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TGatHT is a dark and twisty thriller; wrought with deep psychological themes, the author addresses Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) skillfully and creates the character of Gemma with the complex nature and delicacy that she deserves. While she is an unreliable character at best, with the aid of one of her alters, Tansy, we are given a better picture of the story, albeit a bit reluctantly. There is a reason for this, as there is a reason for an alter to begin with. It is to protect Gemma's mind from a truth that is too terrible to process. The setting of Deep Creek, Texas is perfectly haunting and eerily atmospheric; small town life at both its best and its worst, with secondary characters that were as emotive, dark and creepy as the twisted tree that Mary writes about. Not all the characters were dark but they all seemed to hold secrets, especially from Gemma Louise. This is a haunting tale that begins long before we meet Gemma and details some of histories most heinous of crimes but it sheds a bright light on the topic of DID, mental illness and the atrocities of racism.
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We're following two characters, Tansy and Gemma. Except they share one body. Gemma created Tansy as an alternative personality in order to cope. She doesn't know what she's trying to cope with but she's determined to find out, even though Tansy doesn't want to let her. Gemma finds herself at the center of a dark plot inside Deep Creek, Texas. There are secrets that she's digging up that some think should be left alone.
T Mary Gray has blown me away with this dark, twisted psychological thriller.
We're following two characters, Tansy and Gemma. Except they share one body. Gemma created Tansy as an alternative personality in order to cope. She doesn't know what she's trying to cope with but she's determined to find out, even though Tansy doesn't want to let her. Gemma finds herself at the center of a dark plot inside Deep Creek, Texas. There are secrets that she's digging up that some think should be left alone.
This is one of the best thrillers I have read recently. We're given an amazing cast of characters. The side characters are all fascinating and help move the story along. The setting is very atmospheric. We're given a lot of descriptions and it all feels very real. The twists were handled so well. Mary Gray knows how to write surprises. I really enjoyed the way this book was written and I can't wait for the next Mary Gray book to come out!
Side note: If you're like me and you love the movie Split, this book will probably be something you enjoy.
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You are thrown right into the story the moment you start reading. Gemma (our protagonist) is waking up and we learn that she is living in Deep Creek, Texas in a boarded up Victorian house. Gemma has amnesia but Tansy is taking ca
I truly loved and enjoyed The Girl at the Hanging Tree. I honestly wasn't sure what I was getting into when I agreed to review this book! The synopsis intrigued me and I love reading debuts or books from smaller publishing houses so I agreed and I am so glad that I did.You are thrown right into the story the moment you start reading. Gemma (our protagonist) is waking up and we learn that she is living in Deep Creek, Texas in a boarded up Victorian house. Gemma has amnesia but Tansy is taking care of her. Tansy only lets Gemma out of the house every other week to purchase their food and to get her hair done. Apparently, Tansy is afraid to leave the house. Terrified of the outside world. As Gemma goes about her errands on this day she is confronted by a few people that call her Mrs. Hardin and mention a W.T. to her. She has no idea what it means or who they are talking about. Tansy has all the answers and Tansy isn't telling.
Here is where things truly get interesting. We realize that Gemma has dissociative identity disorder and Tansy is the alternate ego she has created to deal with a terrible trauma Gemma experienced. That is the mystery Gemma desperately wants to solve. Who is W.T., why are people calling her Mrs. Hardin, and what happened to cause her to lose her memory.
The small town of Deep Creek was the perfect setting for this thriller. It's creepy and full of dark characters and secrets. The boarded up Victorian Gemma and Tansy live in is vividly described. The characters, especially Gemma and Tansy are well developed and Gemma is likeable but also frustrating. Tansy is a mess but for good reason, she deals with all the trauma and evil to protect Gemma from it.
The author handles some very sensitive topics quite well in this book. She takes on racism, secret societies, white supremacy, mental illness, violence, murder, and death. It is not a light thriller, it is dark and heavy but the twist was shocking and I didn't see it fully playing out the way it did.
The only complaint I had was that it wrapped up a little too nicely. That seemed a bit unrealistic considering the circumstances.
This is a 4.5/5 star read. Thank you to @marygray and @monsterivypublishing for an advanced copy of the book for my review.
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Our main character is the hero, but she is not a Mary Sue. She deals with the very real condition of dissociative identity diso
This book was a ride, from the first page to the last. There isn't a pause in what is going on. The book opens up by dropping you into the middle of the story just as our MC wakes up in the middle of her own mystery. You are left wondering what is going on just as Gemma is trying to figure out the truth. Mary Gray does a great job of making you feel a part of the story.Our main character is the hero, but she is not a Mary Sue. She deals with the very real condition of dissociative identity disorder. Most of the character interactions in the book are between Gemma and her alter Tansy. Mary Gray vividly describes what it is like to share space in your head with another personality.
This is not a light book. I was taken aback by the twist in our story. For the sake of no spoilers, I'm not going to share what it is. But I feel like Mary Gray successfully wove a narrative around a sensitive social justice topic from a perspective we don't often see.
This book deals with mental illness, social justice, and doing what is right even when it is difficult.
The only thing I had trouble with was the jumpiness of the scenes, but the reason for it is explained at the end.
If you are triggered by death, violence, or mental illness do not read this book.
Otherwise if you are looking for a clean thriller that deals with real life issues, I recommend The Girl at the Hanging Tree by Mary Gray.
In my humble opinion, this book would make a great movie.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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I loved the little snippets of the story that were revealed as the main character found herself and her voice and revealed
Wow. Just, wow. This is the second book of Mary Gray's that I've read, and this one packs a wallop. She has a beautifully haunting style that lends itself perfectly to a complex story and a complex character. The way Gray handles her main character, who has a split personality, and reveals the plot through the complicated eyes of her protagonist, is nothing short of genius.I loved the little snippets of the story that were revealed as the main character found herself and her voice and revealed the bigger picture through her own reconciliation with the broken parts of her life.
I highly recommend.
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This quote is everything.
The discomfort of this group is so palpable, I wish I could scoop it up and place it in a jar for them to feel every time they're tempted to sweep something wrong under the rug. But we have to hold up a mirror to our history. It's how we sow the
This quote is everything.
The discomfort of this group is so palpable, I wish I could scoop it up and place it in a jar for them to feel every time they're tempted to sweep something wrong under the rug. But we have to hold up a mirror to our history. It's how we sow the seeds of change.
This story has all the feels!
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I am stating here and now that The Girl at the Hanging Tree by Mary Gray is my Top Read of 2020. I finished the book last night and I am still reeling from it this morning. Gray boldly takes on abuse, mental health, the small town hive mind, and racism. So many taboo topics in one story. Gray delivers a profound story with grace and dignity. I cannot accurately articulate the emotions invoked in me by this story. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about Gemma Louise and Review 8/18/21
I am stating here and now that The Girl at the Hanging Tree by Mary Gray is my Top Read of 2020. I finished the book last night and I am still reeling from it this morning. Gray boldly takes on abuse, mental health, the small town hive mind, and racism. So many taboo topics in one story. Gray delivers a profound story with grace and dignity. I cannot accurately articulate the emotions invoked in me by this story. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about Gemma Louise and all that she endured. It is understandable that she retreated within herself and allowed Tansy to live her life for her most of the time.
Audiobook Review 6/29/21
Overall 5 Stars Performance 5 Stars Story 5 Stars
I previously read The Girl at The Hanging Tree in 2020. It left such a profound mark on me that I couldn't wait to revisit it as an audiobook. I finished the book last night and I am still reeling from it this morning. Gray boldly takes on abuse, mental health, the small town hive mind, and racism. So many taboo topics in one story. The author delivered a profound story with grace and dignity. I cannot accurately articulate the emotions invoked in me by this story. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about Gemma Louise and all that she endured. It is understandable that she retreated within herself and allowed Tansy to live her life for her at her worse moments.
The narrator, Sarah Graham, expertly delivered an award winning performance as Gemma and her alters. There were moments when I felt my heart would beat out my chest as I was so engrossed in the emotions of the story.
Whether you grab this in print or audio I highly recommend both.
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Gemma Coldiron has an alter living inside her mind—a woman named Tansy who keeps Gemma locked away in their home while painting macabre art, wearing fancy gowns, and eating nothing but split pea soup. But when Gemma keeps receiving odd looks from the townspeople and accusations of k
Normally, I don't read thrillers. In fact, the genre is on my list of books I refuse to read. However, The Girl at the Hanging Tree intrigued me so much I decided to dip a toe into the intimidating world of thrillers.Gemma Coldiron has an alter living inside her mind—a woman named Tansy who keeps Gemma locked away in their home while painting macabre art, wearing fancy gowns, and eating nothing but split pea soup. But when Gemma keeps receiving odd looks from the townspeople and accusations of killing a "Mr. Hardin," Gemma decided that she must discover more about her past than Tansy is letting her know.
The way that Gray had Gemma and Tansy communicate at first was a little odd to me. I've read up a lot about Dissociative Identity Disorder (more commonly known as Multiple Personalities Disorder) so the logical half of my brain was asking so many questions. But after getting more into the story, I actually liked how the two communicated. It added depth to Tansy and made her seem almost like another person entirely.
The pace of the novel was slow at first, but there were just enough breadcrumbs to pull me along, leaving me with more and more questions as the story progressed. But when Tansy took Gemma down into the basement…let's just say that's when the pace really quickened and I learned why exactly the book's genre was thriller and not mystery.
Everything about the townspeople, the house, the mystery behind Mr. Hardin, all of it was well-written and I enjoyed The Girl at the Hanging Tree a lot more than I thought I would. Nothing was too graphic or frightening to turn me away and I appreciate that fact.
Overall, The Girl at the Hanging Tree was a fun and thrilling read, perfect for lovers of psychology, mystery, post-marriage romance, and books on social justice.
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🎃The plot is about the protagonist Gemma Louise having split personalities. She suffers from amnesia and want to go out and about, rather than being stuck in her mansion. Her personality, Tansy, is secretive and prefers keeping away from anyone get past their home.
Why was T Here's a book that I can assure to not be a disappointment. Thank you Monster Ivy Publishing and Mary Gray for sending us a copy of your latest release. We are more than delighted by the thrilling vibe from it!🎃
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🎃The plot is about the protagonist Gemma Louise having split personalities. She suffers from amnesia and want to go out and about, rather than being stuck in her mansion. Her personality, Tansy, is secretive and prefers keeping away from anyone get past their home.
Why was Tansy created? The village is murmuring about her second name, Hardin - Who is he? Tansy gives Gemma a clue about Hardin, about how he spoiled their life and is still alive. This in turn causes a headache for Gemma as she is blamed for Hardin's murder- but they still haven't found his body. 🎃
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🎃What is his relationship with Gemma? What is Tansy so afraid of? Why is she paranoid and drawing out stories of murder? Between these lines, you will find topics of the real and tough world and plays of equality. 🎃
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🎃I cannot reveal anymore. Its chilly and frightened me to the very core. I loved the way Mary Gray tied up the loose ends in the climax, giving proper respect to Gemma's character. I read this book within couple of hours because nothing could take my eyes and mind off of it. I rate this psychological thriller precisely 4.7 on 5- almost PERFECT!🎃
Do check out our review on Instagram🤗
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGAXD_AAFDa/
This is one of those books that I don't even know how to write a review on. It is a wild ride that I didn't like at the beginning because I couldn't catch on to the cadence. THEN I had so so so many questions that were slo
I am writing this review on January 21, 2021 after finishing this book about 5 days ago. I began this story before the insurrection at The Capitol and finished after. I had a better understanding of mob mentality after seeing the violence and reading this book at the same time.This is one of those books that I don't even know how to write a review on. It is a wild ride that I didn't like at the beginning because I couldn't catch on to the cadence. THEN I had so so so many questions that were slowly answered and while running down a winding road.
At the end, as I was getting ready to read the last few pages, I didn't think - well I'm not going to give anything away but I will say that I stopped and stared into space for a minute or 10.
I read this book as part of Quirky Blind Date With A Book and knew nothing about the story going in - I would recommend you go into it that way also. Just open it up and read. As with other Mary Gray books I have read, I don't know how to explain it so just go for it.
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There are some heavy themes present, including abuse, murder, hate crimes, blackmail, suicide,and manipulation of mental health. There is PG-13 blood and death. The tone is like an adult book, but without the language or cussing. And there are moral dilemmas present, so if you're not a fan of stories with dilemmas (i.e. trolley car), this may not be for you.
If this sounds thrilling and intriguing to you, give it a read! Be warned though, once you start, you won't be able to stop!
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It also had a different spin in terms of mental illness. Found in interesting how the author seemed to base a lot of this off things she discovered. Definitely reminded me a bit of 'We have Always Lived in the castle' with the girl living in the mansion and living as an outcast from the neighbours who believe she committed murder. But this book definitely had a darker side with essentially the entire town being part of a racist cult.
It also had a different spin in terms of mental illness. Found in interesting how the author seemed to base a lot of this off things she discovered. ...more
The characters were amazing. I loved getting to know Gemma and her other half Tansy. I started to build a connection with Gemma as I continued to read and was so curious about all the dark and twisted secrets.
The storyline was so addicting and it is quite the pages turner. This author has a way of capturing your interested and keeping you in suspense and on the edge of your seat until the very end. It's a fantastic read and I highly recommend it.
OMG, what a dark and twisted read this was.The characters were amazing. I loved getting to know Gemma and her other half Tansy. I started to build a connection with Gemma as I continued to read and was so curious about all the dark and twisted secrets.
The storyline was so addicting and it is quite the pages turner. This author has a way of capturing your interested and keeping you in suspense and on the edge of your seat until the very end. It's a fantastic read and I highly recommend it.
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Amazing and well written story that kept me interested throughout. I especially loved that she covered serious topics like racism, human trafficking, mental health, and trauma. The representation of Dissociative identity disorder was very well done and taken seriously (Which is rare) I loved this book more then I can express. It both scared me and inspired me. A book I was hesitant to read turned into one of the best books I've ever read.
Amazing and well written story that kept me interested throughout. I especially loved that she covered serious topics like racism, human trafficking, mental health, and trauma. The representation of Dissociative identity disorder was very well done and taken seriously (Which is rare) I loved this book more then I can express. It both scared me and inspired me. ...more
Synopsis: Gemma has a split personality that protects her from a horrific past. She's on a quest to find out what really happened.
This is a must read. It will grab you and not let you go until you are done with book.
The main character, Gemma Louise Colidron, is a woman living with amnesia and a double personality persona. The way the writer portrays these two separate persona's is utterly brilliant. Mary Gray took me on highs and lows in this gri
My mind was literally blown away with this psychological thriller.....To say I was expecting the story to end the way it did would be an understatement! There are so many important topics that are present in this book. Topics that might be sensitive to some readers.The main character, Gemma Louise Colidron, is a woman living with amnesia and a double personality persona. The way the writer portrays these two separate persona's is utterly brilliant. Mary Gray took me on highs and lows in this gripping story. I don't want to spoil this for everyone but just know that this story is wrapped up in a mystery murder, love, secrets, violence, race, cult group-mind and community indoctrination. It is a lot, but this book is a must read....
The Girl at the Hanging Tree was gifted to me by Mary Gray and Monster Ivy Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own! I am honestly honored to have read and reviewed this book.
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Goodreads Librarians seem to say this is the place an author can include editorial reviews, so I thought I'd include a couple. Thanks!
"You can definitely tell that the author did her research on personality disorders ... both personalities are well-thought-out and written distinctively. Very gripping and keeps you on the edge of your seat." - Readers
Fun fact! I always write the book of the movie I want to see. Hope you all enjoy Gemma and Tansy's push and pull in the story! And the romance. Mmm.Goodreads Librarians seem to say this is the place an author can include editorial reviews, so I thought I'd include a couple. Thanks!
"You can definitely tell that the author did her research on personality disorders ... both personalities are well-thought-out and written distinctively. Very gripping and keeps you on the edge of your seat." - Readers' Favorite, 5-star review
"Exquisite tension between the two experiences is well-crafted in a story which delicately walks the line between a psychological exploration and a thriller. ... Compellingly realistic." - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
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First, I enjoyed this story quite a bit and loved how it went outside of Christian fiction norms. It addressed a lot of difficult topics and ventured into mental illness as well.
I really came to like Gemma/Tansy and found her so interesting and complex. While it took a minute to get used the fact that Gemma and Tansy were the same person, I really like how Mary wrote about her. I cou I finished this a few days ago and wanted some time to gather my thoughts. Well, the time for the review has come.
First, I enjoyed this story quite a bit and loved how it went outside of Christian fiction norms. It addressed a lot of difficult topics and ventured into mental illness as well.
I really came to like Gemma/Tansy and found her so interesting and complex. While it took a minute to get used the fact that Gemma and Tansy were the same person, I really like how Mary wrote about her. I could feel the war for control between Gemma and Tansy.
As for content, this one is not for the faint of heart. There was one small section that was a bit much but I just skimmed and got sucked back into the story the next chapter.
The ending of this book destroyed me. It was so well done, and throughout the whole book, Mary toyed with my emotions (in a good way).
I recommend this one to anyone looking for a thought-provoking read.
Rating: 4/5
Language: n/a
Romance: character finds out that she was married
Spiritual: n/s
Violence: kkk is active, deaths, murder, somewhat gory details
*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.
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While at times the author's writing is just a little heavy-handed, the story really drew me in and hooked my curiosity. Tansy, Gemma's alter, is very distinctive, and the juxtaposition between the two is remarkable. The plot has plenty of twis
Clever premise. Gemma is held captive by her alter personality, Tansy, who has blocked Gemma's memories for her own protection. But Gemma is determined to find out the truth about her missing husband and his involvement with a nefarious secret organization.While at times the author's writing is just a little heavy-handed, the story really drew me in and hooked my curiosity. Tansy, Gemma's alter, is very distinctive, and the juxtaposition between the two is remarkable. The plot has plenty of twists and shockers to make you keep turning the pages. I seriously did not even guess at the final twist but it all made sense by the end.
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Again, back to the rating - it is a well written, and well crafted - it j I am giving this book 4 stars because there is no doubt the author is skilled. Other reviewers have mentioned that the story stays with you - it does Another reviewer said she believes the book is horror. I don't know what the horror genre entails, but the story is disturbing and yes, horrific. This is a book that should carry a trigger warning. I wouldn't have read it if I had any idea of how truly disturbing the book is.
Again, back to the rating - it is a well written, and well crafted - it just isn't for me. ...more
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