Thank you to GetRedPR, #partner, for a finished copy of The Cicada Tree in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Moonshine Cove Publishing
Published: February, 2022
Summary:
The summer of 1956, a brood of cicadas descends upon Providence Georgia, a natural event with supernatural repercussions, unhinging the life of Analeise Newell, an eleven-year-old piano prodigy. Amidst this emergence, dark obsessions are stirred, uncanny gifts provoked, and secrets unearthed.
During a visit to Mistletoe, a plantation owned by the wealthy Mayfield family, Analeise encounters Cordelia Mayfield and her daughter Marlissa, both of whom possess an otherworldly beauty. A whisper, a sense of déjà vu, and an act of violence perpetrated during this visit by Mrs. Mayfield all converge to kindle Analeise’s fascination with the Mayfields.
Analeise’s burgeoning obsession with the Mayfield family overshadows her own seemingly, ordinary life, culminating in dangerous games and manipulation, setting off a chain of cataclysmic events with life-altering consequences—all of it unfolding to the maddening whir of a cicada song.
My thoughts:
This book was the #GetRedPRBookClub pick for September, and I am so glad we picked this one! I had had this sitting on my shelf since it came out earlier this year and had just not gotten around to reading it yet but boy am I glad I did – I absolutely loved it! And let me just say, the author is such a delight to chat with – I so appreciated that he took the time to discuss his book with us and talk about his writing process.
It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. The author paints such vivid pictures with his lyrical writing and while the book is not very long, there is a lot packed in – so much so that I feel this is the type of book that begs to be reread because you cannot possibly pick up on every little thing during your first read.
“Had they seen the terrible things I had done? Is that what cicadas did? Gobble up all the secrets in the world until they ripped at the seams, popping clear out of their skins?”
This book is brimming with secrets just begging to come out, much like the cicadas that do pop out this one summer And I loved how the author did this, showing that nothing stays buried forever and that everything has a way of coming out.
I am a big fan of Southern Gothic fiction and this book definitely hits all the marks for this. I loved how atmospheric it was and how this coming-of-age story is so masterfully spun. There are so many layers to this story and the characters are so richly developed. Even the supernatural elements added just the right touches to this book and usually I’m not a fan of this particular element, but here it totally works.
This is a hauntingly beautiful story that gets darker as it progresses, but it is one that once you start reading it, you just cannot put it down. The suspense builds and I found myself just as eager as Analeise to want to know what was going on. I cannot recommend this one enough and I cannot wait to read more from this talented author. During the bookclub chat, he gave us some hints as to what is coming next and I am very excited. He is for sure on my must-read list!
