Daughters
of the Mire

★★★★★

An absolute 5-star masterpiece! The plot twists are brilliantly woven into the story—they make total sense and never feel like cheap shock value dropped out of thin air. I went into this thinking there would be literal ghosts or monsters, but the real monsters are actually living among us, pretending to care for us. I'm looking at you Ben and Lewis! This is a slow-paced book, but it uses that time beautifully to build up intense tension and deeply develop the characters. What truly elevates this book is how raw and authentic the trauma feels. It is incredibly realistic and handled with a level of care that gives the characters massive emotional weight. Forget a straightforward story! Reading through secret diaries, old letters, newspaper clippings, and messy, fragmented memories. Discovery quickly follows that the twins' childhood was an absolute nightmare filled with severe neglect and abuse. It builds up to a massive, mind-blowing truth that will literally leave me staring at the wall in pure shock for a few minutes after you close the final page! Drop everything you are doing right now and read this book. Seriously, your TBR list can wait!

★★★★★

There's a reason why I read all 500 pages in one sitting. I'm a fan of true crime, and this fictional true crime is the epitome of what I love in great suspense novels. The whole book is in a journal format, you have cutouts of newspapers and reports, making the whole experience even more real. I'm so excited for the world to read this book. Welcoming Penwings Publishing's second novel in our booklist!

★★★★★

My first ARC, and I personally loved this debut novel by Shareen Ho, and I think it's absolutely fantastic for many, many reasons. This gothic suspense thriller novel follows the life of the Turner sisters, Amelia and Sarah in a fictional town of Willow's Mire. As we learned about the truth of their tragic lives circumstances as the story progresses along the way, we're also open and being reminded of how cruel the fate works. Especially with my background as a gender studies scholar, this book would be an excellent solid read to dissect and discuss in class since this book speaks heavily on violence against women and girls which is a pervasive and concerning issue worldwide. But here's the thing that makes this book entirely different from any other book. It makes you question about "monsters". Who are the "villains"? And what makes them the villains of the story? Are their actions justifiable? Then, it also makes you question about "victims". Are they any victims in the story? Who are the real victims? Overall, the storytelling is a slow burn, dark yet beautifully written with raw emotional prowess. As the story and characters progress along, it makes me feel so deeply in my bones. Shareen is definitely a local author I'll be watching and rooting for. There's only few Malaysian authors that I truly loved for their works - Preeta Samarasan, Tan Twan Eng, Zen Cho, Hanna Alkaf, Tash Aw, Choo Yangsze - and Shareen is definitely joining in the list.

★★★★★

Daughters of the Mire is a grimdark historical fiction that is not for the weak of heart. It is a tragic story of perseverance and survival. It lays bare to us the horrors women have to go through in the hands of men and how these experiences shaped them in different ways. DotM had me captivated from the first sentence. The poetic cadence of Shareen's writing resonates with my soul. The words flowed smoothly, allowing me to easily immerse myself in the world she crafted. While her writing style may not appeal to new age readers who prefer straightforward writing, I do believe still that anyone would stay for the plot. It was well paced, and engaging. The story of two sisters, Amelia and Sarah, is close to my heart. I find myself closely relating to them in different parts of their lives. DotM reminded me of how lucky I was, that I was able to start over and move forward. It reflects the stark reality of countless women who had to go through the same horrors and had no chance of a better life. You should pick this up should you be given the chance. <3

★★★★★

I don't usually gravitate toward gothic fiction, but Daughters of the Mire surprised me. What I found most compelling wasn't just the mystery of Willow's Mire, but the structure. The diaries, letters, and fragments make you work for the truth a little -- you're constantly questioning what's real, what's remembered, and what's reshaped by rumour. The Turner sisters are the emotional core of the story. Their bond -- and the dramas within it -- felt more unsettling than the mire itself. The whole novel feels very atmospheric without being indulgent. If you like slow-burn tension and stories that linger quietly after you've finished, this one might be worth picking up.

★★★★★

Haunting, heavy, and quietly devastating in all the right ways. It's a deeply emotional journey with Sarah and Amelia, one that conveys not every wound heals cleanly, and not every act of abuse arrives at a neat or satisfying end. This read refuses to tidy up the consequences of pain, and because of that, it feels painfully honest.