The Colony of Lost Souls | 
so-soPromising premise, but I think the audio made me less inclined to fully appreciate it.
May receives a letter from her missing sister June with a return address from the Kinima Theosophical Society. May rushes to the Society and becomes enamored with Rex, the leader of The Colony. What follows is a gothic-esque novel that takes May through the rituals of a cult as she tries to find out the whereabouts of her sister. Set in 1930s California. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Librarybelle May‘s naivety and repetitive thoughts of helplessness made me want to roll my eyes. Sure, May is sheltered and has led a very careful life, but the reader can gather May is trying to find a solution. The voice actress for this reading also makes May sound a bit whiny at times, which I know helped me form this opinion. Rex is well-drawn multilayered character; the reader will loathe him by the end. The mansion and grounds are also well crafted, ⬇️ 2d
Librarybelle ⬆️ …making them a character in the book. Elements of the story felt rushed or a little hard to believe, and I‘m not talking about the supernatural bits. Lots of trigger warnings too (we are dealing with a cult, after all): miscarriage, stillbirth, sexual coercion, drugs, strangulation, child endangerment, animal cruelty…full list on the author‘s website. In the end, I think I would have preferred this in book form rather than audio. #NetGalley 2d
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