Sundial by Catriona Ward - Book Review

Sundial by Catriona Ward

Publication Date: 4th March 2022
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Social Drama 

4 Stars 

One-Liner: Twisted and triggering 

Rob only wished to lead a normal life with a normal family. She gets it somehow, though the normality is nothing more than an illusion. Life with a narcissistic husband is never easy. But things could’ve been better if Callie, the elder daughter, didn’t start talking to imaginary friends and collecting tiny bones. 

Fear pushes Rob back to Sundial, her childhood home in the Mojave Desert. She wants Callie to know who she actually is and why it is important for them to become normal. However, Rob discovers new secrets in Sundial and is torn between having to choose between her two daughters. 

Callie is worried about her mother’s instability and her father’s ‘bad-monkeying’ ways. She doesn’t know what to say or do as Rob talks about the past. She is equally worried about her little sister, Annie. 

Irving, Rob’s husband, is getting restless. He has a powerful hold on Rob. But what if she breaks through? 

Can Rob and Callie’s stay at Sundial be a chance to close the door to the past and move on to a better future? Can broken people still have a normal life? 

My Observations: 

• The blurb calls the story wild, twisted, and dark. I agree with it. I kept wondering if there was even a single ‘normal’ character in the book. 

• This quote sums up the book in many ways.

“Kids are mirrors, reflecting back everything that happens to them. You’ve got to make sure they’re surrounded by good things.” 

• This is my first read by the author, and I admit I’m intrigued by the characters she creates. It’s so hard to like them, but I wanted to know what happened. 

• The book has a lot of triggers, so proceed with caution. From animals to humans, bad things happen way too causally in the story. I can see why it’s classified as horror. The actions are no doubt horrifying. 

• The beginning is slow but starts with a bang. We are pulled into the web of secrets, cruelty, and hatred from the first page. The slow pace makes the dark stuff even worse. Luckily, it picks up pace after 50%, or I maybe got used to the writing and could read faster. 

• There’s a story within the story in the book, which TBH didn’t keep me interested. I read the first two bits with curiosity but started to skim through these bits afterward. I can kind of understand why these chapters were included. But take them out, and the book will still be the same. 

• The climax was my favorite. I was waiting for it to happen. The ending left me in two minds. It’s perfect for the story (which is more important). You can’t, after all, neatly tie up everything and a cute little bow. However, the HEA fan in me wanted something more hopeful. Oh, well! 

• There are a couple of subtle hints to guess the twists, making them more believable. I prefer such twists rather than the ones that come out of nowhere and nullify whatever happened until that point. 

To sum up, Sundial is a dark tale of twisted minds where evil is a natural part of almost everyone’s lives. Oh, I enjoyed Callie’s POV more than Rob’s. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Nightfire, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

#NetGalley #Sundial 

*****

P.S: Read this book only when you’re in the right frame of mind. It’s not mind-blowing or terrifying but can push things over the edge if you are not prepared for the triggers.