Baba 's Reviews > In Dark Woods

4.5 stars. Review posted April 13, 2014





It was intense and almost unbearably emotional occasionally. It fucking hurt. Keep a stack of tissues at the ready. Let me handle my review the same way we rip off a band-aid: quick. Fact is, I don't see any purpose in digging around the painful and fierce turmoil which had been provided by In Dark Woods. A riveting and well-written turmoil, that is.



I'm neither a writer nor a poet. I am a simple reviewer. Yet I wanted to convey my feelings in a special way. It's not a poem, it's a listing of thoughts and I'd like to dedicate it to Isaac and Lilli. Since I didn't want to feel stupid over doing something a bit unconventional for once, I sent it to a dear friend of mine to get her…um…approval. She told me it made her cry. Well, and her response made me teary-eyed.


When tragedy strikes, time stands still
All the wait saturated with angst, despair and hope

Drowning in pain and misery
Fighting back, coping with depression, inadequacies
A savage fear rears its ugly head

Hope blooms

Wiped out by setbacks and everyday worries
Crying jags, exhaustion obliterated by strength and a battling disposition

Marked by milestones
Suppressed desires
Touching, caressing, feeling, skin on skin

Just hold me
Fucking hold me together

A climax

Incentive to keep going
Dealing with quarrels, divergences

To wing hope
(view spoiler)[A tender surprise (hide spoiler)]
Love weathers any storm

And underneath it all a human being
No surrender, unconditional devotion

Don't take anything for granted
Gratitude, bliss

At last

Escaping the dark woods
Back on the right road

(view spoiler)[Riding (hide spoiler)]

Again.


Maybe I should hand over a thankyou to the author because her words inspired mine.
In Dark Woods really touched me deeply. Even today I'm still thinking about this novella and I decided to upgrade my rating to 4.5 stars.

(view spoiler)[
"Don't go there. Stay with me. We'll get through this." He tried to pull away, but she held firm. "We will."
"I can't let you bind yourself to half a man. Less. Not a man at all."
"That is self-pitying bullshit, and arrogant to boot. You don't 'let' me do shit. Your body isn't what I love, Isaac. Your body isn't what makes you a man."
He smiled just the tiniest bit, a sad little turn at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah, it is. By definition."
She huffed. "Wrong, asshole. Your body makes you male. Your brain and your heart--big and strong as ever--they make you a man."

His body was important. But he himself was conveyed, not contained in it. He was so much more than the limits of his flesh. She wanted him to see that, too.

"When I couldn't get close, after what happened to me, do you remember what you said? You told me that it didn't matter if we ever had sex again. That all you needed was me and Gia, in your life. Were you telling me the truth?"
"Yes! God!"
"Then why do you think I need more? What I need of you I still have, love. As long as you're with me, I still have you. All I need."

"What are you doing out here, love?"
He turned his head and smiled at her. His smile was so much different now. Always a sadness at its corners. "Hey, Sport. I like it out here. I don't know why, but the cold makes me feel almost normal. Like when my face goes numb it doesn't feel like the other parts are wrong." (hide spoiler)]



Bottom line, In Dark Woods is a very intimate and profoundly moving portrayal of Isaac and Lilli and a must read for every fan of the Signal Bend series.

Recommended read.