BOOK REVIEW: The Missing Season

The Missing Season by Gillian French
Publication date: May 21st, 2019

When I first read the synopsis for this book, I was a little iffy. I mean, it’s not my normal type of literature, but I wanted a change of pace, so I requested it anyways. (Thanks Edelweiss!) When I actually picked it up to read, I found it was exactly what I needed to stave off a reading slump. The Missing Season is just creepy enough to set your teeth on edge. It follows Clara as she moves to a new town with the urban legend of The Mumbler, a horrific monster out in the marshes that kills the bad townie kids, but only in the month of October. Clara is instantly pulled into a group of friends that try to convince her that he’s real. They tell her all about his victims and his haunts; they take her to the graffiti murals of him. As her friends layer on the details, you start to wonder if they’re right, if there really is something supernatural going on in this town. All I have to say is that this entire book I was really hoping it would take a supernatural turn (no spoilers though).

What I Liked:

• I don’t really read a lot of creepy novels, but this one was just enough to freak me out but not enough to convince me to stop. I even had to keep the lights on while I read because I was a little to freaked about what might be in the shadows. (FYI, I was reading this on the kindle app on my phone – i.e. lights not necessary.)
• I liked the characters. They were all pretty interesting and had different socio-economic backgrounds. Well, that and the fact they were fun-loving Halloween pranksters.
• This book kept me guessing the entire time. I couldn’t figure out if The Mumbler was real or not. I wanted to believe and there was just enough what if to make me.

What I Didn’t Like:

• The friend group dynamic was kind of weird. I don’t know how to elaborate on this but if you read it, you’ll understand. I guess, it was like they were friend, but didn’t really care about each out? I don’t know.
• The main romantic coupling in this book moved way faster than I was expecting, especially since it was the girls first relationship. Ever.
• Also, my one problem with the characters were that they spent so much time flushing out details of all the friend’s lives that they really didn’t include any details or background for the main character, Clara. I have no clue what she liked to do before she moved and got sucked into the town’s urban legend craze.

Recap:

Overall, I see The Missing Season as a really good Fall read. I can definitely see myself picking it up in anticipation of Halloween. It’s eerie. It’s fun. It creeped me the hell out. And to be fair, most of the things I disliked about this book, didn’t bother me until I thought about them way after I finished reading. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to take a step off their normal reading path (if it’s similar to mine).

4/5 stars

xoxo, Bree

“Mumbler, Mumbler, in your bed,
Mumbler, Mumbler, take your head,
Eat your nose,
Gobble your toes,
And bury you where the milkweed grows.”

*Thank you Edelweiss+ for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*