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The Lonely
Easter Deetz struggles with The Lonely ―a debilitating condition that affects all the women in her family. The Lonely makes people sad and it makes them lie. One day, Easter's sister drops a boulder on her in The Woods. As she bleeds to death, she's forced to face those lies with a bunch of judgmental squirrels watching. Which sucks.
"Dark and daring, this memorable debut should appeal to teens with a black sense of humor."― BOOKLIST "Some teens will revel in this surreal world full of gruesome humor."― VOYA
"Dark and daring, this memorable debut should appeal to teens with a black sense of humor."― BOOKLIST "Some teens will revel in this surreal world full of gruesome humor."― VOYA
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2014
9 people are currently reading
712 people want to read
About the author
Ainslie Hogarth
8 books663 followersAinslie Hogarth is the author of four novels. You can find her short fiction in Hazlitt, Maisonneuve, Room Magazine, Black Static, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
November 12, 2016
This book was one huge mindfuck. And I loved it.
My review in one whole gif:
This book is truly unlike anything I have ever read before. THE MAIN CHARACTER IS BORED WHILE SHE IS SLOWLY FUCKING DYING. HOW IS THAT NOT WEIRDLY COOL.
In the beginning, I was like:
Then I was like:
Then I was like:
At the end I was like:
Okay now some actual words .-.
Obviously, this book is not for everyone. There is some really dark humor and morbid writing in this book (which I liked). The book starts off with Easter being crushed under a rock and slowly dying of blood loss. At first I was seriously repeating "what the actual fuck" over and over in my head, but as the story progressed, I actually found myself liking it. As Easter bleeds to death, she recalls memories of her family and life.
Easter was a very insane and not so normal character and she knew it. She didn't care that she was crazy, and I actually in a very morbid way liked her craziness. She didn't really develop throughout the story. She was the same ol' plain Easter with her crazy thoughts.
Overall, I found myself enjoying this, but would like a bit more explanation on Easter's condition and ending. A very original and unique book. I liked it :)
My review in one whole gif:
This book is truly unlike anything I have ever read before. THE MAIN CHARACTER IS BORED WHILE SHE IS SLOWLY FUCKING DYING. HOW IS THAT NOT WEIRDLY COOL.
In the beginning, I was like:
Then I was like:
Then I was like:
At the end I was like:
Okay now some actual words .-.
Obviously, this book is not for everyone. There is some really dark humor and morbid writing in this book (which I liked). The book starts off with Easter being crushed under a rock and slowly dying of blood loss. At first I was seriously repeating "what the actual fuck" over and over in my head, but as the story progressed, I actually found myself liking it. As Easter bleeds to death, she recalls memories of her family and life.
Easter was a very insane and not so normal character and she knew it. She didn't care that she was crazy, and I actually in a very morbid way liked her craziness. She didn't really develop throughout the story. She was the same ol' plain Easter with her crazy thoughts.
Overall, I found myself enjoying this, but would like a bit more explanation on Easter's condition and ending. A very original and unique book. I liked it :)
December 18, 2025
Imagine me saying "dick blood beard" five times fast because that's what this incredibly strange book does to you.
It took me a while to pinpoint the intended age group for The Lonely. Amazon has it listed as "Baby to 12". **dies of laughter** 🤣 Haha! NOPE!
It's dark. It's literary. There's that whole scene with the penis and the car and the wreck and the dick blood beard. It's was giving adult literature.
But then its protagonist is a teenager, a deeply troubled teenager who warns us on page one not to get too attached because she's going to die. A teenager who sees things and doesn't always tell the truth and who once saw a squirrel carry a whole hamburger through the woods. 🍔🐿️
But just because a protagonist is a teenager doesn't mean the book is teen lit, so I kept poking around the web and finally landed on an age rating of upper YA (age 14 - 19), and that sounds right.
The Lonely is the story of a troubled mind, a traumatized mind. It follows Easter, whose antics land her in a care house for struggling teens. One morning she sneaks away from the house, and on her way through the woods, a rock falls and pins her legs. As she lays dying, she recounts her life story, leading up to The Terrible Thing. 👀
I love a weird, dark book, and that's this book's vibe through and through. My only complaint is that it slowed a bit near the end, and it's packed with more similes than is necessary, some of which don't quite make sense. For example:
Nonetheless, I couldn't get enough of Easter's worldview, her strange relationships, her squirrel sightings, and her insect-fueled visions. 🪲🪲🪲
If you love a twisted narrator and tragic tales, this is the book for you.
It took me a while to pinpoint the intended age group for The Lonely. Amazon has it listed as "Baby to 12". **dies of laughter** 🤣 Haha! NOPE!
It's dark. It's literary. There's that whole scene with the penis and the car and the wreck and the dick blood beard. It's was giving adult literature.
But then its protagonist is a teenager, a deeply troubled teenager who warns us on page one not to get too attached because she's going to die. A teenager who sees things and doesn't always tell the truth and who once saw a squirrel carry a whole hamburger through the woods. 🍔🐿️
But just because a protagonist is a teenager doesn't mean the book is teen lit, so I kept poking around the web and finally landed on an age rating of upper YA (age 14 - 19), and that sounds right.
The Lonely is the story of a troubled mind, a traumatized mind. It follows Easter, whose antics land her in a care house for struggling teens. One morning she sneaks away from the house, and on her way through the woods, a rock falls and pins her legs. As she lays dying, she recounts her life story, leading up to The Terrible Thing. 👀
I love a weird, dark book, and that's this book's vibe through and through. My only complaint is that it slowed a bit near the end, and it's packed with more similes than is necessary, some of which don't quite make sense. For example:
But she could hear them, scuttling feet along her springtime paint, like tiny pebbles falling into a tin can from the puckered circle of a slowly opening hand.
Solid cylinders of writhing bugs scurrying from the arms and legs of his clothes like water from hoses.
...and The Mother cried and The Father barely moved, like callouses formed into the couch.
Nonetheless, I couldn't get enough of Easter's worldview, her strange relationships, her squirrel sightings, and her insect-fueled visions. 🪲🪲🪲
If you love a twisted narrator and tragic tales, this is the book for you.
November 16, 2015
Well, that was... hmm. WEIRD. In a good way. But also in a "damn it, stop being weird already!" way.
This had elements that I really loved, but overall I couldn't love the book. I like weird, but in a book like this, I need more glimpses of actual, non-weird reality.
Yes, this was weird. Non-stop, neverending weird. And bleak. And not even a little funny.
I'm not sure what happened at the end. Easter was definitely an unreliable narrator. But not in a fun way.
Sigh.
This had elements that I really loved, but overall I couldn't love the book. I like weird, but in a book like this, I need more glimpses of actual, non-weird reality.
Yes, this was weird. Non-stop, neverending weird. And bleak. And not even a little funny.
I'm not sure what happened at the end. Easter was definitely an unreliable narrator. But not in a fun way.
Sigh.
April 16, 2014
A thoroughly disturbing, delightfully amusing and morbidly entertaining book than grosses you out and makes you feel like a terrible person for laughing at very bad things. It's great, really. This entire book is surreal and very psychological. Easter is an unreliable narrator of the first order and she constantly makes you feel like you have no idea what's going on, which means she does a fantastic job at it. The book is fantastically written and has a wonderful dream-like quality to it that's impossible to shake off. Having said that, this book is definitely not for everybody. Quite frankly, I'm sure a lot of people will hate it. This book is a journey, a strange, unnerving, psychotic one that leaves you constantly asking "what the fuck?", but to me, it was absolutely enjoyable. Not a lot can be said about this book without spoiling it, so I'll leave it a that. If you like darkly humorous, dafuq-did-i-just-read books that test just how sick you are, then this is for you.
My dearest friend Tsunami describes it way better than me, so if you're interested, go check her review.
My dearest friend Tsunami describes it way better than me, so if you're interested, go check her review.
November 9, 2014
Bell, Book & Candle | The Lonely Review
Pardon my language, but this was a total mindf**k! I questioned my own sanity while reading- is she crazy or am I the crazy one? The world may never know! If ever there was a book that depicted mental illness in a fascinating way, it's this book. Honestly I wasn't expected that theme to show up in the story, I don't know what I was expecting for that matter, but it took me for a surprise that somewhat touched my heart and had me all choked up.
I applaud the author with the way she wrote Easter as a character. She really made you feel connected to Easter, no matter how crazy. I will say that Easter is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I thought she was some overly nice and meek girl, but in reality she's a psychopath. (See? Looks can be deceiving.) I was very perturbed by how dark her alter ego (or imaginary friend if that's what you want to call it) wanted to do some dastardly things: like killing and maiming. Easter has like a split personality with some schizophrenia thrown in the mix. I wish the family had made her get help before things became so bad. The whole Easter/ Julia dynamic reminded me of Fight Club (Julia = Tyler Durden, anyone?)
I balled like a baby when I found out what the "terrible thing" was. That whole family needs help- where are the orderlies when you need them? The entire story reinforced my belief that when you need "help", get it. Forget pretense or reputations, all that matters is a person being well. I wish The Parents realized this sooner so that the little monster they were raising sought help- Easter is like the next Ted Bundy.
For the longest time while I was reading, I was trying to figure out what "the lonely" was. Suffice it to say I finally figured it out, but I won't spoil it for all of you. All I'll say is...she's insane in the membrane! I loved the back and forth between past and present as it made it feel like the "final moments". All in All, great writing and a great story. It'll pull at the heart strings.
Pardon my language, but this was a total mindf**k! I questioned my own sanity while reading- is she crazy or am I the crazy one? The world may never know! If ever there was a book that depicted mental illness in a fascinating way, it's this book. Honestly I wasn't expected that theme to show up in the story, I don't know what I was expecting for that matter, but it took me for a surprise that somewhat touched my heart and had me all choked up.
I applaud the author with the way she wrote Easter as a character. She really made you feel connected to Easter, no matter how crazy. I will say that Easter is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I thought she was some overly nice and meek girl, but in reality she's a psychopath. (See? Looks can be deceiving.) I was very perturbed by how dark her alter ego (or imaginary friend if that's what you want to call it) wanted to do some dastardly things: like killing and maiming. Easter has like a split personality with some schizophrenia thrown in the mix. I wish the family had made her get help before things became so bad. The whole Easter/ Julia dynamic reminded me of Fight Club (Julia = Tyler Durden, anyone?)
I balled like a baby when I found out what the "terrible thing" was. That whole family needs help- where are the orderlies when you need them? The entire story reinforced my belief that when you need "help", get it. Forget pretense or reputations, all that matters is a person being well. I wish The Parents realized this sooner so that the little monster they were raising sought help- Easter is like the next Ted Bundy.
For the longest time while I was reading, I was trying to figure out what "the lonely" was. Suffice it to say I finally figured it out, but I won't spoil it for all of you. All I'll say is...she's insane in the membrane! I loved the back and forth between past and present as it made it feel like the "final moments". All in All, great writing and a great story. It'll pull at the heart strings.
September 30, 2014
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
Let me start out by saying The Lonely isn’t for everyone. Right from the start, it’s obvious some people will love it, and others will hate it. It’s either love or hate, and I’m definitely in the “love” category. Dark humor is the key element of this book. It is dark – I mean, it starts out with the main character Easter ending up pinned under a giant boulder with her legs crushed. She thinks she might die, but heck, bleeding to death is cool, in some way. Sh’s more bored than anything else. While she’s lying under the boulder, Easter starts reliving memories. They’re told like some kind of feverish dream or hallucination.
The truth is, even after reading the book, I’m not sure if I grasped all the pieces of this story. At its core, it’s a dark story – about a disturbed girl and her family. Her loving mother, who plays dead in the bathtub every Sunday night. Her Dad, who locks himself up in the basement. It’s impossible to figure out what is real and what isn’t. Main character Easter is the most unrelieable narrator I’ve ever come across – and I loved reading things from her POV.
The book is specked with dark humor, and sometimes I even laughed out loud, and felt ashamed right after, because I was laughing at the most terrible things.
The writing is superb. It has a dream-like quality, almost as if the writing itself is just another of Easter’s hallucinations.
If you want something different and aren’t afraid to read a book that will leave you wondering what the heck just happened, The Lonely is definitely for you. I loved it. It’s impossible to review it and tell you just how good it is without you checking it out for yourself, so I’ll just end by saying that when Ainslie Hogarth writes another novel, I’m buying it right away.
Let me start out by saying The Lonely isn’t for everyone. Right from the start, it’s obvious some people will love it, and others will hate it. It’s either love or hate, and I’m definitely in the “love” category. Dark humor is the key element of this book. It is dark – I mean, it starts out with the main character Easter ending up pinned under a giant boulder with her legs crushed. She thinks she might die, but heck, bleeding to death is cool, in some way. Sh’s more bored than anything else. While she’s lying under the boulder, Easter starts reliving memories. They’re told like some kind of feverish dream or hallucination.
The truth is, even after reading the book, I’m not sure if I grasped all the pieces of this story. At its core, it’s a dark story – about a disturbed girl and her family. Her loving mother, who plays dead in the bathtub every Sunday night. Her Dad, who locks himself up in the basement. It’s impossible to figure out what is real and what isn’t. Main character Easter is the most unrelieable narrator I’ve ever come across – and I loved reading things from her POV.
The book is specked with dark humor, and sometimes I even laughed out loud, and felt ashamed right after, because I was laughing at the most terrible things.
The writing is superb. It has a dream-like quality, almost as if the writing itself is just another of Easter’s hallucinations.
If you want something different and aren’t afraid to read a book that will leave you wondering what the heck just happened, The Lonely is definitely for you. I loved it. It’s impossible to review it and tell you just how good it is without you checking it out for yourself, so I’ll just end by saying that when Ainslie Hogarth writes another novel, I’m buying it right away.
August 10, 2015
This book was amazing. Holy crap. It had a perfect edge of insanity, whimsicalness, and humor that won me over with it's remarkably dark plot and narrative. Definitely one of my favorites. A quick read with a perplexing plotline and confusing characterization.
Now, it did have some issues (only a few!), and that had to do with the sometimes disgusting adjectives. Ainslie Hogarth's description varies from "holy shit this is so pretty!" to "what did I just read." There's a couple descriptions that were a little... gross. However, I'm my mind, it kinda added the perfect dark twist though I understand how some people may not like it as much as I.
I also thought that Easter was a very flat character. She didn't really develop during the story, the only thing that remotely changed her was The Terrible Thing revealed at the end (dudes, I'm not giving you spoilers yet). I felt like all she consisted of was her insanity. Although, looking at it in another light, it shows just how much Easter relied on her sister for her life, how much of her mind was composed of Julia and how she can never let that go.
Now, before I get to my thoughts and stuff, I just want to say that this particular book can actually get quite dark, and the morbid writing might not be for everyone. That being said, it is stunningly humorous and entertaining, and if you do not read this book I will weep for your loss.
Ahem.
So Ainslie Hogarth is very good at making you question your sanity. With Easter's unreliable narrative, the surprising change of events at the end (no spoilers!), and the jumbled confused mess of wonderful plot that is Easter's sister, The Lonely will have surprises around every corner.
So in the end, while you contemplate what the @#$% is wrong with Hogarth and what she was thinking when she wrote this book, you will be very surprised when (SPOILER AHEAD) you find out that Easter's sister isn't real, and Easter isn't in fact dying beneath a boulder with her legs crushed into tomato paste.
However, the last few pages when Easter tells about her sudden hallucinations and how she starts falling deeper and deeper into insanity, well, these pages were my favourite out of the entire book. The writing is so whimsical and dark and morbid and tells much more about Easter than we've ever gotten before. You feel like everything falling apart, and you feel immersed in the madness of it all.
All in all, six out of five stars. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys psychological books, any form of mystery, surrealism and weirdness that only comes with the best of books. You might leave with a sense of "wtf just happened," because as wonderful and genius as this book is, it leaves you to discover a lot of things for yourself, and will leave you feeling... strange.
Now, it did have some issues (only a few!), and that had to do with the sometimes disgusting adjectives. Ainslie Hogarth's description varies from "holy shit this is so pretty!" to "what did I just read." There's a couple descriptions that were a little... gross. However, I'm my mind, it kinda added the perfect dark twist though I understand how some people may not like it as much as I.
I also thought that Easter was a very flat character. She didn't really develop during the story, the only thing that remotely changed her was The Terrible Thing revealed at the end (dudes, I'm not giving you spoilers yet). I felt like all she consisted of was her insanity. Although, looking at it in another light, it shows just how much Easter relied on her sister for her life, how much of her mind was composed of Julia and how she can never let that go.
Now, before I get to my thoughts and stuff, I just want to say that this particular book can actually get quite dark, and the morbid writing might not be for everyone. That being said, it is stunningly humorous and entertaining, and if you do not read this book I will weep for your loss.
Ahem.
So Ainslie Hogarth is very good at making you question your sanity. With Easter's unreliable narrative, the surprising change of events at the end (no spoilers!), and the jumbled confused mess of wonderful plot that is Easter's sister, The Lonely will have surprises around every corner.
So in the end, while you contemplate what the @#$% is wrong with Hogarth and what she was thinking when she wrote this book, you will be very surprised when (SPOILER AHEAD) you find out that Easter's sister isn't real, and Easter isn't in fact dying beneath a boulder with her legs crushed into tomato paste.
However, the last few pages when Easter tells about her sudden hallucinations and how she starts falling deeper and deeper into insanity, well, these pages were my favourite out of the entire book. The writing is so whimsical and dark and morbid and tells much more about Easter than we've ever gotten before. You feel like everything falling apart, and you feel immersed in the madness of it all.
All in all, six out of five stars. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys psychological books, any form of mystery, surrealism and weirdness that only comes with the best of books. You might leave with a sense of "wtf just happened," because as wonderful and genius as this book is, it leaves you to discover a lot of things for yourself, and will leave you feeling... strange.
abandoned
September 6, 2014abandoned at 60%
Gah, people! I tried, I tried so fucking many times until I had to force myself to press the YES to the delete option on my Kindle.
The first problem with this book is that it's the same thing happening again and again and again, with little to no variations, until it all amalgamates into one meaty taffy that not only am I not interested in ingesting at all, but also makes me think that the story has not moved forward at all, at least where the reader is concerned.
The second problem with this book is that it's actually not that weird-it's one selling point; sure, there are a few crazy things and Easter, our narrator and delusional protagonist, talks in unusual terms and thinks in an unusual manner. She knows how fucked-up she is, she realizes she has to let go but she doesn't, can't, won't who fucking cares? Fact is, after you realize that she realizes this, her train of thoughts and consequent in/actions seem to take on a pattern that is predictable, and thusly, far less intriguing. And simple.
The third problem is that I expected too much, was promised too much and nothing fucking delivered.
There go the three stars and I am extremely pissed off.
The first argument in favor is that the beginning of the story was remarkable-darkly comic and subtly entrancing. The fact is, the book continues to drop in hints of aforementioned to keep you hanging and wanting, but never enough to have you-or at least, me-actually care. The writing was so simplistically engrossing, gentle, grating, easy to read with an aftertaste, like a goddamn spice cookie that I ate four of this afternoon. Don't worry-I have good metabolism. Or good enough.
The second argument in favor is that the characters were fascinating-all fucked up sans mentally draining drama. The Mother, The Father, Easter, Julia, The Evil Bitch(I think???) et cetra. Yet again, just barely-enough to leave me hopeful but recalcitrant.
So you see why I'm extremely pissed off?
Review copy provided by the publishers.
Gah, people! I tried, I tried so fucking many times until I had to force myself to press the YES to the delete option on my Kindle.
The first problem with this book is that it's the same thing happening again and again and again, with little to no variations, until it all amalgamates into one meaty taffy that not only am I not interested in ingesting at all, but also makes me think that the story has not moved forward at all, at least where the reader is concerned.
The second problem with this book is that it's actually not that weird-it's one selling point; sure, there are a few crazy things and Easter, our narrator and delusional protagonist, talks in unusual terms and thinks in an unusual manner. She knows how fucked-up she is, she realizes she has to let go but she doesn't, can't, won't who fucking cares? Fact is, after you realize that she realizes this, her train of thoughts and consequent in/actions seem to take on a pattern that is predictable, and thusly, far less intriguing. And simple.
The third problem is that I expected too much, was promised too much and nothing fucking delivered.
There go the three stars and I am extremely pissed off.
The first argument in favor is that the beginning of the story was remarkable-darkly comic and subtly entrancing. The fact is, the book continues to drop in hints of aforementioned to keep you hanging and wanting, but never enough to have you-or at least, me-actually care. The writing was so simplistically engrossing, gentle, grating, easy to read with an aftertaste, like a goddamn spice cookie that I ate four of this afternoon. Don't worry-I have good metabolism. Or good enough.
The second argument in favor is that the characters were fascinating-all fucked up sans mentally draining drama. The Mother, The Father, Easter, Julia, The Evil Bitch(I think???) et cetra. Yet again, just barely-enough to leave me hopeful but recalcitrant.
So you see why I'm extremely pissed off?
Review copy provided by the publishers.
April 16, 2014
This book is more than anything I could ever say about it. Go get it. Read it. Do it now.
November 4, 2014
Morbidly insane, and completely fantastic.
December 10, 2019
I loved how the book was its own and unique, I don't think I have read anything like it. When you start you'll ether know you like or not.
August 9, 2014
I would like to thank NetGalley & Flux for granting me a copy of this e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.
Goodreads Blurb:
This is certainly a very creative story, unfortunately it simply didn't work for me. The way Easter would capitalize the important figures and events in her life frustrated me more than it enchanted me. But I give the author props for taking the gamble and using such a device.
For me this read more like an early draft of a creative writing story assigned with very specific requirements to be included. Sadly they felt forced to me, which left me feeling totally detached from Easter and all the other characters. And without that connection to Easter there was nothing holding me to the book. In fact it took me three tries to complete this book, and almost the entire thing felt like an onerous chore.
I am glad I slogged my way through the entire book, as the final page or two, as a whole, made the most sense to me. Had the rest of the book been closer to that writing it might have been easier for me to read, although there were still some literary devices I'd have eliminated, even in those final pages.
However, based upon the skill of this author I believe that she has solid potential. For me she needs to let go of her literary devices and spend more time developing the characters, then placing them in the story. While I understand why the reveal came at the end if the book, it was, with one exception, so transparent that I feel the story would most definitely benefit from a much earlier reveal, allowing more time for character development. It isn't so much that the concept of the story is poor, but that the delivery felt constrained and stilted to me. But as I said earlier, I do feel that with time and more experience this author has potential to be much more powerful and appeal to the masses in a far stronger way. In my opinion this book is far too esoteric for main stream appeal, and shouldn't be marketed as an imaginative novel that's targeting a broad audience. I feel that this book will be popular with a narrow audience, of which I am sadly not a member.
Goodreads Blurb:
A darkly humorous and imaginative story
After she discovers The Terrible Thing, Easter Deetz goes looking for her sister, Julia, but ends up pinned under a giant boulder with her legs crushed into tomato paste. Bored, disappointed, and thoroughly dismembered, Easter slowly bleeds to death in The Woods with only sinister squirrels to keep her company. As The Something Coming draws closer, memories of Easter's family surface like hallucinations: a mumbling father who lives alone in the basement; a terrifying grandmother who sits in her enclosed porch all day; an overly loving mother who plays dead in the bathtub on Sunday nights.
As the story of her life unspools, Easter realizes she's being stalked, making it very difficult for her to bleed to death in peace. Will The Something Coming save her? Or will it do her in entirely?
This is certainly a very creative story, unfortunately it simply didn't work for me. The way Easter would capitalize the important figures and events in her life frustrated me more than it enchanted me. But I give the author props for taking the gamble and using such a device.
For me this read more like an early draft of a creative writing story assigned with very specific requirements to be included. Sadly they felt forced to me, which left me feeling totally detached from Easter and all the other characters. And without that connection to Easter there was nothing holding me to the book. In fact it took me three tries to complete this book, and almost the entire thing felt like an onerous chore.
I am glad I slogged my way through the entire book, as the final page or two, as a whole, made the most sense to me. Had the rest of the book been closer to that writing it might have been easier for me to read, although there were still some literary devices I'd have eliminated, even in those final pages.
However, based upon the skill of this author I believe that she has solid potential. For me she needs to let go of her literary devices and spend more time developing the characters, then placing them in the story. While I understand why the reveal came at the end if the book, it was, with one exception, so transparent that I feel the story would most definitely benefit from a much earlier reveal, allowing more time for character development. It isn't so much that the concept of the story is poor, but that the delivery felt constrained and stilted to me. But as I said earlier, I do feel that with time and more experience this author has potential to be much more powerful and appeal to the masses in a far stronger way. In my opinion this book is far too esoteric for main stream appeal, and shouldn't be marketed as an imaginative novel that's targeting a broad audience. I feel that this book will be popular with a narrow audience, of which I am sadly not a member.
Read
June 1, 2015One day, after finding "The Terrible Thing," Easter Deetz went for a walk in the woods. She walked in the woods a lot, but this time was different. This time she finds her elder sister, Julia, in the woods. And this time, Julia pushes a boulder on top of Easter, pinning her to the forest floor. As Easter lays, bleeding to death, she must confront the truth about the horrible affliction passed down through the women in her family she calls "The Lonely," and come to terms with "The Terrible Thing." With only squirrels to keep her company, Easter is left bored and dying, wondering whether the "Something Coming" will save her.
~~~~~~~~
I did not rate this book, nor do I plan to rate it any time soon.
I'm not sure if this book is the masterpiece of a genius, or the ramblings of a crazy person (maybe both?). I can't say I enjoyed reading it, but I can't help but appreciate it, almost in the way you might appreciate Hannibal Lector for his brilliant and disturbing ways (but you certainly wouldn't want to be his friend).
First of all, on a positive note, Hogarth writes in beautifully descriptive language. Everything, and I mean everything, leaped from the page and seemed to become living, breathing things. It was interesting, and created a new and strangely beautiful (and disturbing) perspective of the world. But, although this may seem like a good thing, it was painfully overwhelming.
Most of the book was filled with this descriptive language. The plot, while there, was thin and fairly hard to focus on behind all of the pretty language and disturbing images. I was extremely confused and frustrated through much of the book. I'm still not sure if this confusion was purposeful or not. Either way, it wasn't a good experience.
The book didn't make a lot of sense. It was more a collection of disconnected memories and half constructed thoughts woven together in a poetic and confusing mess, trying to tell the life of a depressed and possibly dying girl, and making half of an attempt at drawing some sort of life lesson or conclusion from these things. But the reader is left to wonder where we expect to be told what to think. Whether or not there was a point I missed in the conclusion, we were supposed to draw our own conclusions, or the almost non-existent conclusion was just supposed to point to the pointlessness of it all, I'm not sure.
I wouldn't ever recommend the book. It was too disturbing, too confusing, too pointless (not to mention the moments of inappropriate language/scenes that, while important in creating the disturbing imagery, was, well... disturbing).
Nevertheless, I can't say it was a terrible book. Because I think that the author created exactly what she was aiming to create - and I think she executed it perfectly. It just wasn't the kind of thing you expect to find in the young adult section of the library, and it certainly isn't the kind of book you enjoy consuming.
~~~~~~~~
I did not rate this book, nor do I plan to rate it any time soon.
I'm not sure if this book is the masterpiece of a genius, or the ramblings of a crazy person (maybe both?). I can't say I enjoyed reading it, but I can't help but appreciate it, almost in the way you might appreciate Hannibal Lector for his brilliant and disturbing ways (but you certainly wouldn't want to be his friend).
First of all, on a positive note, Hogarth writes in beautifully descriptive language. Everything, and I mean everything, leaped from the page and seemed to become living, breathing things. It was interesting, and created a new and strangely beautiful (and disturbing) perspective of the world. But, although this may seem like a good thing, it was painfully overwhelming.
Most of the book was filled with this descriptive language. The plot, while there, was thin and fairly hard to focus on behind all of the pretty language and disturbing images. I was extremely confused and frustrated through much of the book. I'm still not sure if this confusion was purposeful or not. Either way, it wasn't a good experience.
The book didn't make a lot of sense. It was more a collection of disconnected memories and half constructed thoughts woven together in a poetic and confusing mess, trying to tell the life of a depressed and possibly dying girl, and making half of an attempt at drawing some sort of life lesson or conclusion from these things. But the reader is left to wonder where we expect to be told what to think. Whether or not there was a point I missed in the conclusion, we were supposed to draw our own conclusions, or the almost non-existent conclusion was just supposed to point to the pointlessness of it all, I'm not sure.
I wouldn't ever recommend the book. It was too disturbing, too confusing, too pointless (not to mention the moments of inappropriate language/scenes that, while important in creating the disturbing imagery, was, well... disturbing).
Nevertheless, I can't say it was a terrible book. Because I think that the author created exactly what she was aiming to create - and I think she executed it perfectly. It just wasn't the kind of thing you expect to find in the young adult section of the library, and it certainly isn't the kind of book you enjoy consuming.
September 26, 2014
Wow! And I mean, WOW!
Easter Deetz is dying, but she's not wasting away from cancer or any other tragic condition popular teen literature has romanticized as of late. No, Easter's demise is coming about from something much more gruesome: She's slowly bleeding to death, alone in the woods, after a boulder has fallen on top of her, crushing her legs.
Or is she?
Maybe, maybe not.
Easter is a chronic liar. She admits as much early on in Ainslie Hogarth's debut novel, The Lonely. Of course, this confession could also be a lie, leaving readers locked in the age-old paradox of whether you can trust her or not... But for the sake of argument, let's say she's dying under a rock, legs crushed and blood and guts soaking into the forest floor for insects and worms and other things to feast upon (Easter is very graphic). For this horrible, bloody death, Easter blames her sister, Julia, who apparently dropped the boulder on her.
Julia is the only thing that stands between Easter and what she calls The Lonely, a debilitating mental condition that cripples all the women in her family (her mother, her witch of a grandmother). Julia also makes Easter do horrible things like shut the neighbor's cat in a garbage can to die in the summer heat...like vandalize her grandmother's neighbors' lawns with obscenities...like set fire to the cabin her parents are renting one summer.
Another important thing about Julia: She only exists in Easter's imagination.
And what an imagination! Stephen King would sell his soul (maybe?) for the sort of horrid and lurid thoughts and images that regularly pop into Easter's head.
But then one day Easter walks into the upstairs bathroom and sees Something Terrible. Something even more Terrible than she could ever dream up. Of course she's wished for it more than a few times, but to see it in cold, hard reality... It's too much.
This is what sends Easter fleeing into The Woods where she encounters Julia and the fateful boulder.
As Easter lies under that boulder, watching her body slowly bleed out and decay, she reviews her life with hamburger-eating, cigarette-smoking squirrels to bear witness. And when the sun finally sets and darkness takes over the woods, she must finally face the Something she knows has been coming for her all day.
The Lonely is a very different sort of story. Easter is the ultimate unreliable narrator, and she will keep you guessing until the very end. And even after you've finished the book and set it aside, you'll still be wondering what exactly happened. A great choice for those who like a little horror and mystery and confusion (in a good way) mixed with their weird and bizarre reading choices. Awesome!
Easter Deetz is dying, but she's not wasting away from cancer or any other tragic condition popular teen literature has romanticized as of late. No, Easter's demise is coming about from something much more gruesome: She's slowly bleeding to death, alone in the woods, after a boulder has fallen on top of her, crushing her legs.
Or is she?
Maybe, maybe not.
Easter is a chronic liar. She admits as much early on in Ainslie Hogarth's debut novel, The Lonely. Of course, this confession could also be a lie, leaving readers locked in the age-old paradox of whether you can trust her or not... But for the sake of argument, let's say she's dying under a rock, legs crushed and blood and guts soaking into the forest floor for insects and worms and other things to feast upon (Easter is very graphic). For this horrible, bloody death, Easter blames her sister, Julia, who apparently dropped the boulder on her.
Julia is the only thing that stands between Easter and what she calls The Lonely, a debilitating mental condition that cripples all the women in her family (her mother, her witch of a grandmother). Julia also makes Easter do horrible things like shut the neighbor's cat in a garbage can to die in the summer heat...like vandalize her grandmother's neighbors' lawns with obscenities...like set fire to the cabin her parents are renting one summer.
Another important thing about Julia: She only exists in Easter's imagination.
And what an imagination! Stephen King would sell his soul (maybe?) for the sort of horrid and lurid thoughts and images that regularly pop into Easter's head.
But then one day Easter walks into the upstairs bathroom and sees Something Terrible. Something even more Terrible than she could ever dream up. Of course she's wished for it more than a few times, but to see it in cold, hard reality... It's too much.
This is what sends Easter fleeing into The Woods where she encounters Julia and the fateful boulder.
As Easter lies under that boulder, watching her body slowly bleed out and decay, she reviews her life with hamburger-eating, cigarette-smoking squirrels to bear witness. And when the sun finally sets and darkness takes over the woods, she must finally face the Something she knows has been coming for her all day.
The Lonely is a very different sort of story. Easter is the ultimate unreliable narrator, and she will keep you guessing until the very end. And even after you've finished the book and set it aside, you'll still be wondering what exactly happened. A great choice for those who like a little horror and mystery and confusion (in a good way) mixed with their weird and bizarre reading choices. Awesome!
August 1, 2014
Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?
"A darkly humorous and imaginative story" are probably the best words to describe this story, as it was just that. Story at first seems childish with the names like "The Terrible Thing" and "The Something Coming" but in reality this story deals with really tough and dark life story.
At the start we meet Easter, our main character of this story. While running away from The Terrible Thing she finds herself in The Woods, looking for her sister Julia. Only suddenly something terrible happens and her legs get crushed. She knows she has a little time left but still she is not alone. While unwrapping her memories and remembering all terrible things that happened to her she knows that she is being stalked. She is not sure if it's a friend or enemy. Is this her end or just beginning.
This book is a really tough one to review. It is a sad and really dark story. But it is also a story that deals with tough issues and the one that will try to tell a really shocking story in a different way. I liked to put pieces together here and even now after reading this book I'm not sure I've got all of them. Somehow it is hard to wrap your mind around this story, but it stays with you for quite some time after your finish it.
Now I have to pull that old trick from the hat and say that the reason I didn't enjoy this story as much is actually me, not the book. This book, for sure, will find its readers and people who will love and praise it. I'm happy for it and this book deserve it. But I won't be one of them. Many things about this book were hard for me to comprehend and therefore to enjoy this story, even though this story might not be written to be enjoyed. It was confusing and at moments I felt uncomfortable with it.
Simply, there was too much darkness for me to embrace. But this book was unique, that for sure.
"A darkly humorous and imaginative story" are probably the best words to describe this story, as it was just that. Story at first seems childish with the names like "The Terrible Thing" and "The Something Coming" but in reality this story deals with really tough and dark life story.
At the start we meet Easter, our main character of this story. While running away from The Terrible Thing she finds herself in The Woods, looking for her sister Julia. Only suddenly something terrible happens and her legs get crushed. She knows she has a little time left but still she is not alone. While unwrapping her memories and remembering all terrible things that happened to her she knows that she is being stalked. She is not sure if it's a friend or enemy. Is this her end or just beginning.
This book is a really tough one to review. It is a sad and really dark story. But it is also a story that deals with tough issues and the one that will try to tell a really shocking story in a different way. I liked to put pieces together here and even now after reading this book I'm not sure I've got all of them. Somehow it is hard to wrap your mind around this story, but it stays with you for quite some time after your finish it.
Now I have to pull that old trick from the hat and say that the reason I didn't enjoy this story as much is actually me, not the book. This book, for sure, will find its readers and people who will love and praise it. I'm happy for it and this book deserve it. But I won't be one of them. Many things about this book were hard for me to comprehend and therefore to enjoy this story, even though this story might not be written to be enjoyed. It was confusing and at moments I felt uncomfortable with it.
Simply, there was too much darkness for me to embrace. But this book was unique, that for sure.
October 11, 2014
This book is like a dark, dark dream you fall into, so deep you cant get out. It is creepy and weird and funny and everything I wanted it to be.
When I first saw this on goodreads about 6 month ago I wanted it in my hands, I needed this book. But I had to wait, and wait ... and wait so when it finally arrived I was worried I had such high expectations for this book it was unfair. Thank God Ainslie Hogarth is as odd as I am because this was F-ing weird!
So we follow the brilliant and confused Easter who is really not having a great day as she has just had her legs crushed into a bloody pulp by a bolder. But this gives her time to think, think about her life and her family. The stories of each family member and event remembered are strange and twisted, also completely fascinating. I was so interesting how Easter looked at each of her family members because I felt differently to her for each one. The grandmother that she hates with a passion, whilst stern seemed kind of OK. The father that seemed to be a wasted of space she totally idolised. As for the Mother, the poor Mother gosh I felt bad for that messed up woman but Easter resents her in the worst possible way!
I really feel I should say this book is most defiantly NOT for everyone. But the people that love it are going to be fiercely in love with it. I will re read this book again and again and I know it wont lose a bit of it's charm.
This book is very strange and confusing at times. It's dark, so dark in fact it gave me bad dreams one night. It's also funny, laugh out loud funny but you don't want to tell anyone what you're laughing at because you know that it is sick but also really funny.
If you like to read any of the above just buy it now, you wont find another book like it. And now I just have to wait for Hogarth to write her next book. But I am really going to miss Easter, she's become a friend.
When I first saw this on goodreads about 6 month ago I wanted it in my hands, I needed this book. But I had to wait, and wait ... and wait so when it finally arrived I was worried I had such high expectations for this book it was unfair. Thank God Ainslie Hogarth is as odd as I am because this was F-ing weird!
So we follow the brilliant and confused Easter who is really not having a great day as she has just had her legs crushed into a bloody pulp by a bolder. But this gives her time to think, think about her life and her family. The stories of each family member and event remembered are strange and twisted, also completely fascinating. I was so interesting how Easter looked at each of her family members because I felt differently to her for each one. The grandmother that she hates with a passion, whilst stern seemed kind of OK. The father that seemed to be a wasted of space she totally idolised. As for the Mother, the poor Mother gosh I felt bad for that messed up woman but Easter resents her in the worst possible way!
I really feel I should say this book is most defiantly NOT for everyone. But the people that love it are going to be fiercely in love with it. I will re read this book again and again and I know it wont lose a bit of it's charm.
This book is very strange and confusing at times. It's dark, so dark in fact it gave me bad dreams one night. It's also funny, laugh out loud funny but you don't want to tell anyone what you're laughing at because you know that it is sick but also really funny.
If you like to read any of the above just buy it now, you wont find another book like it. And now I just have to wait for Hogarth to write her next book. But I am really going to miss Easter, she's become a friend.
February 12, 2015
This was seriously so good in a dark and twisted way. I wanted to figure things out and usually I can tell where things are going but for a while this one left me confused. While I didn't like a lot of what the main character thought it didn't stop me from wanting what was best for her anyway. I can't tell much in this review without ruining it. But it's interesting and worth a read if you can stomach it.
December 31, 2014
Dafuq did I just read?
April 7, 2025
This book is so strange, but a masterpiece nonetheless. I wasn’t sure what the book was about until 1/3 of it, but was so enticed by the way Ester’s mind work that I couldn’t stop reading. A very interesting (and non-obvious) way to tackle mental illnesses, if I got it correctly 😅
Read
June 10, 2018interesting beginning but got super slow half way through. this book should that's been over 100 pages :/
September 12, 2014
Publicado originalmente: El Extraño Gato del Cuento
Este libro solo confirmo algo que ya sabía: Estoy bastante mal. The Lonely es raro, rarísimo, muy retorcido algunas veces y soy culpable de haberme reído, de haber disfrutado de todo lo oscuro y a veces cruel que se cuenta en él.
¿Con esa extraña sinopsis nos les llama la atención? ¿No quieren descubrir quién no deja morir en paz a Easter? ¿O qué cosa es La Cosa Terrible? Debo admitir que mientras leía hubo momentos que me sentí mal, porque muchas de las cosas que Easter piensa o siente, incluso las más crueles, las he pensado o las sentido también yo. Si los libros nos enseña algo, éste en particular me enseñó que debería retomar, muy urgentemente, mis sesiones con el psiquiatra. The Lonely a pesar de tener esa narración rara y puedas reírte (o no, depende que tan loco estés xD), tiene un matiz triste, el querer tanto a alguien que puedes llegar a ser muy cruel con esa persona.
Con un final que me temía y no por eso deja de ser menos chocante, The Lonely es uno de los libros más originales y raros que he leído, por lo que será difícil recomendárselo a alguien o compararlo con cualquier otro libro, sin duda entre mis favoritos.
Debes tener cierto nivel (bastante alto) de psicopatía para poder disfrutar y divertirte con el libro, el cual yo tengo. :D
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Antes de leer:
Hay unaconejo ardilla en la portada, eso es todo. Quiero
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Este libro solo confirmo algo que ya sabía: Estoy bastante mal. The Lonely es raro, rarísimo, muy retorcido algunas veces y soy culpable de haberme reído, de haber disfrutado de todo lo oscuro y a veces cruel que se cuenta en él.
¿Con esa extraña sinopsis nos les llama la atención? ¿No quieren descubrir quién no deja morir en paz a Easter? ¿O qué cosa es La Cosa Terrible? Debo admitir que mientras leía hubo momentos que me sentí mal, porque muchas de las cosas que Easter piensa o siente, incluso las más crueles, las he pensado o las sentido también yo. Si los libros nos enseña algo, éste en particular me enseñó que debería retomar, muy urgentemente, mis sesiones con el psiquiatra. The Lonely a pesar de tener esa narración rara y puedas reírte (o no, depende que tan loco estés xD), tiene un matiz triste, el querer tanto a alguien que puedes llegar a ser muy cruel con esa persona.
Con un final que me temía y no por eso deja de ser menos chocante, The Lonely es uno de los libros más originales y raros que he leído, por lo que será difícil recomendárselo a alguien o compararlo con cualquier otro libro, sin duda entre mis favoritos.
Debes tener cierto nivel (bastante alto) de psicopatía para poder disfrutar y divertirte con el libro, el cual yo tengo. :D
----
Antes de leer:
Hay una
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October 31, 2015
This book was more a 2.5! Wish Goodreads would implement half stars, I feel so harsh giving two stars.
I'm not going to write a full review as to be quite honest I skimmed through the last quarter and didn't really digest a lot of it, the writing style (however unique) just wasn't for me, I got confused multiple times, at first I thought this was due to me reading at work so I gave it a go when back at home and just never really felt I was getting it. The characters however quirky they were I just didn't feel any sympathy or connection and when the entire book is based around a girl dying under a rock, if you can't feel sympathy it's not exactly a good sign.
There were multiple flashbacks and sometimes it wasn't clear and no clear timeline, I don't mind flashbacks in fact they can be vital and really help put meat on the bones of the characters and while it did try because of the confusing style of writing I didn't really pull anything from them.
I applaud Hogarth for conjuring up something new and unique the storyline was most certainly intriguing and the book cover was really cool and weird! But aside from that it just didn't quite hit the mark for me!
I'm not going to write a full review as to be quite honest I skimmed through the last quarter and didn't really digest a lot of it, the writing style (however unique) just wasn't for me, I got confused multiple times, at first I thought this was due to me reading at work so I gave it a go when back at home and just never really felt I was getting it. The characters however quirky they were I just didn't feel any sympathy or connection and when the entire book is based around a girl dying under a rock, if you can't feel sympathy it's not exactly a good sign.
There were multiple flashbacks and sometimes it wasn't clear and no clear timeline, I don't mind flashbacks in fact they can be vital and really help put meat on the bones of the characters and while it did try because of the confusing style of writing I didn't really pull anything from them.
I applaud Hogarth for conjuring up something new and unique the storyline was most certainly intriguing and the book cover was really cool and weird! But aside from that it just didn't quite hit the mark for me!
August 9, 2014
I really have no idea what happened in this book. Normally I'm all about the mindfuckery and unreliable narrators, but this did not translate at all.
Easter is an odd MC. She admittedly lies, so I was left wondering what was truth and what wasn't. Every time I got a little bit of fact, I was constantly double guessing what we were being told.
Even with the few Big Reveals, I wasn't really entertained. I continued to read because I was hoping to get some sort of clarity. Alas, I feel let down. But I really love that cover.
**Huge thanks to Flux Books and NetGalley providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
Easter is an odd MC. She admittedly lies, so I was left wondering what was truth and what wasn't. Every time I got a little bit of fact, I was constantly double guessing what we were being told.
Even with the few Big Reveals, I wasn't really entertained. I continued to read because I was hoping to get some sort of clarity. Alas, I feel let down. But I really love that cover.
**Huge thanks to Flux Books and NetGalley providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
June 5, 2015
If you're looking for a quirky little book with a humorous narrator as the back cover suggests, this is not it. It is so much better. I'm all about ambiguity, but the overwhelmingly unreliable narrator is the only thing that kept me from giving this book five stars. I recommend this book to all who are brave of heart and strong of stomach, because the language and concepts are positively beautiful, particularly when juxtaposed with the grotesque.
Want to read
April 3, 2014This sounds weird...but maybe its the good kind of weird?
Read
August 13, 2014Shit.
Because my e-galley expired (curses!), I am temporarily unable to finish it.
The writing was simplistically pretty, and the beginning was one I've certainly never read before!
Because my e-galley expired (curses!), I am temporarily unable to finish it.
The writing was simplistically pretty, and the beginning was one I've certainly never read before!
Read
December 17, 2014Wtf did I just read? I mean the writing was great, the characters were great, but wtf? Lol
March 8, 2015
Either brilliant or darn right alarming, not sure which one??? The cover got me, the description intrigued me, the story disturbed me.
September 16, 2015
What the f*** did I just read? ...seriously. No idea. I liked it, and it was well done, but...what in the world?
December 31, 2015
I admit that I was confused by this book.
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