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This is a cunning romance wrapped in a folk horror story, with a bit of splatter punk and cosmic horror thrown in for spice. The setting and atmosphere were great, you could feel the grit of the sand, smell the salt in the breeze, and hear the sputtering cacophony of heartless greed. The main character feels wonderfully realized and complete, genuine and complicated. The ancillary characters have less depth, but they also fit into the story well. The other villagers, and the brief visit with family, make this story feel cozy and comfortable, none of them being extraordinarily complicated but all of them fitting into just the right grooves for the story to move ahead. The antagonists are a little heavy-handed and cartoonish, but, given the world we live in, they don’t actually feel fake or unbelievable. We don’t get to spend enough time with them to really get to their depths, but maybe there isn’t a whole lot deeper than greed and avarice, and again that worked for me. The writing worked with the setting to really give the folk horror vibes, and it was really effective. Descriptive and fast-moving, with just enough of the saccharine poetry of an ol� timer reflecting on her life to make everything feel of a piece. The pacing was efficient, combining a legitimate sense of peril with moments of unexpected joy and then visceral retribution�. Because, yeah, there are a few outbursts of incredibly graphic violence� But those too, while over the top and happily lurid, felt balanced and had just enough viscera and chunky fluids to keep you grinning, punctuating the actual heartfelt lifelong romance that is the beating heart of the story. If you are sensitive to a touch of gore then there might be a few scenes that test your limits, I will grant that. However, underneath the splatter is a really simple but wonderful story, that actually packs an emotional punch. More importantly, it is quick, to the point, and fun. Great atmosphere, a main character you want to spend more time, tight writing and plotting, as well as heart and bodily fluids in roughly equal measure.

(Rounded up from 4.5)