This book is intense. Think Flowers in the Attic but with considerably more bite.
Such Pretty Things is the tale of Clara and Stephen, two children who get sent to live with their mysterious aunt after a horrifying incident has left their mother in a coma. With no children of her own, their aunt is overly invested in caring for the pair of them. Unfortunately she does not know how to cope when they don't fit into her ideal, and the children have a knack of being unknowingly cruel to her in return.
The atmosphere of this book was fantastic. This is the kind of horror rooted firmly in real life, in the awful ways relationships can crumble and obsessive thoughts can lead to tragedy. Very early in the book, you learn as a reader that the aunt has had several miscarriages hence her strong desire to bond with the children. The children however do not know this and the resulting social mishaps are full of tension and a building sense of doom. Additionally, Stephen and Clara's bond as siblings is put under increasing strain as they grow apart in their views of their aunt and their new situation. Almost all of the horror of this book comes from the familial relationships, and it is executed excellently.
Overall, if you enjoy horror built from human nature and a creeping sense of uncertain dread, this is the book for you. It is a deliciously slow burn and yet good enough that I read it almost entirely one sitting. I loved every minute of it
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