The Seawomen by Chloe Timms

I was drawn to read this book by the amazing cover. Isn't it beautiful? They say never judge a book by its cover but I totally do and in this case, I was right to do so.

I love books that relate to the sea or coast and I'm also somewhat fascinated by cults so this book was a perfect match for me. It's beautifully written and I was immediately hooked by Esta's story and background. There's something in her past that sets her apart from the other women on the island. We get to find this out early in the book but it's not until the end that everything is revealed and also when I don't mind admitting to shedding a few tears.

At times it's an unsettling read and a portrayal of what can happen when prejudice and a lack of acceptance and understanding of others raises its ugly head. Power is held by the island Pastor who uses his religion to manipulate others and to put in place extreme measures against the Seawomen as well as using it to his advantage to retain control over the island women and keep them in their place.

It reminded me of the Handmaid's Tale with similar sinister elements of control.

This is an accomplished debut and the sort of book and writing I'd love to achieve in my debut novel. It's a difficult one to describe - a feminist novel, a tale of cults, manipulation and control, a story of witchy Seawomen, magical realism. I'm not quite sure how to sum it up. Perhaps an element of all these things. It's out on the 14th of June so I'd just suggest you give it a read. 

This is definitely 5 stars and I'd happily read more by Chloe Timms.