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The Rust Maidens
Something's happening to the girls on Denton Street.
It's the summer of 1980 in Cleveland, Ohio, and Phoebe Shaw and her best friend Jacqueline have just graduated high school, only to confront an ugly, uncertain future. Across the city, abandoned factories populate the skyline; meanwhile at the shore, one strong spark, and the Cuyahoga River might catch fire. But none of that compares to what's happening in their own west side neighborhood. The girls Phoebe and Jacqueline have grown up with are changing. It starts with footprints of dark water on the sidewalk. Then, one by one, the girls' bodies wither away, their fingernails turning to broken glass, and their bones exposed like corroded metal beneath their flesh.
As rumors spread about the grotesque transformations, soon everyone from nosy tourists to clinic doctors and government men start arriving on Denton Street, eager to catch sight of "the Rust Maidens" in metamorphosis. But even with all the onlookers, nobody can explain what's happening or why--except perhaps the Rust Maidens themselves. Whispering in secret, they know more than they're telling, and Phoebe realizes her former friends are quietly preparing for something that will tear their neighborhood apart.
Alternating between past and present, Phoebe struggles to unravel the mystery of the Rust Maidens--and her own unwitting role in the transformations--before she loses everything she's held her home, her best friend, and even perhaps her own body.
It's the summer of 1980 in Cleveland, Ohio, and Phoebe Shaw and her best friend Jacqueline have just graduated high school, only to confront an ugly, uncertain future. Across the city, abandoned factories populate the skyline; meanwhile at the shore, one strong spark, and the Cuyahoga River might catch fire. But none of that compares to what's happening in their own west side neighborhood. The girls Phoebe and Jacqueline have grown up with are changing. It starts with footprints of dark water on the sidewalk. Then, one by one, the girls' bodies wither away, their fingernails turning to broken glass, and their bones exposed like corroded metal beneath their flesh.
As rumors spread about the grotesque transformations, soon everyone from nosy tourists to clinic doctors and government men start arriving on Denton Street, eager to catch sight of "the Rust Maidens" in metamorphosis. But even with all the onlookers, nobody can explain what's happening or why--except perhaps the Rust Maidens themselves. Whispering in secret, they know more than they're telling, and Phoebe realizes her former friends are quietly preparing for something that will tear their neighborhood apart.
Alternating between past and present, Phoebe struggles to unravel the mystery of the Rust Maidens--and her own unwitting role in the transformations--before she loses everything she's held her home, her best friend, and even perhaps her own body.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2018
115 people are currently reading
7032 people want to read
About the author
Gwendolyn Kiste
126 books863 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 517 reviews
April 22, 2019
“Pray for the Rust Maidens
Even after all these years, those words suck the breath right out of my chest.”
After hearing about this book from several book pushing friends, I had a loud niggling feeling that I was going to enjoy this story from the very beginning but I wasn’t prepared for just how much I was going to LOVE it because I am such a grumpy, jaded reader most of the time.
The Rust Maidens is a look at a town falling to ruin and the people hanging on for dear life because they have no other choice. There’s an overall feeling of inertia, decay and depression as folks attempt to go about their lives as if nothing terrifying were happening to their town, to their lives, to their daughters . . .
Phoebe returns to the childhood home she left 28 years earlier to help move her dad into a nursing home. The return triggers memories of the past and the terrifying occurrences that forever after left an enormous blight on the town. When Phoebe was a teen five girls, one of them her best friend, began to suffer from a strange affliction. The affliction starts to change them physically and earns them the moniker “The Rust Maidens” and it appears the affliction has returned to strike again. The body horror is real and it is horrifying and that’s all I’m saying about it.
Once I started The Rust Maidens, I had a difficult time putting it down to live my life because I needed to know what the heck was happening to these girls. There aren’t a lot of stories that manage to hook me the way this one this did. The writing is intimate and beautifully disturbing. I’m a huge fan of body horror when done for more than gross-out effect (well, ok, I do like those too if they look like Jeff Goldblum in THE FLY) but this story gets it all right. There’s just something about losing control of your entire self and transforming that terrifies and calls to me to read more . . .
I thought Phoebe was a terrific character and a faithful friend who feels all of her attempts to help only succeed in making matters worse and she shoulders far too much guilt. She’s a tough girl, a troublemaker and her return shakes up the lethargy that continues to plague the town.
There is a dark beauty in the decay that permeates this story and I think anyone looking for a unique horror story as well as a beautifully crafted heroine will love it too.
Even after all these years, those words suck the breath right out of my chest.”
After hearing about this book from several book pushing friends, I had a loud niggling feeling that I was going to enjoy this story from the very beginning but I wasn’t prepared for just how much I was going to LOVE it because I am such a grumpy, jaded reader most of the time.
The Rust Maidens is a look at a town falling to ruin and the people hanging on for dear life because they have no other choice. There’s an overall feeling of inertia, decay and depression as folks attempt to go about their lives as if nothing terrifying were happening to their town, to their lives, to their daughters . . .
Phoebe returns to the childhood home she left 28 years earlier to help move her dad into a nursing home. The return triggers memories of the past and the terrifying occurrences that forever after left an enormous blight on the town. When Phoebe was a teen five girls, one of them her best friend, began to suffer from a strange affliction. The affliction starts to change them physically and earns them the moniker “The Rust Maidens” and it appears the affliction has returned to strike again. The body horror is real and it is horrifying and that’s all I’m saying about it.
Once I started The Rust Maidens, I had a difficult time putting it down to live my life because I needed to know what the heck was happening to these girls. There aren’t a lot of stories that manage to hook me the way this one this did. The writing is intimate and beautifully disturbing. I’m a huge fan of body horror when done for more than gross-out effect (well, ok, I do like those too if they look like Jeff Goldblum in THE FLY) but this story gets it all right. There’s just something about losing control of your entire self and transforming that terrifies and calls to me to read more . . .
I thought Phoebe was a terrific character and a faithful friend who feels all of her attempts to help only succeed in making matters worse and she shoulders far too much guilt. She’s a tough girl, a troublemaker and her return shakes up the lethargy that continues to plague the town.
There is a dark beauty in the decay that permeates this story and I think anyone looking for a unique horror story as well as a beautifully crafted heroine will love it too.
July 10, 2023
"《Oremos por las doncellas de óxido》
Incluso después de todos estos años, esas palabras me dejan sin aliento."
Gwendolyn Kiste nos trae una obra galardonada con el premio Bram Stoker a la mejor primera novela. Una obra que aúna diversos géneros por lo que es difícil de clasificar.
Es una gran novela, no me cabe duda, pero su estilo ha hecho que no acabara de conectar con ella.
Phoebe, a sus cuarenta y seis años vuelve a Cleveland, ese barrio obrero que la vio crecer. Veintiocho años después de los trágicos sucesos que empezaron a tomar forma tras la ceremonia de graduación.
Alternando dos tiempos, pasado y presente, iremos desgranando lo que ocurrió ese verano de 1980.
Cinco chicas que empiezan a enfermar y transformarse. Los vecinos las culpan de todo lo malo que pasa. Pero Phoebe no piensa rendirse, quiere saber qué le pasó a su prima y mejor amiga Jacqueline, y al resto de chicas, por qué enfermaron y dónde están ahora.
Nadie parece tener una respuesta clara para ello.
Aunque no está mal, realmente me esperaba algo con un tono mucho más oscuro que la historia más light de lo que estoy acostumbrada a leer que me he encontrado. El tono de la novela es muy introspectivo, pausado, centrado en los pensamientos de Phoebe, y me he quedado con ganas de ahondar más en la historia en sí.
Si bien hay pasajes con esa carga oscura, hay un hecho en concreto en el que esperaba que pasara algo que me hiciera erizar el vello de la nuca, y justo en el último momento las cosas se tuercen hacia el lado más suave.
Y mi mente macabra no quería eso 😂
Pero tranquilos, hay que tener paciencia, esa parte tarda en llegar pero lo hace, y de qué manera, aunque me ha sabido a poco.
La protagonista me ha parecido muy cargante, con esa actitud tan pesimista ante la vida y sus continuos devaneos mentales. Los he sentido repetitivos.
Y el ritmo de la trama un tanto irregular.
Podría haber centrado mucho más el foco de la historia en todo lo concerniente a las doncellas de óxido, su proceso de transformación y qué fue de ellas, y me hubiera resultado una lectura más satisfactoria.
Toda esa parte es realmente buena y están descritas a la perfección.
Otro aspecto que me ha descuadrado es esa parte romántica con el policía que no me ha encajado en la trama y he sentido forzada. Esto ya es cuestión de gustos, pero si hay algo que me molesta es meter relaciones con calzador y que no aportan nada.
Pero, cuando pensaba que nada podía sorprenderme, llegados al 70% de la trama, parecía que me encontraba leyendo un manga del perturbador Junji Ito.
Esas partes en la mansión han sido tremendamente visuales y grotescas. Por ello me las he imaginado en blanco y negro, como si estuviera leyendo al gran mangaka, me ha recordado a algunas de sus historias por ese toque de body horror.
Tremendas.
Quitando de lado esos "peros" y las incógnitas que me han quedado, es una lectura con mucho potencial, teniendo en cuenta que es una primera novela está muy bien y nos traslada un gran mensaje; una alegoría sobre el paso de los años y lo que dejamos atrás, la soledad que muchas veces ello implica, el valor de la amistad, lo que nos ancla a un lugar y nos impide seguir adelante. Todo ello con su punto de denuncia ecologista y feminista siempre muy presente.
Es una novela que recomiendo encarecidamente a quienes se estén iniciando en el género 👌
No me puedo ir sin mencionar lo que es una parte imprescindible de las historias que nos trae Dilatando Mentes, y es el empeño, cariño y cuidado que ponen siempre en sus ediciones, las grandes y pequeñas ilustraciones que salpican toda la novela son un regalo para los sentidos.
Solo por eso vale la pena tener gran parte de su catálogo ❤
Aunque no todas sus historias nos gusten en la misma medida, no puedo dejar de recomendarlos.
💫 "Ahora conocíamos su fuerza, su poder colectivo. Nadie podría separarlas, no esa noche. No si deseaban estar juntas."
💫 "Fue la cosa más hermosa y horrible que jamás haya visto, verla convertirse en aquello que debía ser."
📖 Próxima lectura:
"Hellraiser" - Clive Barker.
https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 📚💜
Incluso después de todos estos años, esas palabras me dejan sin aliento."
Gwendolyn Kiste nos trae una obra galardonada con el premio Bram Stoker a la mejor primera novela. Una obra que aúna diversos géneros por lo que es difícil de clasificar.
Es una gran novela, no me cabe duda, pero su estilo ha hecho que no acabara de conectar con ella.
Phoebe, a sus cuarenta y seis años vuelve a Cleveland, ese barrio obrero que la vio crecer. Veintiocho años después de los trágicos sucesos que empezaron a tomar forma tras la ceremonia de graduación.
Alternando dos tiempos, pasado y presente, iremos desgranando lo que ocurrió ese verano de 1980.
Cinco chicas que empiezan a enfermar y transformarse. Los vecinos las culpan de todo lo malo que pasa. Pero Phoebe no piensa rendirse, quiere saber qué le pasó a su prima y mejor amiga Jacqueline, y al resto de chicas, por qué enfermaron y dónde están ahora.
Nadie parece tener una respuesta clara para ello.
Aunque no está mal, realmente me esperaba algo con un tono mucho más oscuro que la historia más light de lo que estoy acostumbrada a leer que me he encontrado. El tono de la novela es muy introspectivo, pausado, centrado en los pensamientos de Phoebe, y me he quedado con ganas de ahondar más en la historia en sí.
Si bien hay pasajes con esa carga oscura, hay un hecho en concreto en el que esperaba que pasara algo que me hiciera erizar el vello de la nuca, y justo en el último momento las cosas se tuercen hacia el lado más suave.
Y mi mente macabra no quería eso 😂
Pero tranquilos, hay que tener paciencia, esa parte tarda en llegar pero lo hace, y de qué manera, aunque me ha sabido a poco.
La protagonista me ha parecido muy cargante, con esa actitud tan pesimista ante la vida y sus continuos devaneos mentales. Los he sentido repetitivos.
Y el ritmo de la trama un tanto irregular.
Podría haber centrado mucho más el foco de la historia en todo lo concerniente a las doncellas de óxido, su proceso de transformación y qué fue de ellas, y me hubiera resultado una lectura más satisfactoria.
Toda esa parte es realmente buena y están descritas a la perfección.
Otro aspecto que me ha descuadrado es esa parte romántica con el policía que no me ha encajado en la trama y he sentido forzada. Esto ya es cuestión de gustos, pero si hay algo que me molesta es meter relaciones con calzador y que no aportan nada.
Pero, cuando pensaba que nada podía sorprenderme, llegados al 70% de la trama, parecía que me encontraba leyendo un manga del perturbador Junji Ito.
Esas partes en la mansión han sido tremendamente visuales y grotescas. Por ello me las he imaginado en blanco y negro, como si estuviera leyendo al gran mangaka, me ha recordado a algunas de sus historias por ese toque de body horror.
Tremendas.
Quitando de lado esos "peros" y las incógnitas que me han quedado, es una lectura con mucho potencial, teniendo en cuenta que es una primera novela está muy bien y nos traslada un gran mensaje; una alegoría sobre el paso de los años y lo que dejamos atrás, la soledad que muchas veces ello implica, el valor de la amistad, lo que nos ancla a un lugar y nos impide seguir adelante. Todo ello con su punto de denuncia ecologista y feminista siempre muy presente.
Es una novela que recomiendo encarecidamente a quienes se estén iniciando en el género 👌
No me puedo ir sin mencionar lo que es una parte imprescindible de las historias que nos trae Dilatando Mentes, y es el empeño, cariño y cuidado que ponen siempre en sus ediciones, las grandes y pequeñas ilustraciones que salpican toda la novela son un regalo para los sentidos.
Solo por eso vale la pena tener gran parte de su catálogo ❤
Aunque no todas sus historias nos gusten en la misma medida, no puedo dejar de recomendarlos.
💫 "Ahora conocíamos su fuerza, su poder colectivo. Nadie podría separarlas, no esa noche. No si deseaban estar juntas."
💫 "Fue la cosa más hermosa y horrible que jamás haya visto, verla convertirse en aquello que debía ser."
📖 Próxima lectura:
"Hellraiser" - Clive Barker.
https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 📚💜
November 5, 2021
Este libro es uno de esos casos en los que voy un poco a contracorriente. Todo el mundo lo ha amado y entiendo porqué pero claramente es de esas novelas que simplemente no encajan contigo.
En principio tiene una premisa muy interesante. Contado a través de dos líneas temporadas, la principal está ambientada en los años 80 en Cleveland, en un ambiente de crisis y huelgas (que ha sido lo que más me ha gustado de la historia) varias chicas empiezan a desarrollar una extraña "enfermedad" o "cambio", entre ellas, la mejor amiga de la protagonista que es la única verdaderamente preocupada por lo que les ocurre. Así veremos a lo largo de la novela qué sucedió con estas jóvenes, todo ello intercalado con el regreso de la protagonista a su barrio 3o años después.
Bueno, pues eso, me encantó la premisa y el trasfondo pero la lectura me fue cargando hasta que al final solo quería acabarla y matar a su protagonista. Dios, hacía tiempo que no odiaba tanto un personaje ficticio xD
Me pareció que la novela estaba plagada de incongruencias y cosas inverosímiles relacionadas con la manera de actuar de los personajes. Esto es algo que me molesta mucho si se repite como ocurre en todo el libro, los personajes parece que están ahí para hacer más miserable (en su opinión) a nuestra protagonista o para que se luzca en el momento adecuado. Ninguno tiene verdadero carácter, personalidad o interés fuera de la protagonista... y como decía, ella me resultó la típica niñata insufrible que se cree el centro del mundo (aún con 50 años).
Tampoco me gustó el estilo de la autora, que más que de terror me pareció el típico noir con todos los tropos del género (hasta el coche xD).
Lo más interesante, descubrir lo que les pasó a las chicas, termina siendo otro punto muy insatisfactorio porque apenas se explica. Y bien, hay mucha metáfora y, como digo, un trasfondo interesante pero este es un libro de esos que claramente no está hecho para mi.
En principio tiene una premisa muy interesante. Contado a través de dos líneas temporadas, la principal está ambientada en los años 80 en Cleveland, en un ambiente de crisis y huelgas (que ha sido lo que más me ha gustado de la historia) varias chicas empiezan a desarrollar una extraña "enfermedad" o "cambio", entre ellas, la mejor amiga de la protagonista que es la única verdaderamente preocupada por lo que les ocurre. Así veremos a lo largo de la novela qué sucedió con estas jóvenes, todo ello intercalado con el regreso de la protagonista a su barrio 3o años después.
Bueno, pues eso, me encantó la premisa y el trasfondo pero la lectura me fue cargando hasta que al final solo quería acabarla y matar a su protagonista. Dios, hacía tiempo que no odiaba tanto un personaje ficticio xD
Me pareció que la novela estaba plagada de incongruencias y cosas inverosímiles relacionadas con la manera de actuar de los personajes. Esto es algo que me molesta mucho si se repite como ocurre en todo el libro, los personajes parece que están ahí para hacer más miserable (en su opinión) a nuestra protagonista o para que se luzca en el momento adecuado. Ninguno tiene verdadero carácter, personalidad o interés fuera de la protagonista... y como decía, ella me resultó la típica niñata insufrible que se cree el centro del mundo (aún con 50 años).
Tampoco me gustó el estilo de la autora, que más que de terror me pareció el típico noir con todos los tropos del género (hasta el coche xD).
Lo más interesante, descubrir lo que les pasó a las chicas, termina siendo otro punto muy insatisfactorio porque apenas se explica. Y bien, hay mucha metáfora y, como digo, un trasfondo interesante pero este es un libro de esos que claramente no está hecho para mi.
November 5, 2020
I did not enjoy reading this book. It did not feel well written. I was not compelled by the plot nor any of the characters. For a book where the main catch is a grotesque body-horror transformation, the descriptions of the transformation were vague and unsatisfying. The protagonist alternated between her past 18 year old self and current 46 years, but her internal dialogue is so trite it felt more reflective of a 14 year old’s narcissistic diary entries. I was constantly eye-rolling and groaning out load over phrases such as “I wish I could do better by her. I wish I could do better by anyone.” And “This cycle that none of us can break. God knows I’ve tried, but all I can do is make things worse. There was knowing I could do then, and there’s nothing I can do now.” None of the character responses to the rust maiden transformations seem realistic. It’s unfortunate because the premise and some of this twists were very clever, the writing just didn’t hold up. It was a real bummer of a slog to finish this book out, something I would not have done were I not reading it for a book club.
September 25, 2018
"You can't stop the girls from becoming what they became."
The Rust Maidens is my third Gwendolyn Kiste book this year, and she has crushed it again. I love everything I've read by her, and The Rust Maidens is going to be a must-read for fans when it's released in November.
Gwendolyn writes in a way that makes me feel understood, and I can't say that about very many people. There are so many authors I love & enjoy, but she's one of the few who can really make me reflect on my own life with her stories. I think that The Rust Maidens captures young ennui and female friendships so well, and so many memories were brought up while I was reading this. On top of enjoying these aspects, it's also set against a grim backdrop with an unsettling storyline, and I loved everything about it. Cleveland plays a large role in the story, and this book reminded me of the things I liked about studying American fiction.
If you've read Gwendolyn Kiste's And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, The Rust Maidens sort of felt like an expansion of her story The Tower Princesses. It has similar themes, but it goes much deeper than the short story was able to.
I found the characters in this book to be likeable, and Phoebe was a relatable main character. She's honest, bold, flawed, and truly fights for what she thinks is right. She values friendship, and she's truly human in this book - she does both good and bad things. I would definitely read another book about Phoebe if one ever existed.
I think there will be a lot of things in this book for women to relate to, and set with an ominous backdrop, which makes it even better. I'm not going to go into everything for the sake of avoiding spoilers, but I felt comforted by the fact that some of my personal worries about life were addressed in this book. I'm pretty sure I also said this about And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, but in all honesty, this book made me feel a little less alone. It's just nice to know that, somewhere, people understand you & also enjoy creepy things.
I can't wait to see what else Gwendolyn Kiste comes up with. The Rust Maidens will be out on 11/16, and I highly recommend picking it up!
The Rust Maidens is my third Gwendolyn Kiste book this year, and she has crushed it again. I love everything I've read by her, and The Rust Maidens is going to be a must-read for fans when it's released in November.
Gwendolyn writes in a way that makes me feel understood, and I can't say that about very many people. There are so many authors I love & enjoy, but she's one of the few who can really make me reflect on my own life with her stories. I think that The Rust Maidens captures young ennui and female friendships so well, and so many memories were brought up while I was reading this. On top of enjoying these aspects, it's also set against a grim backdrop with an unsettling storyline, and I loved everything about it. Cleveland plays a large role in the story, and this book reminded me of the things I liked about studying American fiction.
If you've read Gwendolyn Kiste's And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, The Rust Maidens sort of felt like an expansion of her story The Tower Princesses. It has similar themes, but it goes much deeper than the short story was able to.
I found the characters in this book to be likeable, and Phoebe was a relatable main character. She's honest, bold, flawed, and truly fights for what she thinks is right. She values friendship, and she's truly human in this book - she does both good and bad things. I would definitely read another book about Phoebe if one ever existed.
I think there will be a lot of things in this book for women to relate to, and set with an ominous backdrop, which makes it even better. I'm not going to go into everything for the sake of avoiding spoilers, but I felt comforted by the fact that some of my personal worries about life were addressed in this book. I'm pretty sure I also said this about And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, but in all honesty, this book made me feel a little less alone. It's just nice to know that, somewhere, people understand you & also enjoy creepy things.
I can't wait to see what else Gwendolyn Kiste comes up with. The Rust Maidens will be out on 11/16, and I highly recommend picking it up!
June 23, 2021
“There’s an echo in this house where my childhood used to be.”
A hauntingly beautiful literary horror novel that reflects on fear of the unknown, loss and decay. The Rust Maidens are a group of girls who quite literally decay in front of everyone’s eyes as the city they live in rots and decays around them too.
Female coming-of age friendships and stories are hard to come by, or maybe they just seem to be when we are inundated with stories of groups of boys growing up. Kiste intimately portrays the relationship between Phoebe and her cousin, Jacqueline. Jacqueline is the one person in the world she has to rely on, that one person she’ll do anything to protect. Their story is so moving and heartbreaking.
The “Rust Maidens” themselves have such tragic stories. A young mother separated from her newborn. A daughter who is persuaded from following her dreams. Their stories are set against the backdrop of a grim location, a city with abandoned factories and derelict houses. It’s incredibly atmospheric and Kiste’s descriptions of the bodies as they change and breakdown are the type where you want to highlight every single line - just beautiful!
My one issue and the only reason I didn’t rate higher, was that I wanted a little more bite! It just lacked something?! But I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this stunning novel. Thanks for the buddy read @thebookgeekboutique 🖤
4 stars.
A hauntingly beautiful literary horror novel that reflects on fear of the unknown, loss and decay. The Rust Maidens are a group of girls who quite literally decay in front of everyone’s eyes as the city they live in rots and decays around them too.
Female coming-of age friendships and stories are hard to come by, or maybe they just seem to be when we are inundated with stories of groups of boys growing up. Kiste intimately portrays the relationship between Phoebe and her cousin, Jacqueline. Jacqueline is the one person in the world she has to rely on, that one person she’ll do anything to protect. Their story is so moving and heartbreaking.
The “Rust Maidens” themselves have such tragic stories. A young mother separated from her newborn. A daughter who is persuaded from following her dreams. Their stories are set against the backdrop of a grim location, a city with abandoned factories and derelict houses. It’s incredibly atmospheric and Kiste’s descriptions of the bodies as they change and breakdown are the type where you want to highlight every single line - just beautiful!
My one issue and the only reason I didn’t rate higher, was that I wanted a little more bite! It just lacked something?! But I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this stunning novel. Thanks for the buddy read @thebookgeekboutique 🖤
4 stars.
October 23, 2018
“There’s an echo in this house where my childhood used to be.” Just -how freaking perfect is that?!?
Kiste takes us to Cleveland, OH in the 1980s, to a small town that is wrapped intertwined with the success and the decline of the local steel mill. And as the mill declines and the town suffers, the girls do too. An Ohio girl my whole life - I admit that had a part in drawing me to pick up this book.
We meet Phoebe, someone I recognize as an old childhood friend with pieces of myself shining through in her character. I’ve read other reviews (see Emily’s and Mindi’s) that mention this as well, and I think that speaks to the author’s ability to take something that seems very personal and open it wide for so many others to relate to. That’s talent and believability all in one.
At times, the book seems allegorical in that it relates to real life horrors that are so prevalent in today’s society. Kiste handles allegory and analogy so well; it’s not heavy handed or just surface-level. She artfully toes the line to create a world and a story that is beautiful and horrific at the same time.
The question of “what is happening to the girls in Denton Street” is central to the story; moreover, it is surrounded by a devastatingly gorgeous coming-of-age tale. Kiste is aces with description, character-world building, and, for lack of the right words, time manipulation. We go back and forth from past to present; it is so seamlessly done that I had zero trouble following along. It was just the natural progression of things. Does it make sense if I say she writes like I think? 🤔
This was my first book by Kiste and I now must read ALL the books she has released and will release. This releases on 11/16 and I highly recommend picking it up. Absolutely love this book.
Kiste takes us to Cleveland, OH in the 1980s, to a small town that is wrapped intertwined with the success and the decline of the local steel mill. And as the mill declines and the town suffers, the girls do too. An Ohio girl my whole life - I admit that had a part in drawing me to pick up this book.
We meet Phoebe, someone I recognize as an old childhood friend with pieces of myself shining through in her character. I’ve read other reviews (see Emily’s and Mindi’s) that mention this as well, and I think that speaks to the author’s ability to take something that seems very personal and open it wide for so many others to relate to. That’s talent and believability all in one.
At times, the book seems allegorical in that it relates to real life horrors that are so prevalent in today’s society. Kiste handles allegory and analogy so well; it’s not heavy handed or just surface-level. She artfully toes the line to create a world and a story that is beautiful and horrific at the same time.
The question of “what is happening to the girls in Denton Street” is central to the story; moreover, it is surrounded by a devastatingly gorgeous coming-of-age tale. Kiste is aces with description, character-world building, and, for lack of the right words, time manipulation. We go back and forth from past to present; it is so seamlessly done that I had zero trouble following along. It was just the natural progression of things. Does it make sense if I say she writes like I think? 🤔
This was my first book by Kiste and I now must read ALL the books she has released and will release. This releases on 11/16 and I highly recommend picking it up. Absolutely love this book.
October 13, 2018
There's something about Kiste's writing that just speaks to me. Her stories feel so personal and so intimate. It's almost as if you are reading something that you shouldn't because it feels so personal, and yet you need to, because what Kiste is writing is beautiful and profound. It's been a really long time since I have related to a protagonist in a book as much as I feel like I relate to Phoebe Shaw in The Rust Maidens. Every word she says, every action she takes feels exactly like what I would have wanted to do in her situation. Phoebe is smart, and outspoken, and brash, and I absolutely love her.
Set in Cleveland during the summer of 1980, Phoebe Shaw and her cousin and best friend Jacqueline have just graduated from high school. The girls live on Denton Street, in a community of tight knit neighbors who hold block parties for special events, and neighborhood meetings for any type of crisis. Most of the men work at a steel mill that's on the decline, and the neighborhood is worried about the possibility of an upcoming strike or even layoffs. The city and the houses on Denton street are slowly deteriorating, but no one really wants to acknowledge it. Not until the Rust Maidens begin to transform and turn the neighborhood into chaos.
Phoebe had dreams for her and Jacqueline before that summer, but once the Rust Maidens turn her world upside down, all she can think about is fighting for them, even when their own parents start to turn their backs. Everyone on Denton Street is frightened of the girls and the radical changes that transform their bodies. I cold feel Phoebe's anguish and frustration on every page, and I understood her heartbreak and desperation to stay in touch with her best friend and to try to help her long after everyone else has given up. This is a story about loss and decline. About a city on the brink of change, and how that change will effect everyone who knows the Rust Maidens. It's a story about fear of the unknown, and the eventual acceptance of what we can never understand. It's a heartbreaking story that grabbed me on the first page, and still hasn't let go. I'll be thinking about Phoebe and the Rust Maidens for long time.
Set in Cleveland during the summer of 1980, Phoebe Shaw and her cousin and best friend Jacqueline have just graduated from high school. The girls live on Denton Street, in a community of tight knit neighbors who hold block parties for special events, and neighborhood meetings for any type of crisis. Most of the men work at a steel mill that's on the decline, and the neighborhood is worried about the possibility of an upcoming strike or even layoffs. The city and the houses on Denton street are slowly deteriorating, but no one really wants to acknowledge it. Not until the Rust Maidens begin to transform and turn the neighborhood into chaos.
Phoebe had dreams for her and Jacqueline before that summer, but once the Rust Maidens turn her world upside down, all she can think about is fighting for them, even when their own parents start to turn their backs. Everyone on Denton Street is frightened of the girls and the radical changes that transform their bodies. I cold feel Phoebe's anguish and frustration on every page, and I understood her heartbreak and desperation to stay in touch with her best friend and to try to help her long after everyone else has given up. This is a story about loss and decline. About a city on the brink of change, and how that change will effect everyone who knows the Rust Maidens. It's a story about fear of the unknown, and the eventual acceptance of what we can never understand. It's a heartbreaking story that grabbed me on the first page, and still hasn't let go. I'll be thinking about Phoebe and the Rust Maidens for long time.
January 21, 2019
THE RUST MAIDENS is the first that I have read by author Gwendolyn Kiste. When I found out that this was her debut novel, I was honestly shocked. During the transition from short stories to a FIRST full-length book, I would expect at least a few things to be "less than perfect".
In my opinion, this is a SOLID five-star novel, from beginning to end.
"Things change . . . Sometimes it's for the better, and sometimes it's not."
Phoebe Shaw is returning to her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, for the first time since she left 28 years ago. The novel then alternates between events that happened in 1980--namely, the Rust Maidens, which were the catalyst for all that Phoebe had done since--and the current time frame. These two sections combine beautifully to showcase the past, and Phoebe's attempts at understanding those changes even now, in the present.
". . . they'd somehow forgotten that girls were people too."
I really went into this one blindly--without any pre-conceived notions--as I hadn't read any specifics on what the story was about. This could be partially why I was so overwhelmed by the sheer beauty and honesty presented here. The other part is simply because, Gwendolyn Kiste really IS that good.
". . . It's trapped in-between. Trapped like me."
When changes start manifesting in some of the girls on Denton street, this is only one of the many things that the author is conveying. These changes are symbolic, as well as physical. They showcase in a sense, the dynamics of being a girl in 1980, and what their expected "place" was. In a local sense, it shows their role in their own hometown, and in a broader sense, the reader can see the similarities and parallels drawn between the Rust Maidens and the changes overcoming Cleveland.
"This was the great lie we invented, that we could actually escape ourselves . . . "
This novel has the reader going through a large array of emotions. You have the great love that Phoebe has for her cousin--and "partner in crime"--Jacqueline. There's frustration in living in a town where their way of life is inevitably coming to an end. The biggest event by far though, is the emergence of what would then be called "The Rust Maidens".
". . . As our lives assumed a new and unwanted rhythm, this became a summer of unlikely lessons."
The characterization here is just as solid as the environment--perhaps even more so. Not only is Phoebe presented so completely, but also her family, government officials, the townspeople, and the five girls . . . changing . . .
"Sometimes change was a mercy."
Kiste gives her readers every thought and reasoning they could possibly need in order to understand that for some, there was no choice--no hope--in what their futures might hold.
". . . maybe hope doesn't look the way you expect it to."
In this society, especially for the women, there was a slim chance of ever becoming more than what your own mother was. Only those with enough conviction and courage to stand out, had the odds of a different sort of life in their favor.
". . . you could still see each of them hidden there behind the decay . . . They were just different. Simple as that."
Overall, I was overwhelmed by the depth, style, and complexity of ideas presented in this novel. Of course, I bought this book because I had been hearing many good things about its author, Gwendolyn Kiste, and wanted to see for myself if they were well-founded.
The answer to that was clear as I consumed THE RUST MAIDENS in two or three sittings at most--wanting to know more, yet simultaneously never wanting the words to come to an end.
". . . so rarely is one lifetime long enough."
In my opinion, Kiste is one of the best new authors I've come across lately. Her writing is simply beautiful--at times almost poetic, even when the subject matter is less than. She has the ability to take the reader out of their own reality and--for a time--transport them into one she's created. For myself, this feeling comes back still whenever I think about this book.
". . . Sometimes the only satisfying answer, the only one that would make you stop wondering, was the only one you never wanted to come."
Highest recommendation!
In my opinion, this is a SOLID five-star novel, from beginning to end.
"Things change . . . Sometimes it's for the better, and sometimes it's not."
Phoebe Shaw is returning to her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, for the first time since she left 28 years ago. The novel then alternates between events that happened in 1980--namely, the Rust Maidens, which were the catalyst for all that Phoebe had done since--and the current time frame. These two sections combine beautifully to showcase the past, and Phoebe's attempts at understanding those changes even now, in the present.
". . . they'd somehow forgotten that girls were people too."
I really went into this one blindly--without any pre-conceived notions--as I hadn't read any specifics on what the story was about. This could be partially why I was so overwhelmed by the sheer beauty and honesty presented here. The other part is simply because, Gwendolyn Kiste really IS that good.
". . . It's trapped in-between. Trapped like me."
When changes start manifesting in some of the girls on Denton street, this is only one of the many things that the author is conveying. These changes are symbolic, as well as physical. They showcase in a sense, the dynamics of being a girl in 1980, and what their expected "place" was. In a local sense, it shows their role in their own hometown, and in a broader sense, the reader can see the similarities and parallels drawn between the Rust Maidens and the changes overcoming Cleveland.
"This was the great lie we invented, that we could actually escape ourselves . . . "
This novel has the reader going through a large array of emotions. You have the great love that Phoebe has for her cousin--and "partner in crime"--Jacqueline. There's frustration in living in a town where their way of life is inevitably coming to an end. The biggest event by far though, is the emergence of what would then be called "The Rust Maidens".
". . . As our lives assumed a new and unwanted rhythm, this became a summer of unlikely lessons."
The characterization here is just as solid as the environment--perhaps even more so. Not only is Phoebe presented so completely, but also her family, government officials, the townspeople, and the five girls . . . changing . . .
"Sometimes change was a mercy."
Kiste gives her readers every thought and reasoning they could possibly need in order to understand that for some, there was no choice--no hope--in what their futures might hold.
". . . maybe hope doesn't look the way you expect it to."
In this society, especially for the women, there was a slim chance of ever becoming more than what your own mother was. Only those with enough conviction and courage to stand out, had the odds of a different sort of life in their favor.
". . . you could still see each of them hidden there behind the decay . . . They were just different. Simple as that."
Overall, I was overwhelmed by the depth, style, and complexity of ideas presented in this novel. Of course, I bought this book because I had been hearing many good things about its author, Gwendolyn Kiste, and wanted to see for myself if they were well-founded.
The answer to that was clear as I consumed THE RUST MAIDENS in two or three sittings at most--wanting to know more, yet simultaneously never wanting the words to come to an end.
". . . so rarely is one lifetime long enough."
In my opinion, Kiste is one of the best new authors I've come across lately. Her writing is simply beautiful--at times almost poetic, even when the subject matter is less than. She has the ability to take the reader out of their own reality and--for a time--transport them into one she's created. For myself, this feeling comes back still whenever I think about this book.
". . . Sometimes the only satisfying answer, the only one that would make you stop wondering, was the only one you never wanted to come."
Highest recommendation!
July 17, 2019
A compelling piece of literary horror that examines the theme of decay in its various forms.
The Rust Maidens themselves personify decay as their bodies literally change. The surrounding neighbourhood-a steel based economy in 1980 Cleveland-similarly decays from the larger scale (economic collapse) to the smaller (family collapse).
An uncomfortable read, but powerful and difficult to look away from; basically just what I look for in horror.
The Rust Maidens themselves personify decay as their bodies literally change. The surrounding neighbourhood-a steel based economy in 1980 Cleveland-similarly decays from the larger scale (economic collapse) to the smaller (family collapse).
An uncomfortable read, but powerful and difficult to look away from; basically just what I look for in horror.
May 25, 2020
4,5 / 5
Veintiocho años después de abandonar su hogar en la calle Denton (Cleveland), Phoebe Shaw vuelve a casa para ayudar en la mudanza de su madre. Su regreso no hará más que despertar unos recuerdos del pasado que hicieron de su pequeña ciudad un lugar conocido. Viajaremos en el tiempo hasta 1980, donde una joven Phoebe comparte su vida junto a su prima y mejor amiga Jaqueline. Tras graduarse en la escuela secundaria, y pese a que les persigue la sombra de un futuro desalentador en una ciudad de fábricas abandonadas donde sobrevuela la huelga, tienen esperanza. Un futuro. Sin embargo, todo se ira al garete cuando tanto Phoebe como Jacqueline descubran un extraño suceso: las jóvenes del pueblo se están marchitando, sus uñas se transforman en cristales y sus huesos en metal oxidado.
Ganadora del Premio Bram Stoker en la categoría de mejor primera novela en 2019, Gwendolyn Kiste nos coge entre sus garras con una escritura íntima y cercana para darnos un inquietante tour de horror corporal y ambiental. La bella prosa de la autora, cuidada y con tendencia a lo lírico en ocasiones, nos hace partícipes del sin vivir que enfrenta Phoebe cada día. Es como estar leyendo la mente de una persona, mas allá de un diario personal, donde el mismo lector siente el desaliento y la culpabilidad que lleva años acosando a Phoebe. El martillo pilón que ha taladrado su corazón cada día para no permitirle avanzar. Con esos vistazos al presente, que funcionan como un interruptor al pasado, comprendemos cada vez más su deseo de extirpar los demonios y pasar página, aunque no pueda.
Su hambre de respuestas y sus recuerdos al pasado nos transportan a una calle que funciona como segundo personaje principal de Las doncellas de óxido. La calle Denton se palpa y se siente en cada página: los grises edificios, las barbacoas vecinales, las misas obligatorias de los domingos, los piquetes obreros… El sentimiento de desesperación va desgarrando como un arma afilada nuestra alma hasta hacer mella. Una ciudad en ruinas como reflejo de una vida sin futuro. De una vida de subsistencia, decadencia y depresión, donde intentar solo se puede intentar sobrevivir. Es un lugar gris, plomizo, desolador y solitario, donde la ausencia de futuro es un mecanismo más de terror.
Las doncellas del óxido es difícil de clasificar. También de olvidar. La descomposición, física y psicológica, permea del libro creando una extraña sensación de perdida al terminar. Puede no parecerlo, pero Las doncellas del oxido es un libro con cierta esperanza. Es un texto que valora la amistad por encima de todo, proponiéndola como un bálsamo para sobrevivir a nuestros peores temores. Un texto único, diferente, y que resuena en tus ecos lectores muchos días despúes de su lectura.
Reseña extensa en el blog: https://boywithletters.blogspot.com/2...
Veintiocho años después de abandonar su hogar en la calle Denton (Cleveland), Phoebe Shaw vuelve a casa para ayudar en la mudanza de su madre. Su regreso no hará más que despertar unos recuerdos del pasado que hicieron de su pequeña ciudad un lugar conocido. Viajaremos en el tiempo hasta 1980, donde una joven Phoebe comparte su vida junto a su prima y mejor amiga Jaqueline. Tras graduarse en la escuela secundaria, y pese a que les persigue la sombra de un futuro desalentador en una ciudad de fábricas abandonadas donde sobrevuela la huelga, tienen esperanza. Un futuro. Sin embargo, todo se ira al garete cuando tanto Phoebe como Jacqueline descubran un extraño suceso: las jóvenes del pueblo se están marchitando, sus uñas se transforman en cristales y sus huesos en metal oxidado.
Ganadora del Premio Bram Stoker en la categoría de mejor primera novela en 2019, Gwendolyn Kiste nos coge entre sus garras con una escritura íntima y cercana para darnos un inquietante tour de horror corporal y ambiental. La bella prosa de la autora, cuidada y con tendencia a lo lírico en ocasiones, nos hace partícipes del sin vivir que enfrenta Phoebe cada día. Es como estar leyendo la mente de una persona, mas allá de un diario personal, donde el mismo lector siente el desaliento y la culpabilidad que lleva años acosando a Phoebe. El martillo pilón que ha taladrado su corazón cada día para no permitirle avanzar. Con esos vistazos al presente, que funcionan como un interruptor al pasado, comprendemos cada vez más su deseo de extirpar los demonios y pasar página, aunque no pueda.
Su hambre de respuestas y sus recuerdos al pasado nos transportan a una calle que funciona como segundo personaje principal de Las doncellas de óxido. La calle Denton se palpa y se siente en cada página: los grises edificios, las barbacoas vecinales, las misas obligatorias de los domingos, los piquetes obreros… El sentimiento de desesperación va desgarrando como un arma afilada nuestra alma hasta hacer mella. Una ciudad en ruinas como reflejo de una vida sin futuro. De una vida de subsistencia, decadencia y depresión, donde intentar solo se puede intentar sobrevivir. Es un lugar gris, plomizo, desolador y solitario, donde la ausencia de futuro es un mecanismo más de terror.
Las doncellas del óxido es difícil de clasificar. También de olvidar. La descomposición, física y psicológica, permea del libro creando una extraña sensación de perdida al terminar. Puede no parecerlo, pero Las doncellas del oxido es un libro con cierta esperanza. Es un texto que valora la amistad por encima de todo, proponiéndola como un bálsamo para sobrevivir a nuestros peores temores. Un texto único, diferente, y que resuena en tus ecos lectores muchos días despúes de su lectura.
Reseña extensa en el blog: https://boywithletters.blogspot.com/2...
July 16, 2021
Tremendo.
Iba bastante a ciegas con este libro. No había leído nada con anterioridad del catálogo de Dilatando Mentes y este era el libro que más me llamaba la atención. El echo que hubiera ganado el Bram Stoker en género de terror no me convencía pero finalmente decidí darle una oportunidad porque la sinopsis me resultaba muy atractiva.
Y me duró 24 horas la novela. Me mantuvo enganchado al máximo a lo largo de sus 300 páginas, necesitaba saber cómo seguía y no podía parar de leer.
Una historia desgarradora y apasionante, una mezcla de fantasía y terror, que toca multitud de temas: el papel de la mujer en los años 80, la pérdida, el trato al diferente... Una novela muy completa con gran variedad de capas.
Un libro que seguro voy a recomendar.
Iba bastante a ciegas con este libro. No había leído nada con anterioridad del catálogo de Dilatando Mentes y este era el libro que más me llamaba la atención. El echo que hubiera ganado el Bram Stoker en género de terror no me convencía pero finalmente decidí darle una oportunidad porque la sinopsis me resultaba muy atractiva.
Y me duró 24 horas la novela. Me mantuvo enganchado al máximo a lo largo de sus 300 páginas, necesitaba saber cómo seguía y no podía parar de leer.
Una historia desgarradora y apasionante, una mezcla de fantasía y terror, que toca multitud de temas: el papel de la mujer en los años 80, la pérdida, el trato al diferente... Una novela muy completa con gran variedad de capas.
Un libro que seguro voy a recomendar.
February 19, 2019
This came highly recommended from the ladies of horror fiction.com, so I read it! This is the first thing I've read by Gwendolyn Kiste. Wow! She can write. The language and scenery of this book is beautiful.its sad and bleak but it has a certain beauty to it. I liked the characters and the Maidens as well. The story flowed along nicely. I would certainly read more from this author.
June 18, 2020
Hay ciertos libros que aparecen para quedarse entre nosotros. Este es uno de esos casos y tratar de analizarlo en su complejidad es, desde ya, un fracaso para poder alcanzar la de matices y sabores que te deja su lectura. Porque llevo desde que lo terminé dándole vueltas a como enfocar una reseña de una novela como esta en donde te cuentan una historia terrorífica pero que, ni de lejos, es lo más importante que trata de narrarse.
Encima ni siquiera podría afirmar que el terror que aparece entre sus páginas sea el que espera los amantes del género. No por lo perturbador de la propuesta, tan solo leyendo el título del libro ya te puedes ir haciendo a la idea, sino porque no nos encontramos con una historia que te acelere el corazón temblando ante lo tenebroso de los acontecimientos. Aquí no habrán sustos, no habrá momentos de tensión angustiante, ni derramamientos de sangre que te estremezcan. No hay criaturas sobrenaturales que reclamen un lugar entre los vivos, ni cadáveres, ni psicópatas asesinos que busquen acabar con la vida de los protagonistas. Sin embargo, el terror empapa el libro en cada una de sus páginas.
Porque en Las doncellas del óxido los miedos proceden de nuestro interior. De lo que somos, lo que seremos y de lo que fuimos. Una sociedad podrida, oxidada, que nos pudre por dentro. Rompiendo todas las certezas que nos han hecho creer que eran inquebrantables. Para entender quienes son las doncellas del óxido tienes que adentrarte en esa sociedad y respirar el aire de las fábricas hasta entender que toda su decrepitud no se limita a sus calderas, ni a sus paredes llenas de suciedad y herrumbre.
En este libro nos encontramos con un mal que azota a las mujeres. Ojo, no a todas. Solo a aquellas que no tienen elección. En esa sociedad podrida y oxidada las grandes perjudicadas son ellas y esta novela conseguirá que respires su asfixia hasta que te ahogues con ellas. Estas mujeres tienen toda una vida por delante, tienen estudios, están preparadas, vienen de diversas familias, con recursos económicos variables, trabajan para construirse un futuro mejor...pero la Fábrica no deja de contaminar todo lo que encuentra a su alrededor.
Del modo que son mujeres sin esperanzas, sometidas, resignadas ante unas costumbres establecidas por la que una sociedad que se ha acomodado. Son mujeres que han asumido su docilidad y que se pudren por dentro. Se oxidan, se mimetizan con el herrumbroso futuro que les ha sido asignado. Hasta que deciden, al menos por una vez en sus vidas, elegir por sí mismas.
Y sí, esto convierte a esta novela en una historia de terror. Y no solo por la transformación física de las doncellas. Lo convierte en terrorífico porque lo sientes como real, porque lo ves a tu alrededor cada día y lo asumes como cotidiano. Porque tú también formas parte de esa calle Denton y de la putrefacción que se va derruyendo como los edificios que van cayendo a tu alrededor. Porque te da miedo el cambio y aquellos que evolucionan sin que puedas controlarlo. Las doncellas del óxido han tomado su decisión y eso te hará, por primera vez perder el control.
Esta primera novela de Gwendolyn Kiste se ha llevado el premio Stoker a mejor libro de terror de un escritor novel. Hasta eso te podrá dar miedo cuando entiendas que las doncellas ya han impregnado toda la sociedad a tu alrededor.
Encima ni siquiera podría afirmar que el terror que aparece entre sus páginas sea el que espera los amantes del género. No por lo perturbador de la propuesta, tan solo leyendo el título del libro ya te puedes ir haciendo a la idea, sino porque no nos encontramos con una historia que te acelere el corazón temblando ante lo tenebroso de los acontecimientos. Aquí no habrán sustos, no habrá momentos de tensión angustiante, ni derramamientos de sangre que te estremezcan. No hay criaturas sobrenaturales que reclamen un lugar entre los vivos, ni cadáveres, ni psicópatas asesinos que busquen acabar con la vida de los protagonistas. Sin embargo, el terror empapa el libro en cada una de sus páginas.
Porque en Las doncellas del óxido los miedos proceden de nuestro interior. De lo que somos, lo que seremos y de lo que fuimos. Una sociedad podrida, oxidada, que nos pudre por dentro. Rompiendo todas las certezas que nos han hecho creer que eran inquebrantables. Para entender quienes son las doncellas del óxido tienes que adentrarte en esa sociedad y respirar el aire de las fábricas hasta entender que toda su decrepitud no se limita a sus calderas, ni a sus paredes llenas de suciedad y herrumbre.
En este libro nos encontramos con un mal que azota a las mujeres. Ojo, no a todas. Solo a aquellas que no tienen elección. En esa sociedad podrida y oxidada las grandes perjudicadas son ellas y esta novela conseguirá que respires su asfixia hasta que te ahogues con ellas. Estas mujeres tienen toda una vida por delante, tienen estudios, están preparadas, vienen de diversas familias, con recursos económicos variables, trabajan para construirse un futuro mejor...pero la Fábrica no deja de contaminar todo lo que encuentra a su alrededor.
Del modo que son mujeres sin esperanzas, sometidas, resignadas ante unas costumbres establecidas por la que una sociedad que se ha acomodado. Son mujeres que han asumido su docilidad y que se pudren por dentro. Se oxidan, se mimetizan con el herrumbroso futuro que les ha sido asignado. Hasta que deciden, al menos por una vez en sus vidas, elegir por sí mismas.
Y sí, esto convierte a esta novela en una historia de terror. Y no solo por la transformación física de las doncellas. Lo convierte en terrorífico porque lo sientes como real, porque lo ves a tu alrededor cada día y lo asumes como cotidiano. Porque tú también formas parte de esa calle Denton y de la putrefacción que se va derruyendo como los edificios que van cayendo a tu alrededor. Porque te da miedo el cambio y aquellos que evolucionan sin que puedas controlarlo. Las doncellas del óxido han tomado su decisión y eso te hará, por primera vez perder el control.
Esta primera novela de Gwendolyn Kiste se ha llevado el premio Stoker a mejor libro de terror de un escritor novel. Hasta eso te podrá dar miedo cuando entiendas que las doncellas ya han impregnado toda la sociedad a tu alrededor.
March 20, 2022
With nothing but hopes and dreams waiting for them in the bright future after graduating high school, Phoebe and her friends are quickly forced to realize that the world beyond their small town life isn't everything it was promised to be. Quickly, all of their hopes and dreams are crushed, their bodies and motivations are reduced to rust, and Phoebe watches helplessly as everyone she holds dear is destroyed by the unrealistic expectations of society and the outdated traditions of her elderly peers.
Strangely enough, this book reminded me a lot of The Great Gatsby. It's a criticism of the American Dream and the illusions it creates. Everyone can amount to anything if they work hard enough, ignoring external factors that often prevent many people from doing so such as mental health, living conditions and upbringing. It has the makings of an American classic with a gothic touch.
The whole thing about girls turning to rust is mostly a metaphor for how society, peer pressure and unrealistic expectations can 'rust' someone's sense of self-worth, confidence, purpose and motivation; pushing them into the roles of societal outcasts with nowhere to fit in. It's a relatable topic in the age of social media where kids crumble under the pressure of fitting in, being popular, becoming a star, earning a fortune, watching all of their peers and entertainers rising above them and living happier lives than them while they're left in the dust, etc...
I liked the premise and the metaphor behind the plot is relatable and easy to understand, but the one thing that kept me from giving it a higher rating is the protagonist. Phoebe was unbearable at many points in the story. I understand her melancholy and frustrations, but she often acts like a shallow narcissist that has all of the answers while simultaneously playing the role of the world's biggest victim, never growing as a character and ignoring that everyone around her is suffering just as badly as she is. The plot is told from the perspectives of Phoebe as a teenager and Phoebe as a woman in her forties, but she doesn't change or grow at all as a person throughout the entire plot and it grew frustrating listening to her pretentious rants, self-victimization and pinning the blame on everyone around her while never really doing anything herself.
I enjoyed the message of the story, I just didn't like the protagonist or the way the story was told. The prose was a joy to read, but the dialogue was often grating because it mostly consisted of Phoebe doing the talking and putting everyone down while feeling sorry for herself.
Strangely enough, this book reminded me a lot of The Great Gatsby. It's a criticism of the American Dream and the illusions it creates. Everyone can amount to anything if they work hard enough, ignoring external factors that often prevent many people from doing so such as mental health, living conditions and upbringing. It has the makings of an American classic with a gothic touch.
The whole thing about girls turning to rust is mostly a metaphor for how society, peer pressure and unrealistic expectations can 'rust' someone's sense of self-worth, confidence, purpose and motivation; pushing them into the roles of societal outcasts with nowhere to fit in. It's a relatable topic in the age of social media where kids crumble under the pressure of fitting in, being popular, becoming a star, earning a fortune, watching all of their peers and entertainers rising above them and living happier lives than them while they're left in the dust, etc...
I liked the premise and the metaphor behind the plot is relatable and easy to understand, but the one thing that kept me from giving it a higher rating is the protagonist. Phoebe was unbearable at many points in the story. I understand her melancholy and frustrations, but she often acts like a shallow narcissist that has all of the answers while simultaneously playing the role of the world's biggest victim, never growing as a character and ignoring that everyone around her is suffering just as badly as she is. The plot is told from the perspectives of Phoebe as a teenager and Phoebe as a woman in her forties, but she doesn't change or grow at all as a person throughout the entire plot and it grew frustrating listening to her pretentious rants, self-victimization and pinning the blame on everyone around her while never really doing anything herself.
I enjoyed the message of the story, I just didn't like the protagonist or the way the story was told. The prose was a joy to read, but the dialogue was often grating because it mostly consisted of Phoebe doing the talking and putting everyone down while feeling sorry for herself.
July 15, 2019
Phoebe Shaw has returned to Denton Street, Cleveland, decades after she left after the events of the summer of 1980 and the transformation of the Rust Maidens. As she slowly reconnects with her family and the place she left behind, the events of that summer come to the forefront. In 1980 Phoebe was an angry young woman, priming herself to leave the decaying city and its suffocating people, when her best friend and four other girls began a disturbing transformation, literally becoming creatures of rust and decay. The book builds to the revelation of what happens to the girls and how Phoebe deals with it, while Phoebe in the present still struggles to come to terms with it.
Horror, but also a dark literary fantasy. I thought it was brilliant with a deeply engaging narrator who's understandably angry, depressed and perhaps guilty and grieving. The plight of the Rust Maidens themselves has elements of body horror, but in some ways their transformation is no less horrific than the fates that they were facing in the decaying rust belt anyway, and certainly not as horrifying as the worst of human nature that is brought out in the people around them who don't understand what's going on.
Packed with ideas and emotion for its relatively short length and I strongly recommend it.
Horror, but also a dark literary fantasy. I thought it was brilliant with a deeply engaging narrator who's understandably angry, depressed and perhaps guilty and grieving. The plight of the Rust Maidens themselves has elements of body horror, but in some ways their transformation is no less horrific than the fates that they were facing in the decaying rust belt anyway, and certainly not as horrifying as the worst of human nature that is brought out in the people around them who don't understand what's going on.
Packed with ideas and emotion for its relatively short length and I strongly recommend it.
January 1, 2025
Such a beautiful tale set in Cleveland, Ohio, back in the 80's. Denton Street is a street where the men are all factory workers, the women are stay at home mothers, and most of the kids we hear about in the story are just graduating high school.
Phoebe Shaw is not only the narrator, but she emotionally carries this book. This story could so easily have been turned into something truly horrific, but even though the rust maidens show little emotion, Phoebe is almost like their outlet, reminding us of shattered families and destroyed dreams
So why is it the weaker girls that seem to be swallowed up by this unknown rust? It is quite interesting if you look not only at the girls but at their overbearing parents.
Then there is poor Phoebe with more strength than the entire street, and she just wants to save her friend. But can you save someone who doesn't want to be saved?
Phoebe Shaw is not only the narrator, but she emotionally carries this book. This story could so easily have been turned into something truly horrific, but even though the rust maidens show little emotion, Phoebe is almost like their outlet, reminding us of shattered families and destroyed dreams
So why is it the weaker girls that seem to be swallowed up by this unknown rust? It is quite interesting if you look not only at the girls but at their overbearing parents.
Then there is poor Phoebe with more strength than the entire street, and she just wants to save her friend. But can you save someone who doesn't want to be saved?
December 8, 2018
Tremendous, atmospheric debut novel that I found worthy of the praise it has received. I'm definitely looking forward to Gwendolyn Kiste's next work.
May 23, 2020
Me ha gustado el mensaje y que sea un libro feminista, de crecimiento, social y ecologista.
April 20, 2022
Maravillosa relectura. Sigo pensando lo mismo que la primera vez que lo leí hace dos años.
👇👇👇👇👇
Esta novela es simplemente una obra de arte. Esperando leer mucho más de la autora.
👇👇👇👇👇
Esta novela es simplemente una obra de arte. Esperando leer mucho más de la autora.
August 28, 2022
This was amazing.
I regret waiting so long to read this book.
I regret waiting so long to read this book.
February 13, 2019
" As our lives assumed a new and unwanted rhythm, this became a summer of unlikely lessons. Our fathers learned to stand in unemployment lines. Our mothers learned how to smile through bourbon-soaked tears. And all of us learned that the Rust Maidens were not a fad or a fleeting temper tantrum. It was, we soon realized, entirely possible that they had invented a new way to say goodbye."
.
The Rust Maidens is an interesting book. It's hard to categorize; it lies somewhere in the space between horror and speculative, maybe Midwest-Rustbelt Gothic. There's two timelines, Phoebe in modern day and a summer in the 80's when several girls in Cleveland shed their skin for metal and glass to become what became known as a Rust Maiden. The transformation brings in unwanted tourist attention, as people gawk at the inhuman state of decay. There are fingers pointed within the suburban blocks the girls used to call home. Kiste is a fantastic writer. She has a way of putting specific emotions into words so succinctly, it's a little scary!
.
The ending fell a little flat for me, but other than that this was amazing! I have Kiste's short story collection on my Kindle and I am very much looking forward to picking that up now that I know what a talented storyteller and wordsmith she is. Recommend.
.
The Rust Maidens is an interesting book. It's hard to categorize; it lies somewhere in the space between horror and speculative, maybe Midwest-Rustbelt Gothic. There's two timelines, Phoebe in modern day and a summer in the 80's when several girls in Cleveland shed their skin for metal and glass to become what became known as a Rust Maiden. The transformation brings in unwanted tourist attention, as people gawk at the inhuman state of decay. There are fingers pointed within the suburban blocks the girls used to call home. Kiste is a fantastic writer. She has a way of putting specific emotions into words so succinctly, it's a little scary!
.
The ending fell a little flat for me, but other than that this was amazing! I have Kiste's short story collection on my Kindle and I am very much looking forward to picking that up now that I know what a talented storyteller and wordsmith she is. Recommend.
April 13, 2019
I realized about 1/3 of the way through the book that this just wasn't for me. And that's fine. I did finish it, but can't say that I necessarily enjoyed it. What started off as an intriguing mystery just seems to stammer on for an excessively long time, and really doesn't answer many questions the book poses.
I did, however, enjoy Kiste's writing. She can definitely tell a story. Unfortunately, this just wasn't my kind of story.
I did, however, enjoy Kiste's writing. She can definitely tell a story. Unfortunately, this just wasn't my kind of story.
June 3, 2020
El libro engancha y está realmente bien. Ambientado en el declive industrial de una ciudad mezcla varios géneros de forma muy hábil. Muy recomendable.
September 23, 2019
The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste is an incredibly atmospheric Cleveland set horror fantasy. The way the author explores decay in its many forms is fascinating as is the transformation from girl to woman and even other. I'm going to have to read more from this fellow Ohioan in the future.
July 27, 2018
I was fortunate to obtain an advance reader copy (ARC) of this novel.
As the daughter of a steel worker, I remember the effects of the strikes and layoffs. The heyday and downfall of the steel Industry. The Christmas parties for the children with Santa and movies, where every kid received a fancy toy and all the candy they could stuff inside their gullets, along with the tense times when the paychecks stopped and hopelessness reigned.
Kiste captures the desolation of the steel mill downfall, making Cleveland a downtrodden character with a melancholy heart. The residents drink to dull their pain and drown their sorrows. Kiste’s haunting beautiful prose creates a soundtrack stuffed with sadness.
Overcome with loss, Phoebe abandoned her dreams and ran away. Decades later, she returns to her childhood home in Cleveland, determined to repress the memories of the rust maidens, five of her peers who transformed from girls into tragic monsters in the early 1980’s. Unlike Medusa, the girls didn’t have the power to turn people into stone, rather they served as a reflection of the community. Rusting. Broken. Sharp. Poisoned. Mutated. Phoebe must face her past or resign another young girl to the fate of her five friends.
Phoebe is a fantastic character. She’s not afraid to speak her mind or to get her hands dirty. She’s a heroine willing to go to battle like a modern day Joan of Arc to protect the rust maidens, but who somehow loses herself mid-fight. She’s not tethered to the pyre, but rather flames of regret and shame burn inside her tattered heart.
Kiste’s first novel, which toggles between the past and present seamlessly, is a tour de force, displaying her brilliant storytelling.
As the daughter of a steel worker, I remember the effects of the strikes and layoffs. The heyday and downfall of the steel Industry. The Christmas parties for the children with Santa and movies, where every kid received a fancy toy and all the candy they could stuff inside their gullets, along with the tense times when the paychecks stopped and hopelessness reigned.
Kiste captures the desolation of the steel mill downfall, making Cleveland a downtrodden character with a melancholy heart. The residents drink to dull their pain and drown their sorrows. Kiste’s haunting beautiful prose creates a soundtrack stuffed with sadness.
Overcome with loss, Phoebe abandoned her dreams and ran away. Decades later, she returns to her childhood home in Cleveland, determined to repress the memories of the rust maidens, five of her peers who transformed from girls into tragic monsters in the early 1980’s. Unlike Medusa, the girls didn’t have the power to turn people into stone, rather they served as a reflection of the community. Rusting. Broken. Sharp. Poisoned. Mutated. Phoebe must face her past or resign another young girl to the fate of her five friends.
Phoebe is a fantastic character. She’s not afraid to speak her mind or to get her hands dirty. She’s a heroine willing to go to battle like a modern day Joan of Arc to protect the rust maidens, but who somehow loses herself mid-fight. She’s not tethered to the pyre, but rather flames of regret and shame burn inside her tattered heart.
Kiste’s first novel, which toggles between the past and present seamlessly, is a tour de force, displaying her brilliant storytelling.
June 12, 2019
In the street, we all acted like nothing was wrong too. We sipped our drinks, spiked with whatever was convenient, and we chewed our burgers, tasteless and dry. We wanted to talk about them. We wanted to say the truth, to scream it, to confess our fears. But we couldn't. We'd practiced keeping quiet for so long that now, when we needed to speak the most, we'd forgotten how. And anyways, what was the proper way to bid farewell to everything you'd known? Even if we hadn't sewn our lips shut years ago, there still might not be words for what we needed to say.
This is one of those quiet dread-laden horror novels that are as much about the horror of real life (in this case, a dying industrial town and the people living dead-end lives there, embodied by six girls and their families) as whatever supernatural thing is happening simultaneously. Themes of transformation, stagnancy, destruction, and renewal ground the story, providing a framework for the changes happening to the town itself, to the girls' bodies, even down to little details like Phoebe's bug house and the butterflies therein. Body horror normally upsets me, but Kiste's handles it so delicately that it's not pure icky blood and guts; it is grotesque at times, but not gross-out. It has a purpose, from the mundane, like Dawn's pregnancy, to the horrific, like the girls' transformations to creatures of rust and metal. (I did have to skim a few fingernail triggers but that's common in body horror stories.)
I was impressed by the writing, the setting, the relationships, Phoebe's character growth -- everything. I will be looking for more of Kiste's work and I'm happy she won the Stoker Award for First Novel because I might have missed it otherwise.
February 8, 2019
There are books you read and then there are books you feel—ones that get under your skin and become a part of who you are. Gwendolyn Kiste is a writer like that, one who creates stories that live and breathe, and when they shift into strange darkness, you go with them willingly, almost not realizing you’re leaving reality behind.
The Rust Maidens is set against the backdrop of a small Cleveland neighborhood in the 80s and the slow but inevitable decay of the factories that are the lifeblood for the families who live there. Told through the lens of the girl who saw it all and never recovered, this is the story of five girls who began to rust and inexplicably transform into something not entirely human.
Young girls, just graduating from high school, should have their entire future ahead of them, ready to face the world head-on and seize their dreams. That isn’t really the way it works for the girls from this town, a town where everyone knows everything about you and there isn’t a whole lot of room to breathe without someone gossiping about it. This is the kind of town you get stuck in, marry a mill worker, have kids young, and become your parents.
These girls don’t really have a chance, don’t really own their futures—or their bodies. And what’s the point, anyway, when the town is dying around them? So their bodies take things into their own hands, as it were.
So what is The Rust Maidens about? To me, it’s about choice. It’s about coming of age as a girl and facing every obstacle—no matter how difficult, horrific, or even close to home—to remain true to yourself.
The weaving of supernatural elements is effortless throughout and fuses all the elements of the plot, which is important to me; this isn’t craziness happening for no reason. Instead there is a deeper meaning to every strand of the story. And it will drag you under its spell.
Kiste also has a chilling and entrancing style: extremely atmospheric and unsettling yet with a strange compelling beauty that constantly pulls you in. I loved finding her unique voice when I read her collection And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, and this novel only develops on her strengths.
Kiste is a welcome voice on the horror shelves, the soft beauty of her words mesmerizing, beckoning you to come closer and see, but when you get too close, she smiles and opens wide—and the darkness swallows you whole.
I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
The Rust Maidens is set against the backdrop of a small Cleveland neighborhood in the 80s and the slow but inevitable decay of the factories that are the lifeblood for the families who live there. Told through the lens of the girl who saw it all and never recovered, this is the story of five girls who began to rust and inexplicably transform into something not entirely human.
Young girls, just graduating from high school, should have their entire future ahead of them, ready to face the world head-on and seize their dreams. That isn’t really the way it works for the girls from this town, a town where everyone knows everything about you and there isn’t a whole lot of room to breathe without someone gossiping about it. This is the kind of town you get stuck in, marry a mill worker, have kids young, and become your parents.
These girls don’t really have a chance, don’t really own their futures—or their bodies. And what’s the point, anyway, when the town is dying around them? So their bodies take things into their own hands, as it were.
So what is The Rust Maidens about? To me, it’s about choice. It’s about coming of age as a girl and facing every obstacle—no matter how difficult, horrific, or even close to home—to remain true to yourself.
The weaving of supernatural elements is effortless throughout and fuses all the elements of the plot, which is important to me; this isn’t craziness happening for no reason. Instead there is a deeper meaning to every strand of the story. And it will drag you under its spell.
Kiste also has a chilling and entrancing style: extremely atmospheric and unsettling yet with a strange compelling beauty that constantly pulls you in. I loved finding her unique voice when I read her collection And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, and this novel only develops on her strengths.
Kiste is a welcome voice on the horror shelves, the soft beauty of her words mesmerizing, beckoning you to come closer and see, but when you get too close, she smiles and opens wide—and the darkness swallows you whole.
I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
January 6, 2019
A dark gothic story about the loss of innocence as well as the decline of the American promise. The Rust Maidens splits between two time periods in Cleveland Ohio, a time period when factories are beginning to close and current dilapidated times. I am always attracted to stories like this as I grew up during the 80’s in a failing mill village in South Carolina. The writing is emotional and economic struggle hovers throughout the story even when it is not the primary focus of the narrative. The primary narrative is about a young lady, Pheobe, returning to Cleveland after fleeing the city during some traumatic experiences as she was graduating high school. Some of the young ladies in this declining community began to display bizarre behavior and physical deformities that scared locals into hysterics. The word gets out about the Rust Maidens and even the Federal government comes into investigate. No one really knows what is going on. Phoebe is a main character who’s cousin and best friend Jaqueline becomes one of the Rust Maidens. The “illness” changes their friendship and tears them apart leading Pheobe to flee. She returns in current times to check in on her ailing father requiring her to face what she ran from before.
The milieu in this story is bleak and brutal but there is a sense of love and community holding some aspects together. The book does not let you forget bad things happen and life requires a certain strength and acceptance to keep plowing ahead. The symbolism and allegory were definitely my favorite overall take from the book. The “horror” is subtle but it is there and will linger after finishing the book. If you enjoy gothic weird fiction then check out this book. I will definitely be giving Gwendolyn Kiste another try. I discovered the author and book due to it being on one of my favorite publishers of 2018.
The milieu in this story is bleak and brutal but there is a sense of love and community holding some aspects together. The book does not let you forget bad things happen and life requires a certain strength and acceptance to keep plowing ahead. The symbolism and allegory were definitely my favorite overall take from the book. The “horror” is subtle but it is there and will linger after finishing the book. If you enjoy gothic weird fiction then check out this book. I will definitely be giving Gwendolyn Kiste another try. I discovered the author and book due to it being on one of my favorite publishers of 2018.
March 4, 2024
Modlete se za rezavé panny.
Tomu říkám parádní úvod, který zaujme. Rezavé panny mě dostaly. Osmdesátky, Cleveland, počínající krize, továrny se uzavírají, muži přichází o práci a rodiny čelí nejisté budoucnosti. Do toho se začne městečkem šířit záhadná nemoc, která postihuje jen dospívající dívky. Jejich těla prochází podivnou proměnou, která se vymyká všemu, co kdy doktoři viděli...
Když se hlavní postava Phoebe vrací po letech na do svého rodného města, na místo, kde se vše stalo, je to prosycené tak silnou nostalgií a melancholií, že to tryská z každého slova a naprosto to pohltí. Styl psaní je chvílemi až poetický, skvěle vytváří stísněnou atmosféru bezmoci a zoufalství ve všech podobách. Zoufalství otců, živitelů rodin, kteří přichází o práci. Zoufalství matek, které se snaží tvářit, že se nic neděje a že je vše v pořádku. Zoufalství společnosti, která nepotřebuje další problém k současné krizi, ve které se ocitá. Zoufalství Phoebe, které není lhostejný osud dívek, jenž postihla nemoc. Nemoc, která jakoby zrcadlila rozpad, ve kterém se společnost nachází... Rezavé panny jsou vážně boží. Neotřelý příběh, delikátní hororové prvky, napětí při odhalování tajemství a hromada emocí. Pro mě trefa do černého.
Tomu říkám parádní úvod, který zaujme. Rezavé panny mě dostaly. Osmdesátky, Cleveland, počínající krize, továrny se uzavírají, muži přichází o práci a rodiny čelí nejisté budoucnosti. Do toho se začne městečkem šířit záhadná nemoc, která postihuje jen dospívající dívky. Jejich těla prochází podivnou proměnou, která se vymyká všemu, co kdy doktoři viděli...
Když se hlavní postava Phoebe vrací po letech na do svého rodného města, na místo, kde se vše stalo, je to prosycené tak silnou nostalgií a melancholií, že to tryská z každého slova a naprosto to pohltí. Styl psaní je chvílemi až poetický, skvěle vytváří stísněnou atmosféru bezmoci a zoufalství ve všech podobách. Zoufalství otců, živitelů rodin, kteří přichází o práci. Zoufalství matek, které se snaží tvářit, že se nic neděje a že je vše v pořádku. Zoufalství společnosti, která nepotřebuje další problém k současné krizi, ve které se ocitá. Zoufalství Phoebe, které není lhostejný osud dívek, jenž postihla nemoc. Nemoc, která jakoby zrcadlila rozpad, ve kterém se společnost nachází... Rezavé panny jsou vážně boží. Neotřelý příběh, delikátní hororové prvky, napětí při odhalování tajemství a hromada emocí. Pro mě trefa do černého.
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