been. Brilliant.
I read The Great Gatsby immediately before reading this, and I’m glad I did; it brought a lot more depth to the experience of reading it and to understanding what Gwendolyn Kiste is aiming for.
That is probably captured in the Acknowledgements, where she says about the story’s protagonist (Tom and Daisy’s daughter Pamela), “I hope I gave you a better ending than your parents did.” She has absolutely succeeded in that. In the original novel, the child is trotted into a room to act as a prop for Daisy to perform a bit of mothering, and that’s the last you see of her. She barely has a beginning, much less a middle or ending. What we have in this novella is the decades-long aftermath of what those “careless people” did, and how their (and Gatsby’s) selfishness affected everyone around them. For Pamela, that means never being able to be her own fully realized individual, and always having at least one eye toward the past. Here, she becomes one of the “other people clean(ing) up the mess they had made,” but in the process of doing so, she also finally begins to stand on her own and look toward her own future. I finished the original novel with a deep sense of antipathy toward the Buchanans (and not much more positive feelings toward Gatsby), as though nothing could be resolved. I finished this novella, however, feeling satisfied and happy for Pamela, and that what could be resolved, had been. Brilliant.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This review contains spoilers!!
I was so excited to receive and review an ARC for this book! Gatsby and Queer women? I am IN!
I’m going to start by saying that I absolutely adore the cover art! Stunning. Gorgeous. Ten stars.
Long review short, this ended up being a three star read for me. I’m probably being pretty generous with that.
I actually think that this story would be better as a full novel. The characters didn’t feel like they were whole people, you know? For example; Nick. It felt like Nick’s whole purpose in the story was to die. Perhaps the author didn’t want to kill her darlings, and so introduced Nick to the plot for that purpose. Perhaps it could be a commentary on familial grief and trauma, but it didn’t feel that deep.
A great aspect about this story is how immersive I found the scene descriptions. Gwendolyn really succeeded at making the atmosphere in the Gatsby house feel suffocating and decayed.
The writing itself was good, no issues on a line level, but overall the plot felt underdeveloped and a bit flat. I still had a good time though!
I was so excited to receive and review an ARC for this book! Gatsby and Queer women? I am IN!
I’m going to start by saying that I absolutely adore the cover art! Stunning. Gorgeous. Ten stars.
Long review short, this ended up being a three star read for me. I’m probably being pretty generous with that.
I actually think that this story would be better as a full novel. The characters didn’t feel like they were whole people, you know? For example; Nick. It felt like Nick’s whole purpose in the story was to die. Perhaps the author didn’t want to kill her darlings, and so introduced Nick to the plot for that purpose. Perhaps it could be a commentary on familial grief and trauma, but it didn’t feel that deep.
A great aspect about this story is how immersive I found the scene descriptions. Gwendolyn really succeeded at making the atmosphere in the Gatsby house feel suffocating and decayed.
The writing itself was good, no issues on a line level, but overall the plot felt underdeveloped and a bit flat. I still had a good time though!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 16, 2026Unlike some of Kiste's work, In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts lacks the undercurrent of revenge and rage, but more of loss and displacement. It's a melancholy and haunting tale of trying to find a place in the present world by desperately searching through a past best left forgotten.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I think it was the perfect length for the story, anything more might've bogged down the beats. The characters, Gatsby's mansion, and the ghosts all felt real. Even with minimal details, I easily imagined '50s New York and the various locations throughout the story. And, the ending was disquieting but satisfying.
However, I recommend being familiar with The Great Gatsby or reading it beforehand. As someone who's only read it once years ago and vaguely remembers the main plot points, the bigger story outside Kiste's work was lost to me. But, In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts can still be read without Gatsby, but knowing it would, I think, enrich the reading experience.
Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I think it was the perfect length for the story, anything more might've bogged down the beats. The characters, Gatsby's mansion, and the ghosts all felt real. Even with minimal details, I easily imagined '50s New York and the various locations throughout the story. And, the ending was disquieting but satisfying.
However, I recommend being familiar with The Great Gatsby or reading it beforehand. As someone who's only read it once years ago and vaguely remembers the main plot points, the bigger story outside Kiste's work was lost to me. But, In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts can still be read without Gatsby, but knowing it would, I think, enrich the reading experience.
Thank you to Creature Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was excited to read "In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts, a horror retelling of "The Great Gatsby," because I love F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel. Also, I recently read and enjoyed Gwendolyn Kiste's "The Haunting of Velkwood,” and was looking forward to reading more of her work. I really wanted to love this novel, but I was disappointed. I would've enjoyed it more if I wasn't already familiar with "The Great Gatsby." Though "In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts" is well written, it didn't stray far enough from the original source material to keep things interesting for me. I also felt like it rehashed some of the same themes found in "The Haunting of Velkwood," while I was looking forward to something completely new and different. I think "In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts" will appeal more to readers who have not already read "The Great Gatsby" or "The Haunting of Velkwood.”
Thanks to Creature Publishing, Amanda Manns, and NetGalley for the complimentary eDRC. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to Creature Publishing, Amanda Manns, and NetGalley for the complimentary eDRC. All opinions are my own.
May 22, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
My dislike of this book is not for want of trying. I am not a huge fan of the ‘The Great Gatsby’ as a whole, but I was hoping that this retelling would be able to make me a little more endeared to it. Unfortunately, it simply was not to be.
I do think that it was well-written, except for the sections that referred to Gatsby. It just felt a bit contrived, and I really did hope for the best with this one, but it didn’t quite get there.
The characters were interesting, and I do love the idea of taking a minor character and running with them to flesh them out more. I do think there could have been a little more of a focus on the ghosts as a whole, and the actual horror elements.
I really did feel like this was less of a horror novel and more of an expansion of the world that was in Gatsby. I did wish that it pushed things a little further, but I also acknowledge I am not the optimum audience for this.
My dislike of this book is not for want of trying. I am not a huge fan of the ‘The Great Gatsby’ as a whole, but I was hoping that this retelling would be able to make me a little more endeared to it. Unfortunately, it simply was not to be.
I do think that it was well-written, except for the sections that referred to Gatsby. It just felt a bit contrived, and I really did hope for the best with this one, but it didn’t quite get there.
The characters were interesting, and I do love the idea of taking a minor character and running with them to flesh them out more. I do think there could have been a little more of a focus on the ghosts as a whole, and the actual horror elements.
I really did feel like this was less of a horror novel and more of an expansion of the world that was in Gatsby. I did wish that it pushed things a little further, but I also acknowledge I am not the optimum audience for this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Introduction: Kiste has a hauntingly magical way with words, that you are instantly transported to the 1950s and the ghostly mirage of the 1920s. The ghosts are ethereal, both beautiful and sorrowful, it is hard to let go.
Vibes/Impressions/Themes: Haunting, breathtaking, lush, grief, attachment, complex family, falling from society, sins of your parents, sadness, letting go, heart-wrenching, eerie, disquieting, atmospheric, family secrets
Overall: In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts is filled with glamour and gold, tinged by darkness and secrets. Are ghost just that – spirits who haven’t moved on? Or are they more specters representing what you can’t let go? The sins of your parents? Or secrets yet to be discovered? Kiste deals with this subject as she always does, in an atmospheric tale that shows how grief can manifest in different ways.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Vibes/Impressions/Themes: Haunting, breathtaking, lush, grief, attachment, complex family, falling from society, sins of your parents, sadness, letting go, heart-wrenching, eerie, disquieting, atmospheric, family secrets
Overall: In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts is filled with glamour and gold, tinged by darkness and secrets. Are ghost just that – spirits who haven’t moved on? Or are they more specters representing what you can’t let go? The sins of your parents? Or secrets yet to be discovered? Kiste deals with this subject as she always does, in an atmospheric tale that shows how grief can manifest in different ways.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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