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Muriel Margaret McAuley was eighty-four years old the first time she saw a man turned inside-out by a sea monster. You might think it would bother a woman of her age, but, as Muriel was fond of saying, she had seen a lot in her eighty-four short years.

I've had friends recommending David Sodergren's books to me for ages, and I've always been interested in them, but it was just one of those things that I never quite got around to until now. I'm so happy to have finally picked this book up, though, because Sodergren has a new fan in me and I can't wait to read everything he's written so far!

Muriel is such an incredible main character. I adore elderly women as main characters anyway, but I don't think I've ever seen one who was quite so incredible as a horror book's protagonist. She's such an easy character to empathize with and to root for, especially given how terrible the villains in her story are. I loved the story, the setting, and the strange, slimy Avalon so very much and I'm sad this book is over. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Muriel's character and I can easily see this as a book I would want to revisit in the future just to spend more time with her.

Buddy read with Malli! ÓË�

� Representation: gay side characters

� Content warnings for: (view spoiler)[violence, gore, murder, self-harm, blood, ageism, misogyny, ableism, threats of forced institutionalization, fire, coercion, grief, loss of loved ones (hide spoiler)]

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