Make Me Better

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio/Tor Books, I just finished listening to Make Me Better by Sarah Gailey, narrated by Xe Sands (the same combo from last year's audiobook of Spread Me - and just as appealing.)

Whether it's virus erotica like Spread Me or cult/folk horror like Make Me Better, Sarah Gailey has an ability to write characters who behave in odd, sometimes off-putting, ways that seem reasonable in the character's voice which is only multiplied by Xe Sands melodic narration.

Kindred Cove is a small, remote island that only allows visitors for a short time each year for their annual Salt Festival, which promises to heal whatever is broken.

Celia is desperate to have a family, after losing her parents at a young age and several unsuccessful attempts to have a baby, she is on a search for belonging, and she thinks the Salt Festival will provide the cure she seeks.

It becomes obvious pretty early that the islanders are 100% a cult, and there are some serious Wicker Man/Midsommar vibes, but Gailey puts her own spin on it, and the characters are magnetic, so I really enjoyed following them to their inevitable conclusions.

I love how Sarah Gailey writes her characters, and I love folk horror, so I am definitely the audience for this, and I hope we see more from her like this.