

Revelator
Books | Fiction / Horror
3.9
(67)
Daryl Gregory
ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • The dark, gripping tale of a 1930’s family in the remote hills of the Smoky Mountains, their secret religion, and the daughter who turns her back on their mysterious god—from the acclaimed author of Spoonbenders. “Gods and moonshine in the Great Depression, written with a tenderness and brutality … this is as good as novels get.” —Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good IndiansIn 1933, nine-year-old Stella is left in the care of her grandmother, Motty, in the backwoods of Tennessee. The mountains are home to dangerous secrets, and soon after she arrives, Stella wanders into a dark cavern where she encounters the family's personal god, an entity known as the Ghostdaddy. Years later, after a tragic incident that caused her to flee, Stella—now a professional bootlegger—returns for Motty's funeral, and to check on the mysterious ten-year-old girl named Sunny that Motty adopted. Sunny appears innocent enough, but she is more powerful than Stella could imagine—and she’s a direct link to Stella's buried past and her family's destructive faith. Haunting and wholly engrossing, summoning mesmerizing voices and giving shape to the dark, Revelator is a southern gothic tale for the ages.
Horror
AD
More Details:
Author
Daryl Gregory
Pages
352
Publisher
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published Date
2021-08-31
ISBN
052565738X 9780525657385
Community ReviewsSee all
"The first half of the book was a bit slow and took a while to get through. Towards the end it really picks up but I was not a huge fan of the last few chapters or the cliffhanger ending. Really cool ideas throughout "
L
Lillian
"I was so into this book for like three quarters of the way and then I feel like it ran itself into the ground at the end. Almost redeemed itself at one point and then ruined almost any love I had for it in the last paragraph. It's a huge shame because this book has so many good ideas, and a lot of themes I really love. But as much as I loved the folk horror and cult deconstructing it really just keeled over right at the end. Incredibly disappointed, especially since I was so excited for it."
S
Snail
"Gives a southern gothic feel, and old gods. Strong woman characters"
R H
Rose Hunter
"Southern Gothic is a genre I love so much, this really hit the spot!"
H J
Hanalei Jonse
"This was the first book in a while I had trouble putting down. The beginning and the middle are a bit slow, but the second half is super suspenseful and revealing. Super recommend "
M K
Madison Kosater
"So, this book is probably in my top 5 books I've ever read. Everything about it seemed tailor made to my literary interests(religion, regional gothic, moonshine). Bias aside, the story is strong albeit a bit slow moving and opaque in the beginning— the payoff in the last quarter of the book is worth it 100%. My only complaint is it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so if you're looking for closure in all aspects, you might not find it here. But imo that doesn't take away from the experience. "
K M
Kendra Ann Marie
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