Imagine a Mom for Liberty’s worst nightmare: their AFAB child running off into the forest with some beautiful androgynous spirit who’s got them believing a heretical animistic gospel of elemental angels living on earth in holy vessels, of which they are one. Then immediately juxtapose that with a backwoods commune run by a fire-and-brimstone preacher who walls his community off from the wider world and controls what his people know and believe. In a time where some parents out there are so concerned about grooming, this story is a fascinating look at how cult thinking can work in both spaces, particularly on the pre-teens and teens who come of age around such mindsets.
The fact that it’s all mostly set deep in the thick, overgrown Southern woods (where, if you get lost, it may take a while for someone to find your rotting corpse) makes it even more of a chillingly realistic horror story. It’s within these woods, in an abandoned, forgotten house, that two transgender runaways take up residence, and in which this queer gothic cult horror mainly takes place.
This is a sinister twist in the idolatry culture that can work its way into queer spaces and friendships, specifically in trans circles between young trans folk and their trans elders or peers (although I could see it happening just as often in other cultures, like with tech bros or girl bosses). Often people will take the word of someone they look up to on face value, and believe it without too much question. This is particularly troubling when kids are involved. Because yes, even a trans person can warp a kid’s mind without meaning to, just like literally anyone, but that’s due to some psychological quirk or mental illness, not being trans, which are two separate things and which this story does a good job delineating.
So, what would happen if a trans boy who had to run away from a family who doesn’t understand had only a schizophrenic caretaker and mentor? This narrative boldly explored just how far such a situation could be taken, how it might affect all involved, and what the consequences might be. It also showed how kids can take lessons given to them and put them to use in ways their teachers never intended or expected, and how they can come to believe the stories adults tell themselves even more than the adults do.
Either way, the kids will have to determine for themselves what they believe before they cross the boundary and embark on their own. This can not be done for them, not by friends, parents, or teachers, though they certainly influence it by providing access to information (or not). Each person comes to their own conclusion of what they believe on their own, and this happens constantly throughout young adulthood.
This was a wild ride with some amazing imagery, and the play on cult dynamics was so gripping, whether based on psychological disturbance or religious zeal turned egotistical. Check it out if you like edgy queer stuff!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Genres: Gothic Horror, Southern Gothic, Queer Fiction, Cult Horror, Adult Fiction
Content Warnings: Underage masturbation; Non-consexual sex
Takeaway: The Slow Spiral of Sanity in the Southern Gothic
Comparable Titles: The History of Luminous Motion by Scott Bradfield
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A+
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
get Corrupted Vessels here Author Info: Website | Patreon | X | Instagram | Tumblr | Bluesky
Thank you to BookSirens and tRaum Books for the free digital copy of this book. I am leaving my honest feedback here voluntarily.
https://awenspark.wordpress.com/2023/11/13/book-review-corrupted-vessels-by-briar-ripley-page/
#bookReview #horror #lgbt #southernGothic #queerFiction #arcReview #adultFiction #booksirens #cults
