Book Review: My Apologies to Tanya Grace by Cat Voleur
Genre: Horror
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
Mallory knows exactly what she wants to do when she moves back to her hometown: write. She has the perfect routine in mind to finish her novel, and she’s determined to write every single day before doing absolutely anything else. But in true writer fashion, the moment things don’t go according to plan, her routine is disrupted and Mallory is distracted. The distraction, however, comes in the form of Tanya Grace, first bumping into her at a local coffee shop, then her ghost, appearing to haunt Mallory right when Tanya goes missing.
Perhaps Tanya’s ghost is haunting her for a reason. Battling survivor’s guilt, Mallory sets out to find out what happened to Tanya Grace, searching for a way to stop the haunting and get justice for Tanya.
Mallory’s character here is quite interesting; she moves back home because of her partner’s job, but finds herself alone in their apartment before he’s able to move in. It becomes clear Mallory’s isolation, combined with her toxic mother and the past she can’t escape from, are doing her no favours. She struggles to work through what’s happening, and keeps her partner in the dark and at arm’s length, keen not to show a sense of vulnerability.
At 104 pages, it’s hard to say much without giving it away, but I think Mallory’s guilt and fear for Tanya are very relatable for anyone who has walked away from an abuser, and it’s clear Mallory’s fear for Tanya and what’s happened to her come from the experiences she’s had with Tanya’s husband. It’s an intriguing novella that definitely kept me on my toes wondering what would happen next, and I think Cat continually proves what an excellent writer she is – can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social
I received this ebook from the author for review consideration.
