❀Julie's Reviews > The Secret Scripture

I’m going with 5 stars since three days after finishing, I’m still thinking about how good this book was. It had me completely captivated from start to finish. The story was subtle but chilling, with many layers of tragedy and dark elements (a cemetery, rats, and a disturbing priest to name a few…not to mention the suspicion of the sanity of the main character). But the writing was beautiful and not a single word was wasted. I loved the gothic-like atmosphere that was created and how it tied in with the dark themes and symbolism throughout. There were two narrators with distinct voices, both of which I was equally eager to read as they alternated in the story. They gave such intimate accounts of their lives and the horrific and sad times they had experienced, that it felt more like reading the memoirs of real people. This was a slower read for me—which I didn’t mind—because the pace was steady with just enough suspense to keep it intriguing...until towards the end when the intensity grew to where I could not put it down. I loved how it all came together in the end.