Review Detail

What I Liked: Don’t be alarmed by the length of this book because each page will keep you hooked and wanting to learn more. This book follows multiple different characters, and the beginning does a fantastic job of introducing you to each of them to ensure you are able to keep up with the story.

This is not just a book about paranormal horrors but also about the horrors of poverty and being Black. The book highlights the options that young boys have in Hester Gardens and the fear that the mothers have for their sons because of their circumstances. I will warn you that this book is devastating, so take a look at the content warnings before diving in. This book is important to showcase the reality of many Black people, especially young men, and what living in public housing can look like.

The book is told in separate parts, which was helpful when breaking down all of the reading. The separate parts do a great job of letting the reader know when the tone is about to shift and when we are about to get into a different part of the story.

The pacing of this book is perfect as the first few parts build up tension and lay out the field for you. Things really pick up in the last ~100 pages as more individuals are found murdered in their homes, and everyone seems to be in a race to find out who is causing these deaths. The anticipation that this book builds throughout the story was great, especially when things are revealed.

The characters introduced throughout this book are well written, and many of their flaws are up front and center. These flaws make these characters come to life and provide you with reasons to be empathetic towards them and the struggles they are facing. As you read the story, you feel close to Nona and feel her pain as she struggles with ensuring her son’s safety and finding out what she wants for herself.

Final Verdict: The Curse of Hester Gardens is a book that pulls the blinds on reality by mixing fictional and realistic horrors. This book has a long-lasting emotional impact, along with the anxiety that it creates as the tension builds in the book. The book will have you guessing until the very last page as to who is involved with the possession, the killings, and just how Nona will save her sons if she can.