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Evie of the Deepthorn
A novel about small towns, art, and loneliness.
What is Evie of the Deepthorn?
It’s a cult Canadian movie that Kent looks to for inspiration as he struggles to understand the death of his brother. It’s a fantasy novel that Sarah wrestles with as she navigates a traumatic childhood and comes to terms with her failures as an adult. It’s a poem that motivates Reza to go on a pilgrimage from which he will not return unscathed.
Shifting and sometimes contradictory, Evie of the Deepthorn is about the search for answers — and escape.
What is Evie of the Deepthorn?
It’s a cult Canadian movie that Kent looks to for inspiration as he struggles to understand the death of his brother. It’s a fantasy novel that Sarah wrestles with as she navigates a traumatic childhood and comes to terms with her failures as an adult. It’s a poem that motivates Reza to go on a pilgrimage from which he will not return unscathed.
Shifting and sometimes contradictory, Evie of the Deepthorn is about the search for answers — and escape.
- GenresFiction
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2020
4 people are currently reading
1242 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 19, 2020
I’m not clear about what I just read... not only a little confused but after the first 20% (which was interesting) the story flipped entirely. It just wasn’t for me...
*Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
*Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 2, 2020
A preview of the novel was kindly sent me from the publishing house in exchange for an honest review. I'm very grateful to the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read a novel that has delighted me. I find it an enormous privilege to receive novels of such good quality and to be able to talk about them, first of all because I find that getting to know valuable books that risk going unnoticed is really a wonderful possibility.
The premise is that this book is not an immediately accessible novel. Although the style is not an artifact, it is not very smooth and the narrative itself is not very quick. The book requires a certain concentration and also the willingness to wait for the story to unfold to its full potential. The plot itself, in my view, is original up to a certain point, but the book is not intended to be original, but rather to dig systematically into the human soul. In this sense, the writer succeeds fully in his intention: his characters are not only likely to be true, but they are deepened with care and sensitivity. Each of them has to deal with a cumbersome past, with discomforts accumulated over the years, of demons that persecute them and that, as a result, end up being haunted even for the reader. The author makes part of the events that have led the characters to live in a certain way unclear to us, which leads us to continue reading with growing interest.
The greatest merit of the book is the meticulous work on the language conducted by the author. Each word seems to be the result of a very calibrated reflection, which is by no means taken for granted when it comes to a beginner. The sentences are composed with extreme care and through them we perceive even more clearly the dramas, anxieties and vulnerability of the characters. In conclusion, it's a novel with a great evocative poenizal: the three characters are more than credible, the plot, although not very original, is captivating, and the style really improves the quality of the book.
The premise is that this book is not an immediately accessible novel. Although the style is not an artifact, it is not very smooth and the narrative itself is not very quick. The book requires a certain concentration and also the willingness to wait for the story to unfold to its full potential. The plot itself, in my view, is original up to a certain point, but the book is not intended to be original, but rather to dig systematically into the human soul. In this sense, the writer succeeds fully in his intention: his characters are not only likely to be true, but they are deepened with care and sensitivity. Each of them has to deal with a cumbersome past, with discomforts accumulated over the years, of demons that persecute them and that, as a result, end up being haunted even for the reader. The author makes part of the events that have led the characters to live in a certain way unclear to us, which leads us to continue reading with growing interest.
The greatest merit of the book is the meticulous work on the language conducted by the author. Each word seems to be the result of a very calibrated reflection, which is by no means taken for granted when it comes to a beginner. The sentences are composed with extreme care and through them we perceive even more clearly the dramas, anxieties and vulnerability of the characters. In conclusion, it's a novel with a great evocative poenizal: the three characters are more than credible, the plot, although not very original, is captivating, and the style really improves the quality of the book.
March 3, 2020
2.5 stars
Evie of the Deepthorn is a novel of three interconnected stories. All of the narrators are touched by Evie of the Deepthorn in different ways. For Kent Evie of the Deepthorn is a cult classic movie. For Sarah it is a book of her own creation and for Reza it is his lover's poem. In all three of these renditions Evie is young girl who loses her parents to tragedy then finds her strength in the wilderness. Yet she means different things to each of them. Another thread that holds the three characters together is the small town of Durham. In a way the town is its own character inflicting its will on all of them.
Young Kent is a high school senior who is living with the loss of his older brother Jeff. Although Jeff was always one edge and teetering on the brink of anger, he still represented safety for Kent. Things that he would never attempt alone he could do with Jeff at his side. Kent sees himself as Evie as he must embark on this dangerous journey known as adulthood. But he doesn't see himself as determined or prepared for battle as the protagonist of his favorite movie. He is unsure of himself and wary of what his future holds.
Sarah is a depressed young woman who writes as a cathartic experience. Fiction for her represents a "scrubbed clean reality" that one can escape too and hide from the demons that haunt them. For her fiction is the only place "where real triumph can be found." As her story takes place over a number of years her character matures and is able to accept a duality in her presence. Evie and the wicked witch Llor represent two sides of a coin. Llor is the lonlieness and anger that has driven a wedge between her family. She is regret for the wrongs Sarah has done and for the things she has said that she cannot take back. Evie is her hope at redemption and overcoming her own shortfalls.
Reza's story is the shortest of the three. You don't get to spend too much time with him but what you learn is how much Jeff's death and Ken't's life has affected him. You learn how much poetry can resound with one's heart and speak to the pain that resides within.
One of the quotes that stands out in this book was one where Jeff and Kent are arguing the point of art as perspective. I feel as if Babyn could also be talking about Durham and how where we live and the people we live among shapes us and in part determines how we see ourselves.
The premise behind this book seemed interesting enough but I struggled to find my way through. I enjoyed the references to books and art as a form of release but I found title and the blurb is misleading with Evie of the Deepthorn as an overarching thread being tenuous at best.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Dundurn Press and Andre Babyn for advanced access to this book.
Evie of the Deepthorn is a novel of three interconnected stories. All of the narrators are touched by Evie of the Deepthorn in different ways. For Kent Evie of the Deepthorn is a cult classic movie. For Sarah it is a book of her own creation and for Reza it is his lover's poem. In all three of these renditions Evie is young girl who loses her parents to tragedy then finds her strength in the wilderness. Yet she means different things to each of them. Another thread that holds the three characters together is the small town of Durham. In a way the town is its own character inflicting its will on all of them.
Young Kent is a high school senior who is living with the loss of his older brother Jeff. Although Jeff was always one edge and teetering on the brink of anger, he still represented safety for Kent. Things that he would never attempt alone he could do with Jeff at his side. Kent sees himself as Evie as he must embark on this dangerous journey known as adulthood. But he doesn't see himself as determined or prepared for battle as the protagonist of his favorite movie. He is unsure of himself and wary of what his future holds.
Sarah is a depressed young woman who writes as a cathartic experience. Fiction for her represents a "scrubbed clean reality" that one can escape too and hide from the demons that haunt them. For her fiction is the only place "where real triumph can be found." As her story takes place over a number of years her character matures and is able to accept a duality in her presence. Evie and the wicked witch Llor represent two sides of a coin. Llor is the lonlieness and anger that has driven a wedge between her family. She is regret for the wrongs Sarah has done and for the things she has said that she cannot take back. Evie is her hope at redemption and overcoming her own shortfalls.
Reza's story is the shortest of the three. You don't get to spend too much time with him but what you learn is how much Jeff's death and Ken't's life has affected him. You learn how much poetry can resound with one's heart and speak to the pain that resides within.
One of the quotes that stands out in this book was one where Jeff and Kent are arguing the point of art as perspective. I feel as if Babyn could also be talking about Durham and how where we live and the people we live among shapes us and in part determines how we see ourselves.
"Everything in that picture is paint. It's all paint," I said. "The angel is the same as everyone fighting in the background. She's the same because she could be them and they could be here. Every inch of that canvas carries the potential to be anything else. You can't just . . . separate an object from itself like that. They're all constructed together. One allows the other to exist, even if it seems like they don't fit together or they exist on different planes . . . ."
The premise behind this book seemed interesting enough but I struggled to find my way through. I enjoyed the references to books and art as a form of release but I found title and the blurb is misleading with Evie of the Deepthorn as an overarching thread being tenuous at best.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Dundurn Press and Andre Babyn for advanced access to this book.
April 10, 2020
Just as I was starting to get into one storyline, the perspective changed.
It tells the stories of teenagers who are all interconnected. It deals with loss, family issues, poor friendships, bullying dynamics and peer pressure.
It tells the stories of teenagers who are all interconnected. It deals with loss, family issues, poor friendships, bullying dynamics and peer pressure.
August 21, 2019
Thanks to publisher Dundurn for an advance reader copy of this book (via Edelweiss+) in exchange for an honest review. This review also appears on Edelweiss+ and my blog.
Overall, this is a well written book. Babyn’s prose is serious and measured; it seems (I’m sure deceptively) effortless and fluid. The subject matter is rather heavy and dark: familial strife, death, loss and grief, not fitting in to societal expectations. I appreciated the clear structure—three distinct parts with distinct narrators/voices. Of the three, the middle section—Sarah’s—was my favourite. It’s difficult to be specific without spoilers, but this section shows Babyn’s impressive ability to inhabit the world of a teenaged girl.
I appreciated the theme of art and creativity that ran through the novel, but this was a part I felt could have been developed a bit more. That said, the inclusion of the poem at the end was a good choice.
I struggled slightly with this novel because I think it’s the kind of thing you need to be in the right mood for. It felt like something I was reading for my own good, a serious undertaking. This is not a bad thing! But it’s really not going to be a book for everyone.
Overall, this is a well written book. Babyn’s prose is serious and measured; it seems (I’m sure deceptively) effortless and fluid. The subject matter is rather heavy and dark: familial strife, death, loss and grief, not fitting in to societal expectations. I appreciated the clear structure—three distinct parts with distinct narrators/voices. Of the three, the middle section—Sarah’s—was my favourite. It’s difficult to be specific without spoilers, but this section shows Babyn’s impressive ability to inhabit the world of a teenaged girl.
I appreciated the theme of art and creativity that ran through the novel, but this was a part I felt could have been developed a bit more. That said, the inclusion of the poem at the end was a good choice.
I struggled slightly with this novel because I think it’s the kind of thing you need to be in the right mood for. It felt like something I was reading for my own good, a serious undertaking. This is not a bad thing! But it’s really not going to be a book for everyone.
December 31, 2019
Title: Evie of the Deepthorn
Author: Andre Babyn
Pages: 320
Expected publication date: February 8th 2020
I received this book from a Netgalley request for an honest review.
Evie of the Deepthorn is the story of Kent, Sarah, and Reza. For Kent, it is the movie that helps him cope with his brother’s death. For Sarah, it is the book that helps her deal with her broken family and her difficult adulthood. For Reza, it is a poem that helps me take a journey of reconciliation with his past. The book is divided into three sections and each covers the story of each of the three protagonists.
Kent’s story is well-written with a balanced ratio of flashback and present narratives. The flashbacks give the reader an insight into Kent’ relationship with his brother-Jeff, Jeff’s teenage years, and Jeff’s passion for a game called Magic. The present narrative is about how Kent struggles with making a movie for his media class because he is not able to find any topic of interest in his small hometown- Durham. The plot unravels Jeff’s story alongside Kent’s narrative and ends on a good note. The present narrative is concentrated mostly on Kent’s school life, which reflects the limitedness of being part of a small town. The first person narrative also enhances the smallness and insignificance of Durham life. However, these two factors of the plot help focus on Kent’s character development- how he tries understanding his brother’s death, how he grows as a person, and how his movie project helps me define what Durham means to him.
Sarah’s story spans over her teenage life and her adulthood and it is also well-written. Babyn has properly developed Sarah’s struggle with coping with her fighting parents, then the death of her father, and the relationship with her boyfriend. Her struggle is about connecting with the people around her and even though in the first story Durham gives the vibe of a small and lonely town, in this story it acts like a refuge for Sarah. It helps her self-reflect over her life and her relationships, which helps her change perspectives and make some decisions for herself. Durham is not a heart warming refuge for her, but it does allow her an escape from her hectic life for a little while in order to make some life-changing choices. In this story, the first person narrative is effective is depicting Sarah’s struggle with dealing with the things and people around her.
Reza’s story is drearier than the other two and to a big extent it did not make sense at all. All three characters’ stories are connected, but time line introduced in this story just throws you off and you wonder if the author has created three different stories using the same characters. Reza’s journey to Durham does help him reconcile with the loss of the people he knew, but I did not like the way his character was developed in the story- it gives you an insight into what his past was, but you are not sure of the purpose of any of his actions in the present narrative. His struggle is more internal than the other two protagonists, so he deals with it internally, which disconnects him from the other two characters’ stories and does not make his story a good resolution to Evie of the Deepthorn.
I liked Babyn’s writing style in Kent and Sarah’s stories because he properly developed their personalities, their life stories, and their struggles, but with Reza’s story, the character development and plot development was weak. This resolution is dissatisfying and does not enhance the connection between all the characters. Whenever I read stories that are set in small towns, they are mostly dark and I was expecting nothing different when I came across Kent’s description of Durham. Even with addressing the personal growth of characters and their relation with their home towns in a complex light, Babyn did not make the small town of Durham something exceptional to read about. For these reasons, I did not really like Evie of the Deepthorn and it was not the best book to end my year with.
Author: Andre Babyn
Pages: 320
Expected publication date: February 8th 2020
I received this book from a Netgalley request for an honest review.
Evie of the Deepthorn is the story of Kent, Sarah, and Reza. For Kent, it is the movie that helps him cope with his brother’s death. For Sarah, it is the book that helps her deal with her broken family and her difficult adulthood. For Reza, it is a poem that helps me take a journey of reconciliation with his past. The book is divided into three sections and each covers the story of each of the three protagonists.
Kent’s story is well-written with a balanced ratio of flashback and present narratives. The flashbacks give the reader an insight into Kent’ relationship with his brother-Jeff, Jeff’s teenage years, and Jeff’s passion for a game called Magic. The present narrative is about how Kent struggles with making a movie for his media class because he is not able to find any topic of interest in his small hometown- Durham. The plot unravels Jeff’s story alongside Kent’s narrative and ends on a good note. The present narrative is concentrated mostly on Kent’s school life, which reflects the limitedness of being part of a small town. The first person narrative also enhances the smallness and insignificance of Durham life. However, these two factors of the plot help focus on Kent’s character development- how he tries understanding his brother’s death, how he grows as a person, and how his movie project helps me define what Durham means to him.
Sarah’s story spans over her teenage life and her adulthood and it is also well-written. Babyn has properly developed Sarah’s struggle with coping with her fighting parents, then the death of her father, and the relationship with her boyfriend. Her struggle is about connecting with the people around her and even though in the first story Durham gives the vibe of a small and lonely town, in this story it acts like a refuge for Sarah. It helps her self-reflect over her life and her relationships, which helps her change perspectives and make some decisions for herself. Durham is not a heart warming refuge for her, but it does allow her an escape from her hectic life for a little while in order to make some life-changing choices. In this story, the first person narrative is effective is depicting Sarah’s struggle with dealing with the things and people around her.
Reza’s story is drearier than the other two and to a big extent it did not make sense at all. All three characters’ stories are connected, but time line introduced in this story just throws you off and you wonder if the author has created three different stories using the same characters. Reza’s journey to Durham does help him reconcile with the loss of the people he knew, but I did not like the way his character was developed in the story- it gives you an insight into what his past was, but you are not sure of the purpose of any of his actions in the present narrative. His struggle is more internal than the other two protagonists, so he deals with it internally, which disconnects him from the other two characters’ stories and does not make his story a good resolution to Evie of the Deepthorn.
I liked Babyn’s writing style in Kent and Sarah’s stories because he properly developed their personalities, their life stories, and their struggles, but with Reza’s story, the character development and plot development was weak. This resolution is dissatisfying and does not enhance the connection between all the characters. Whenever I read stories that are set in small towns, they are mostly dark and I was expecting nothing different when I came across Kent’s description of Durham. Even with addressing the personal growth of characters and their relation with their home towns in a complex light, Babyn did not make the small town of Durham something exceptional to read about. For these reasons, I did not really like Evie of the Deepthorn and it was not the best book to end my year with.
January 13, 2020
I finally saw what the author was going for with about 15% of the book remaining, but any resolution found in this disjointed and uncomfortable book was, frankly, too little, too late.
September 3, 2019
Evie of the Deepthorn by André Babyn is a standlone novel, a read that deals with dark and heavy subjects. This is a new to me author and I'm happy to report I'm glad I gave his book a try.
Evie of the Deepthorn is written in the rare male pov and I was intrigued by the title and the synopsis.
I started reading and it took me some time to get into my flow and to get in to the story. The book had me in knots and I find it difficult to write a review that does the book justice.
I really, really tried, and I tried a bit more and then I tried harder to like the story and the characters, but I have to confess this isn't my favorite read.
But, yes there's always a but. The story is well written and maybe it's a wrong time wrong place thing with Evie and I. 3,5 Stars.
Evie of the Deepthorn is written in the rare male pov and I was intrigued by the title and the synopsis.
I started reading and it took me some time to get into my flow and to get in to the story. The book had me in knots and I find it difficult to write a review that does the book justice.
I really, really tried, and I tried a bit more and then I tried harder to like the story and the characters, but I have to confess this isn't my favorite read.
But, yes there's always a but. The story is well written and maybe it's a wrong time wrong place thing with Evie and I. 3,5 Stars.
November 3, 2019
I requested this forgetting that I had read this years ago. I got part way thru and it dawned on me. Checked Goodreads and sure enough I rated it read and gave it 2*
February 8, 2021
Evie of the Deepthorn by André Babyn is amazing. A compelling story that provides more than one perspective on what happens in the story! It is sympathetic to its characters and so observant: you really know where these people are living. It's the kind of book that you read, and then think— hey wait a minute, let me read that section again! There are layers of understanding in this book, but it flows smoothly. This would be a great book for a book club: lots of opportunities for members to have different points of view!
November 12, 2019
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
'When I watch Evie I feel like my brain is expanding, like I am ready to be dispersed into space and to become a part of all the possibility that I see before me.'
Evie of the Deepthorn is ‘a cult movie that Kent looks to for inspiration as he struggles to understand the death of his brother’. Jeff is like a living ghost, as the dead often are, and Kent sees him everywhere. Jeff is present when he closes his eyes, when he walks around the family living room ( where there are pictures of his big brother), the essence of him is always there, even if the physical is gone. His brother seems to live even in Kent’s own face, as family does, but the stark difference is that his brother is in the ground, and he is not. Death is a strange companion, particularly when your mother is still in pain, you feel like an alien in school, and you still don’t fully understand the changes in your brother, the grasping for magic, before his final departure. A video camera, a cult movie, will it lend him any clarity into his own complicated life?
Sarah’s Part: Evie of the Deepthorn is a fantasy novel, “I needed to understand life and death because I was stuck on the book”. Never having any connection with death, how could she possibly relate to how she should feel, how characters should react? Not unlike Jeff, she too moves through the halls of her youth, at school feeling ugly, never able to figure out how to be, what to wear, how to act. Spending so much time in retreat, in her room, that it scares her mother no boys will ever want her. Her family is a sad story, but with Evie she can write a better world, Evie can save a kingdom! But for Sarah, understanding the constant tension, the hum of her mother’s anger and disappointment at her failure of a father is a pain she doesn’t realize she is accessing. Her mother’s rage festers, then explodes, aiming in the direction of the only person left in the room- Sarah. Years later, she carries the damage inside of her, the wounds of her father’s strange sadness, his exit and returning home, rummages through the remains of the past, wishing she wasn’t so ‘wrecked at 26’. She is haunted by a dark shadow, but who or what is it? Is it even real? Sarah and Kent, living parallel lives that never touched in youth… how can that be? Could they really have never been friends?
For Reza, Evie of the Deepthorn is a poem inspiring a ‘pilgrimage’, running from, trying to purge someone who has been inside of him. Picking through the past, lancing his wounds, trying to understand the real story, there he meets a woman who knows the real version of what happened so long ago. Of course, there are so many moments I got confused trying to understand where the story was going, how it would tie, where is the big Evie of the Deepthorn reveal, bursting with clarity and insight? Instead it was a tragic tale about grief, alienation, abandonment, depression and family dysfunction. It was a decent read, but I honestly am not sure I am happy about Kent and Jeff’s tale, that I feel any sort of resolution I was hoping for, or clarity. The conflicting emotions one feels returning to the place of their origins, where all the ghosts reside, the memories, the stink of the past that harbored the hopeful heart of youth, that is what stood out the most. We try so hard to leave ourselves behind, but you can’t. I am conflicted, I liked Sarah’s story but she sinks too. Then Rez’s part was too short and confusing at times. It is a tale for those on the outside of things, trying to make sense of who and what they are, for better or worse. I felt a heavy cloud reading it, waiting for some light to get in, but the sun never seemed to come out. I longed for the connection the characters were meant to have with Evie of the Deepthorn to be… well, deeper. I was invested enough to finish, because I wanted to know why and how Jeff really died, then Sarah, I wanted to see her grow up but I was left feeling I missed something. I am curious what other readers will take away from it.
Publication Date: March 3, 2020
Dundurn Press
'When I watch Evie I feel like my brain is expanding, like I am ready to be dispersed into space and to become a part of all the possibility that I see before me.'
Evie of the Deepthorn is ‘a cult movie that Kent looks to for inspiration as he struggles to understand the death of his brother’. Jeff is like a living ghost, as the dead often are, and Kent sees him everywhere. Jeff is present when he closes his eyes, when he walks around the family living room ( where there are pictures of his big brother), the essence of him is always there, even if the physical is gone. His brother seems to live even in Kent’s own face, as family does, but the stark difference is that his brother is in the ground, and he is not. Death is a strange companion, particularly when your mother is still in pain, you feel like an alien in school, and you still don’t fully understand the changes in your brother, the grasping for magic, before his final departure. A video camera, a cult movie, will it lend him any clarity into his own complicated life?
Sarah’s Part: Evie of the Deepthorn is a fantasy novel, “I needed to understand life and death because I was stuck on the book”. Never having any connection with death, how could she possibly relate to how she should feel, how characters should react? Not unlike Jeff, she too moves through the halls of her youth, at school feeling ugly, never able to figure out how to be, what to wear, how to act. Spending so much time in retreat, in her room, that it scares her mother no boys will ever want her. Her family is a sad story, but with Evie she can write a better world, Evie can save a kingdom! But for Sarah, understanding the constant tension, the hum of her mother’s anger and disappointment at her failure of a father is a pain she doesn’t realize she is accessing. Her mother’s rage festers, then explodes, aiming in the direction of the only person left in the room- Sarah. Years later, she carries the damage inside of her, the wounds of her father’s strange sadness, his exit and returning home, rummages through the remains of the past, wishing she wasn’t so ‘wrecked at 26’. She is haunted by a dark shadow, but who or what is it? Is it even real? Sarah and Kent, living parallel lives that never touched in youth… how can that be? Could they really have never been friends?
For Reza, Evie of the Deepthorn is a poem inspiring a ‘pilgrimage’, running from, trying to purge someone who has been inside of him. Picking through the past, lancing his wounds, trying to understand the real story, there he meets a woman who knows the real version of what happened so long ago. Of course, there are so many moments I got confused trying to understand where the story was going, how it would tie, where is the big Evie of the Deepthorn reveal, bursting with clarity and insight? Instead it was a tragic tale about grief, alienation, abandonment, depression and family dysfunction. It was a decent read, but I honestly am not sure I am happy about Kent and Jeff’s tale, that I feel any sort of resolution I was hoping for, or clarity. The conflicting emotions one feels returning to the place of their origins, where all the ghosts reside, the memories, the stink of the past that harbored the hopeful heart of youth, that is what stood out the most. We try so hard to leave ourselves behind, but you can’t. I am conflicted, I liked Sarah’s story but she sinks too. Then Rez’s part was too short and confusing at times. It is a tale for those on the outside of things, trying to make sense of who and what they are, for better or worse. I felt a heavy cloud reading it, waiting for some light to get in, but the sun never seemed to come out. I longed for the connection the characters were meant to have with Evie of the Deepthorn to be… well, deeper. I was invested enough to finish, because I wanted to know why and how Jeff really died, then Sarah, I wanted to see her grow up but I was left feeling I missed something. I am curious what other readers will take away from it.
Publication Date: March 3, 2020
Dundurn Press
November 11, 2019
So..Evie of the Deepthorn took me a painstaking twenty days to read. By comparison, Rise of Kyoshi and Gods of Jade and Shadow were read in a single afternoon. One reason it took so long is that I’m simply not good with ebooks (I know, I know, horrible choice for Net Galley right?) and the other was that for me, this story could only be consumed in pieces because the narrative gave me the feeling of hearing a ghost story. Not a scary story, but a ghost story, wherein there’s a constant nagging that there’s a piece of something left behind.
Through the entirety of the first section, “Kent,” I was under the impression that I was reading about the suicide of Kent’s brother, Jeff. We find out later that this is not the case and that it was actually a freak accident, but honestly, I felt like it should’ve been a suicide.
I can’t remember the last time I read a story this…gray. It’s not kind, but it’s not cruel. It’s not disturbing, but it’s not welcoming. In fact, the author’s use of language is so precise and calculated that it reminds me of Jealousy by Alain Robbe-Grillet. The use of language in this book and the way that the narrative unfolds works to the novel’s advantage but also hinders its effectiveness.
By far the strongest section is Kent’s and the weakest is Reza because after that first section is over, it’s not necessary to keep revisiting the story of Jeff. Going into the book, I assumed that there would be a separation of sections wherein “Evie of the Deepthorn” took on a different purpose to the protagonists’ life and I was half right. To Kent, “Evie of the Deepthorn” was an old movie, to Sarah it was an unfinished novel and to Reza it was a poem. And if it had just been that, just this random idea (young girl lost in forest surrounded by death) existing in various mediums to different people the story would’ve been much more interesting.
As it stands, I got one contained story about Jeff and Kent and two others about how the lives of Jeff and Kent affected them. Are they what I wanted as a reader? No. Are they what the story needed to be successful? Definitely not. And when I got through to the end, part of me wondered about the novel that could’ve been; three separate, contained stories about the ghost of Evie and the Deepthorn.
(Because the stories end up being linked it also begs to question how no one ever connected “Evie and the Deepthorn” to the movie/poem/novel)
Overall, I give the novel ⭐⭐⭐ out of five stars. This definitely isn’t an afternoon read and won’t be a pleasant reading experience for all, but there’s enough there in concept and execution to make it worth checking out.
Through the entirety of the first section, “Kent,” I was under the impression that I was reading about the suicide of Kent’s brother, Jeff. We find out later that this is not the case and that it was actually a freak accident, but honestly, I felt like it should’ve been a suicide.
I can’t remember the last time I read a story this…gray. It’s not kind, but it’s not cruel. It’s not disturbing, but it’s not welcoming. In fact, the author’s use of language is so precise and calculated that it reminds me of Jealousy by Alain Robbe-Grillet. The use of language in this book and the way that the narrative unfolds works to the novel’s advantage but also hinders its effectiveness.
By far the strongest section is Kent’s and the weakest is Reza because after that first section is over, it’s not necessary to keep revisiting the story of Jeff. Going into the book, I assumed that there would be a separation of sections wherein “Evie of the Deepthorn” took on a different purpose to the protagonists’ life and I was half right. To Kent, “Evie of the Deepthorn” was an old movie, to Sarah it was an unfinished novel and to Reza it was a poem. And if it had just been that, just this random idea (young girl lost in forest surrounded by death) existing in various mediums to different people the story would’ve been much more interesting.
As it stands, I got one contained story about Jeff and Kent and two others about how the lives of Jeff and Kent affected them. Are they what I wanted as a reader? No. Are they what the story needed to be successful? Definitely not. And when I got through to the end, part of me wondered about the novel that could’ve been; three separate, contained stories about the ghost of Evie and the Deepthorn.
(Because the stories end up being linked it also begs to question how no one ever connected “Evie and the Deepthorn” to the movie/poem/novel)
Overall, I give the novel ⭐⭐⭐ out of five stars. This definitely isn’t an afternoon read and won’t be a pleasant reading experience for all, but there’s enough there in concept and execution to make it worth checking out.
December 1, 2019
Evie of the Deepthorn takes place in a suburb of Toronto. The first part introduces us to Kent. Kent’s brother Jeff died a tragic death when Kent was just a young boy. Kent found him battered in the woods. It’s just Kent and his mom now. Kent isn’t entirely happy and sometimes wishes that it had been he instead of Jeff that died.
The second part is voiced by Sarah. Sarah is in her mid-twenties and has ventured home to Durham to watch her cat and her mom’s house while the mom & Sarah’s stepfather travel to Cuba. Sarah lives with a man named Tom, but it’s not a dream relationship, it’s just sort of there. Being home in Durham brings up memories and issues that Sarah hasn’t really ever confronted before.
Lastly we meet Reza. Reza has traveled to Durham to find the grave, and maybe some answers, of his favorite poet. He has just walked away from a somewhat tortured relationship with a man named Jeff. He’s not sure what he’s looking for in Durham, but what he finds, isn’t what he expected.
While this book was incredibly well written, it was a very dark book that took me some time to finish. How the characters all intertwine and relate to the title is the most solid part of the story. I tended to get confused as to what was happening throughout the novel. It is a really sad story in the end, and there isn’t much closure for any of the characters.
I have to say I’m not sorry I read it, however, it wasn’t one of my favorite novels of late.
3.5 stars
This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 17 February 2020 .
The second part is voiced by Sarah. Sarah is in her mid-twenties and has ventured home to Durham to watch her cat and her mom’s house while the mom & Sarah’s stepfather travel to Cuba. Sarah lives with a man named Tom, but it’s not a dream relationship, it’s just sort of there. Being home in Durham brings up memories and issues that Sarah hasn’t really ever confronted before.
Lastly we meet Reza. Reza has traveled to Durham to find the grave, and maybe some answers, of his favorite poet. He has just walked away from a somewhat tortured relationship with a man named Jeff. He’s not sure what he’s looking for in Durham, but what he finds, isn’t what he expected.
While this book was incredibly well written, it was a very dark book that took me some time to finish. How the characters all intertwine and relate to the title is the most solid part of the story. I tended to get confused as to what was happening throughout the novel. It is a really sad story in the end, and there isn’t much closure for any of the characters.
I have to say I’m not sorry I read it, however, it wasn’t one of my favorite novels of late.
3.5 stars
This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 17 February 2020 .
November 16, 2019
I had a dream I read this book and I liked it. I didn't finish reading this book in my dream because I woke up (it was morning), but what I did read of it in my dream I enjoyed.
February 25, 2020
I received a copy as a good reads giveaway and just received from the author. I’m really excited to have received this and look forward to diving into it.
I will update my progress as I go.
I will update my progress as I go.
Read
February 9, 2021What the heck is Evie of the Deepthorn? Depends who you ask. Ask Sarah, and she'll tell you all about a fantasy novel. Ask Kent, and he'll tell you it's a strange, low budget Canadian film that left a deep impression on him. Ask Reza, and he'll recite you a haunting poem. Ask me, and I'll tell you it's a pretty darn wonderful, odd book from Toronto-based writer André Babyn.
This isn't an easy story to wrap your head around. If you go in looking for "answers" in the traditional sense, you'll be confused and frustrated. But approach this as you might a Lynchian fever dream or Borgesian puzzle, you'll find something really impressive: a beautifully written rumination on impermanence, loneliness, and the unfixed, constantly shifting places that we find meaning in the art we love.
This isn't an easy story to wrap your head around. If you go in looking for "answers" in the traditional sense, you'll be confused and frustrated. But approach this as you might a Lynchian fever dream or Borgesian puzzle, you'll find something really impressive: a beautifully written rumination on impermanence, loneliness, and the unfixed, constantly shifting places that we find meaning in the art we love.
Read
November 6, 2019I finished half the book. I have little interest in reading further. The story is told in a way that is supposed to make you want to keep reading to find out what happened, but at this point I just don't care enough to keep going. The connection to the title is flimsy and although the description of the book promised it was an important part of the story, I'm not intrigued enough to find out how - so, this one will remain in the unfinished pile.
January 2, 2021
An exercise of thirds. The first third is a wonderful, poignant exercise in small town melancholy. The second third is interesting, if a little less engaging and a little more ethereal than I usually tolerate. The final third is just a bit too out there, in spite of some intriguing elements I wish had been explored further. The end result splits the ratings difference.
September 25, 2022
This book is highly introspective, sentimental, and expertly written. It’s full of ambiguities and contradictions that bend the narrative into new shapes. At times it is unclear whether the connections between the protagonists exist in real time/life or in dreams. At times you get the sense that certain characters are ghosts, replaying the past over and over. Then at times you get this sense that there is no definitive order to things and, like Evie of the Deepthorn, everyone is simply trying to find their way through the forest that is Durham, that is life. The ambiguity of this non-linear narrative is maybe too much for the conventional reader, maybe even tantalizing at times, but I appreciate it for challenging my expectations of what a novel should be.
December 10, 2023
unique!
December 1, 2019
Evie of the Deepthorn takes place in a suburb of Toronto. The first part introduces us to Kent. Kent’s brother Jeff died a tragic death when Kent was just a young boy. Kent found him battered in the woods. It’s just Kent and his mom now. Kent isn’t entirely happy and sometimes wishes that it had been he instead of Jeff that died.
The second part is voiced by Sarah. Sarah is in her mid-twenties and has ventured home to Durham to watch her cat and her mom’s house while the mom & Sarah’s stepfather travel to Cuba. Sarah lives with a man named Tom, but it’s not a dream relationship, it’s just sort of there. Being home in Durham brings up memories and issues that Sarah hasn’t really ever confronted before.
Lastly we meet Reza. Reza has traveled to Durham to find the grave, and maybe some answers, of his favorite poet. He has just walked away from a somewhat tortured relationship with a man named Jeff. He’s not sure what he’s looking for in Durham, but what he finds, isn’t what he expected.
While this book was incredibly well written, it was a very dark book that took me some time to finish. How the characters all intertwine and relate to the title is the most solid part of the story. I tended to get confused as to what was happening throughout the novel. It is a really sad story in the end, and there isn’t much closure for any of the characters.
I have to say I’m not sorry I read it, however, it wasn’t one of my favorite novels of late.
3.5 stars
This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 17 February 2020 .
The second part is voiced by Sarah. Sarah is in her mid-twenties and has ventured home to Durham to watch her cat and her mom’s house while the mom & Sarah’s stepfather travel to Cuba. Sarah lives with a man named Tom, but it’s not a dream relationship, it’s just sort of there. Being home in Durham brings up memories and issues that Sarah hasn’t really ever confronted before.
Lastly we meet Reza. Reza has traveled to Durham to find the grave, and maybe some answers, of his favorite poet. He has just walked away from a somewhat tortured relationship with a man named Jeff. He’s not sure what he’s looking for in Durham, but what he finds, isn’t what he expected.
While this book was incredibly well written, it was a very dark book that took me some time to finish. How the characters all intertwine and relate to the title is the most solid part of the story. I tended to get confused as to what was happening throughout the novel. It is a really sad story in the end, and there isn’t much closure for any of the characters.
I have to say I’m not sorry I read it, however, it wasn’t one of my favorite novels of late.
3.5 stars
This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 17 February 2020 .
December 13, 2021
This is the story of three people who are deeply affected by a piece of media called Evie of the Deepthorn.
This book couldn’t seem to decide what it wanted to be. At first it kind of seemed like a YA about a teenager discovering himself and the second part about Sarah started out similarly, but then it flipped and it became kind of a story about lost souls I guess? My interest had started waning by the time I got to Sarah’s story and at that point it really felt like an uphill climb to finish the book.
I relatively enjoyed the first part, which was emotional and well written. The rest just went on too long and didn’t really interest me.
This book couldn’t seem to decide what it wanted to be. At first it kind of seemed like a YA about a teenager discovering himself and the second part about Sarah started out similarly, but then it flipped and it became kind of a story about lost souls I guess? My interest had started waning by the time I got to Sarah’s story and at that point it really felt like an uphill climb to finish the book.
I relatively enjoyed the first part, which was emotional and well written. The rest just went on too long and didn’t really interest me.
July 22, 2020
I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Evie of the Deepthorn is a strange tale so nonlinear that it becomes convoluted and confusing.
1 out of 5 stars. Do not recommend.
Evie of the Deepthorn is a strange tale so nonlinear that it becomes convoluted and confusing.
1 out of 5 stars. Do not recommend.
December 10, 2019
Still not sure what to think about this....
September 1, 2021
I just didn’t get it.
November 18, 2025
A bit all over the place and pretty sad - had to take a break and read a Victorian novel in the middle. Not sure if it needed Reza's story or not. He was a bit hard to parse.
January 2, 2024
I'm not sure I fully grasped the subtleties of how all the subplots do and don't interconnect. There's a lot there. I want to read it again when my focus is less fragmented. The writing is fantastic.
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