The Possessions is deliciously creepy and though-provoking debut. It is a story of young woman who for a living, through special drug, opens her body to dead people, so bereaved persons can stay in touch and talk to their loved ones. The premise screams unique, doesn’t it?

It is very hard to categorize this novel because it mixes plenty of genres together and this mixture makes for an intriguing and memorable read. The Possessions is partly mystery thriller, partly paranormal story with a touch of horror and partly contemporary women’s fiction with a hint of romance. For a long time I had no idea where was this story taking me and even though pacing was slow, I really enjoyed this book.

However, there were two things that prevented me from enjoying this book even more. Firstly, while I was intrigued by the storyline, I never cared for characters and I never felt any emotional connection with this story. I can’t go very deep into whys because I don’t want to spoil anything. But let’s say that even though Euridice was one of the most fascinating characters I have read about in a long time, she was also one of the weirdest. Secondly, whole story felt a bit anticlimactic to me. I expected some truly shocking reveal, I-never-see-that-coming twist or a mouth-droping ending that would fit this novel. But there was nothing like that and it left me disappointed.

That said, I need to mention one more thing.Writing was exceptional and had this special intimate quality and easy flow to it. It was a real pleasure to read and I definitely plan to read whatever Sara Flannery Murphy writes next! schovat popis