"We Already Dug the Grave" by Emma C. Wells

 

 

 

 

 

 

 







"We Already Dug the Grave" by Emma C. Wells is a dark (and creepy) southern gothic thriller following two estranged sisters with skeletons in their closet, literally. The premise sounded promising, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. More on that later.

The story takes place in a fictional town in Appalachia. After a traumatic event in their childhood, the two sisters, Milly and Frances Robinson, are taken to live with their eccentric aunts, Ruth and Hattie May. The Robinson women share a family inheritance: the ability to divine the future by reading leftover tea leaves. Of the two sisters, only Milly inherited the Sight. Oh, and they also have another, far more sinister family tradition, but I'll let you discover that for yourself.

After another traumatic event in their teenage years, Milly is forced to run away and break contact with her family. Stuck in a crappy job and having trouble divining the future, she tries to get by, still keeping track of her sister. On the surface, Frances’s life seems perfect, but not everything is as it seems. Years later, Frances shows up on Milly’s doorstep asking for help. Together, they return to the only place they ever called home, a place full of long-buried secrets, uncomfortable truths, and death.

The narrative is told in first person from Milly’s POV, with a dual timeline of "Then" and "Now. The book explores themes of abuse, choices, sisterly and family bonds, love, loyalty, and moral conflict. The Appalachian setting, with its witchy undertones, supernatural elements, and gothic atmosphere, was one of the book's strongest aspects. The layers of secrets slowly unravel until everything is revealed. 

The characterization is excellent. Even the morally questionable characters felt fully realized rather than one-dimensional. Milly was impulsive and at times too naive, whereas her sister was far more calculating. I loved the aunts, but disliked one of the main characters (I won't tell you whom) due to her terrible attitude and questionable choices.
   
I am very ambivalent about the book. On one hand, it was engaging and well written. On the other hand, it lost a bit of steam in the middle, and while I guessed the twist halfway through, that wasn't what bothered me. I found the resolution regarding abusive men morally troubling. While I understood some of the characters' actions, the story ultimately crossed a line for me, and I wasn't entirely convinced by how it handled accountability. It seemed to blur the line between understandable acts of self-defense and repeated, deliberate killing without adequately addressing the ethical consequences. 

In short, what ultimately didn't work for me was not just the slow pace, but also the way the book resolved its moral conflicts. Because of my reservations, I rate the book 3 out of 5 stars. If you like family secrets, supernatural elements, and morally gray characters, you may like the book more than I did. 
 
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.  

* For more info about this book: "We Already Dug the Grave" by Emma C. Wells