Belladonna

By Adalyn Grace (2022)

“Do not change the parts of yourself that you like to make others comfortable. Do not try to mold yourself to fit the standards someone else has set for us.”

My expectations for this book were incredibly high, I’m not sure why, perhaps because the premise peaked my interest to such a level. Well, Belladonna delivered.

Nineteen-year-old Signs Farrow is an orphan whose guardians mysteriously die, one by one, leaving her no choice but to move in with her only remaining relatives: the elusive Hawthornes, in their gothic mansion Thorn Grove. The Hawthornes are in mourning when Signs arrives. Her uncle throws extravagant parties to cope with the loss of his wife, Lilian; her cousin tries to salvage the family’s faltering reputation, and her other cousin, Blyth, is suffering from a mysterious illness. When Lillian’s spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa is plunged into a spiralling manhunt for the killer,  before they can harm anyone else. 

Signs soon realises that partnering with Death may be her only chance of catching the killer before it’s too late. She finds herself drawn to the dangerous shadow, proving that their connection may be deeper - and more irresistible - than she originally thought.

I’m not one to judge a book by the cover (more by the premise, generally), but this one, being so deliciously gorgeous, implied a gothic atmosphere. If there is one thing this book has convinced me of, it’s that Grace is exceptional at creating atmosphere. Belladonna’s prologue is the perfect example of this - it had me absolutely hooked. The vivid imagery of a decadent ball, the berry hued colour palette Grace creates, and the gothic atmosphere set up this story beautifully. 

With a plot that spurs itself forward, hurtling towards a twist at the finale, this book is hard to put down, and I highly recommend it if you are a fan of gothic books with a magical and ghostly element.