[spoilers]

Horror as a genre has always done a great job using ghosts, ghouls, and other monsters as symbolism for real problems. Nat Cassidy succeeds in that venture with Mary. At its core, this is a story about what it means to be an aging woman. It raises questions such as: When is a woman's purpose fulfilled, and when is she no longer useful? How do men's perceptions of women inform women's identities? These are exemplified using the concept of reincarnation and Damon Cross's voice in Mary's head. He is constantly berating and manipulating her. Though it's just one specific voice, is this not what all women hear all the time - both inside their head and out? It's impressive a man could write this story so well. I had to drop a bit off my rating mostly due to feeling like the voice in Mary's head was kind of cheesy at times. I also hated Aunt Nadine, though I do understand her place in the symbolism of everything. She is just another person, regardless of gender, who has been taught to hate women for being different, difficult, and old. This book is definitely horror, containing a good amount of body horror. It's not for all readers, but if any of my pals want to give it a go, I'd love to chat about it :)