Small Angels by Lauren Owen

Small Angels by Lauren Owen
Length: 400 Pages
Genres: Gothic, Fantasy, Magical Realism
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

A special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Trigger Warnings in this book for Death, Blood, Gore, Animal Attacks and Mention of Animal Death, and Instances of Child Abuse (Physical and Psychological)

"In a distant time (the story ran) people cleared trees from the edge of Mockbeggar to make space for themselves, a place to build and farm, They moved in and stayed awhile, and then they were gone--wandering or dead, no one could say for sure now. But they left their relics behind: smashed pots, lost coins, assorted bones. And decade by decade, root by root, the trees moved back and swallowed it all."

Many years ago, I picked up Lauren Owen's debut called The Quick. It remains, to this day, one of my favorite pieces of vampire media, and a story that stuck with me for long afterwards. Many times, I've wondered why she hadn't put anything else out--and secretly hoped that one day she would return with something else beautiful and gothic. When I happened across this book, I was elated! Finally, I thought, Lauren Owen has come back! I was desperate to request it on NetGalley but worried I wouldn't have the time. And then, I was contacted by Random House to see if I was interested. How could I say no? 

Chloe has been in love with her fiancé, Sam's, village since she first step foot there. It is like falling back through time, to a place that is lovelier, calmer, full of colorful locals and beautiful nature. Of course, it's no surprise that she would wish to have her wedding there. When the original location falls through, Chloe takes it upon herself to instead host it at an old church at the edge of the woods called St. Michael's and All His Angels, or Small Angels, colloquially. It is a dream come true, and if it needs a bit of work, a bit of polish and shine, well, it's all worth it in the end. Only Chloe doesn't know the story of Small Angels, or the village, or those entrancing, dangerous woods, called Mockbeggar--a place where the locals warn her never to go.

Kate, Sam's sister, knows what the forest is capable of. She hasn't returned in ten years, not since a disaster struck and left everything in pieces. Kate, young and brave, was in love with Lucia Gonne, of the infamous Gonne family, who hosted late night walks through the woods, singing a peculiar song, who keep torches blazing through the land, and ring the bells of Small Angels on full moons. Once, a long time ago, people went to the Mockbeggar Woods to tell stories to the trees, and sometimes, those stories would be remembered. There is one story--of a boy betrayed, of three white dogs and a house made of roses--that the woods refuse to forget. Mockbeggar has lain dormant since Kate left, but now it is coming alive again--and the ghosts are angry.

There are some books you come across that make you remember why they exist in this first place, that this is what storytelling is about. Lauren Owen has woven a tale of such beauty and poetry, sadness and love and forgiveness, that I felt enraptured from beginning to end by her mastery. Small Angels put me in mind of my favorite sorts of books, full of magic and danger, and reminded me of the first time I read Angela Carter and was in shock with awe. This is a story about stories, about true love, first love, and the special sort of love that exists only between siblings. I can't remember the last time I read such a fantastic and original ghost story, and this should be categorized with such staples like The Turn of the Screw or The Woman in Black. It was a heady mix of horror and fairytale and love story, I wish I could experience it all over again already! 

If you read nothing else this year I beg you to read Small Angels, and be whisked away to a sleepy English village full of apparitions, strange superstitions, and memories that can come back to draw blood.