Let me open by saying I went into this book knowing it'd be way outside my wheelhouse, and that's okay, because I think Scot writes with something of an intent to break apart everyone's wheelhouse, including her own, and that's the best way to go about creating true raw art. Optimist and idealist that I am, I hold out hope for happy endings. In my little world, everyone recovers, learns, grows, blossoms. But that's not necessarily real life now, is it? This book marks the first time I ever agreed with the notion of death as a kind release.

No subject, no emotion, no primal urge is off limits here, and even in the darkest moments, Scot shies away from nothing. Kiddy gloves are off and disdainfully disposed of, and tar is crystal compared to the darkness achieved in these pages. And despite the extremism, the story and its characters don't really feel farfetched. Isobel's believability lies in the familiarity of that frustration you feel watching someone else make obvious but ultimately unavoidable mistakes. The character study plunges so deep, and the plot so gradually descends into depravity that while one isn't numbed to the carnage and cruelty, one is able to empathize with Isobel despite it all. Her choices aren't choices I would make, but I've never been in her shoes, and I hope to god I never will be.

Plot and characters aside, the writing is vivid and evocative–an unnerving poetic pendulum slowly but surely lulling you into the savage crannies of your mind only accessible via nightmare.

*I received a free ARC of this book, and this is my honest, voluntary review.

Girl of Dust is a fascinating and horrific portrait of an unwanted and unloved child elevated by Scot's superior and imaginative writing style. Like the other books I have read by this author, this one is not for everyone; it contains excruciating scenes of psychological abuse, dark thoughts, and incest. Isobel lives through a dystopian world of drought and dust storms in a bleak area of the mid-west and has a bent spine, but those exterior woes are nothing to the relentless torture she suffers at the hands of her parents; they see her as a body, something to be used for whatever profit they can squeeze from her. It is no wonder that she has learned not to feel, not to care, not to love—rather, she finds strength in hate. She hones a skill, manipulation of others, as a means to pay for her continued membership in this messed-up family.

Isobel finds her way to a group home for wayward souls, all crippled by dark pasts. Isobel is determined to hold on to her hate. Will she allow herself to bond with a fellow victim, or is she too damaged to ever heal herself and care for another person? Read this macabre novella and find out if you dare!

Isobel is the broken soul, and if you are seeking a story that explores the psyche of the broken, then this is it. Because Isobel was abused. And this story, set in the near future in the midst of the Second Great Midwest Dust Storms, is less about where the broken girl is going and more about why she is where she is.

It's not pretty. Nor is Isobel, as her appearance literally pays homage to the girl from The Ring. There is a grotesque and heartbreaking nature to the things Isobel endures, a twisted wreck on the side of the road from which we can’t avert our eyes. The story explores Isobel's vulnerability and the lengths she will go to to survive.

This story is not fun. But it is well written. A deeply explored character piece for sure. I cringed while reading this. But I can’t shake the depth it holds. Well done.

TW: incest, rape, murder/gore, mental illness.

This book was way more dark than I was expecting and I wasn't sure I could finish it, but I did. The writing was haunting & traumatic to the point where I was afraid to read what would happen next and I was left unsettled many times. Trauma can last & warp someone into a monster and that was shown here.

This novella was a tumble down the rabbit hole of generational trauma. The cruelties Isobel suffers are absolutely heartbreaking, and the desire to be wanted, loved, and cherished turn from simply that, into twisted, almost-unrecognizable versions of their origins as Isobel learns how to turn them on humanity, preying in the shadows, and gradually becoming bolder and hungrier for the power she’s never had. The “sins” run deep in this family, and the ways they unfold are both horrifying and riveting. Scot is a genius author and paints the story in a way I can’t look away from. No matter how dark, I am lured deeper, searching for answers. This book—this character study— was phenomenal!

This book had me on the edge of my seat, figuratively and literally. I loved the mixed timelines and the mix between character's thoughts and emotions and what they actually say.

Have you ever read or watched anything that left you feeling like you need a complete mind cleansing afterwards? Are you like me and enjoy that material? Well, then I have the book for you.

Girl of Dust and Smoke is a wonderful character study into a strange, twisted family, and the effects it has on the children. It's only a novella, but the effects of this story will linger with me for a long time yet.

One of my favorite lines from the book is "A storm is always coming. Life is always dying."

Based on the blurb, I was expecting the Happy Hearts home to be filled with children, but that's not the case. The residents are adults, who's loss of their parents caused them to never fully grow up, mentally or socially. Well, considering the entire book takes place in a second dust bowl and economic depression, socially is kind of thrown out the window for everyone.

The author doesn't leave us in the dark as to what led our main character to Happy Hearts though. An intriguing aspect to this book is that each chapter alternates between present time and our main character, Isobel's childhood in an easy to follow, connecting way. Each chapter dealing with Isobel's childhood leads into a present-day chapter with particular relevance to the memories we just experienced.

In a nutshell, we learn of Isobel's childhood and family dynamics. She lives with her parents and twin older siblings in an RV, hopping from caravan to caravan, market to market through the drought stricken, economy collapsing Midwest. Her parents are traveling con artist fortune tellers and the twins are successful vloggers in the RV life genre, so this dynamic pretty much leaves Isobel on the sidelines to fend for herself. Frail, ugly, deformed, and left to her own devices, Isobel's mind is left to mature on its own in dark, twisted ways. As bad as that may sound, the interactions that she has with her family causes her dark maturing to be 100 times worse.

The chapters dealing with Isobel's childhood gives us glimpses of her life from early childhood up through eighteen years of age. Those chapters follow Isobel as a neglected child to becoming old enough to have to pull her own weight with the family, to ultimately becoming their financial leader and the dark power that gives Isobel over those she hates.

The chapters dealing in present time at Happy Hearts finds Isobel at age 25, roughly the same age as the other occupants. By this time, Isobel is a manipulative, conniving, mentally dark and imposing character, and her growth isn't over yet.

If I had to find a way to safely explain the story to someone and give a basis of comparison, I'd say imagine a mix of Girl, Interrupted and Gone Girl.

The story itself is low-plot. It's more of a follow of Isobel herself, and the things that make her tick. As far as the other residents of Happy Hearts, we slowly find out the circumstances that landed each one there, but Isobel never shares in group therapy. The flip back and forth between her current chapters and her childhood chapters does that for us, and it's a slow burn to an inevitable conclusion that the reader is chomping at the bit to finally see happen.

Back in current times, the ending here comes charging at you out of left field, and as soon as it hits you, you realize it makes perfect sense. For anyone that reads this book and says they saw that ending coming, I'm calling out your lies right here and now.

Not only does the author create some melancholy, grim, and even evil characters, but the world she created with a state of emergency, both climate and economically, adds to the bleakness of the story in such a way that you realize Isobel never had a chance to grow up in any other way.

This story is an extremely dark fall into chaos and would not be a read for everyone, but for those like me that can handle and enjoy that type of genre, I can promise that this story will last with you for a long time after you are done with it.

Author Halo Scot definitely stands alone in the way she writes and the stories she crafts. I can guarantee this will not be the last story of hers that I read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Where to start, to be honest, I had no idea what I was getting into with this one. This is a totally new author for me. I gave this one a 3/5 and I did that due to the writing itself, this author has a way with words for sure. When it comes to the book, things I liked: I like the writing itself and the book went pretty quickly and flowed really well. With that being said, I honestly could not figure out the actual storyline here, maybe it is just me. The beginning set up really well introducing Happy Hearts, a homeless shelter for little girls and boys who basically were parent killers, runts, odd and weird. The new girl Isobel being the main character was different.

The author did a really good job of introducing her past and how much her parents hated her and only kept her as an additional body in the home. She was never accepted and never felt loved or wanted. The book went back and forth between her past and her present. The more I read, the less I was able to find the real plot of the story. There were some definite gag-worthy situations, literally had to keep myself from gagging. Was definitely not my cup of tea and I wanted to DNF this a lot, however, I stuck it out and finished. I am glad I did, at the end, there is a note from the author half explaining that they did not set out to write some of what they did, but there it was. All in all, not for me, but maybe for some others. I hope that you take a chance on it, especially if you love dark fiction. I would be interested to read more from this author.

This book should have nothing going for it. It has unlikeable characters, dark themes, murder, rape, incest, prostitution.

But the author has woven the tale so beautifully, with such language, that it is quite the work of art. Isobel is not a hero. Perhaps she isn't a villain. An anti villain?

You empathise with her much like you do with Lekter. Or maybe that's just me and I am a bit of a weirdo.

A dark dark book, beautifully written. It's very good.

From the very first page, Author Halo Scot grabs your heart and immerses you into Isobel’s grim world in "Girl of Dust and Smoke." To survive her upbringing, Isobel is forced to use her supposed psychic abilities to earn money for her family's survival. She is exploited and abused by her parents and siblings, but as the story progresses, she begins to discover her own inner strength and power.

This brilliantly written novella gave me soul quenching goosebumps with vivid descriptions of the settings and characters that transport you into the story's world. Isobel's struggle is both heartbreaking and inspiring, as she fights to break free from the cycle of abuse and oppression that she has been trapped in her whole life.

The plot moves quickly, with plenty of action and suspense to keep you engaged. The themes of power, trauma, and the search for freedom and identity are woven throughout the story, making it a thought-provoking read.

The prose is lyrical and poetic, painting a vivid picture of the world Isobel inhabits. The characters are well-drawn and feel real, and the relationships between them are complex and nuanced. "Girl of Dust and Smoke" is a powerful and well-crafted story that will leave a lasting impression on readers. It is a dark and haunting tale, but one that ultimately celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.

Another brilliant masterpiece by the incredibly talented and creative Author Halo Scot! A must-read!