Mixing stress and chills, The Curse of Hester Gardens is a must-have for any fan of horror.
The Curse of Hester Gardens is a skillful blend of Black urban struggles in a poverty-stricken area and supernatural threats that feel as real and foreboding as the dangers of violence. With care and attention to detail, the characters come alive in such a way that does not excuse some of the characters’ actions, but builds an understanding that it’s more than just “you: villain.” Whether readers believe in the paranormal does not detract from the believability of how trauma and violence festers and passes on, perpetuating a vicious cycle. Mixing stress and chills, The Curse of Hester Gardens is a must-have for any fan of horror.
Written by Tamika Thompson (Unshod, Cackling, and Naked, Salamander Justice), the story follows Nona on the eve of her middle child, Marcus’s, high school graduation. But as strange sounds and lurking shadows build with rising tensions in their poor neighborhood, Nona fears a past choice might cost her her last two kids. The story perfectly mixes the supernatural, the Black community, and how harm festers in a location, just as it festers within an individual.
The Curse of Hester Gardens Centers an Imperfect Main Character
Nona is a frustrating and fascinating character. She’s judgmental with a haughty attitude toward others around her, shrouding herself in religion, complete with religious hypocrisy. She’s the pot that meets the tarnished kettle. But Nona lacks self-realization. So, her selfishness and inability to face her past play a crucial role in how she skirts topics. But tragedy repeatedly comes knocking. Yet, she mirrors many of the mothers with their sons, refusing to acknowledge who their children are or what they are capable of. The Curse of Hester Gardens demonstrates how to craft a main character who creates frustration, yet remains relatable and engaging.
As her son, Marcus, grows increasingly irascible, she tackles the problem by avoiding it. She seeks out help from the men around her. Whether it is her pastor, her sons, or her nephew, she relies on them to tell her what’s what. Some moments are clear warning signs that should fill Nona with terror. However, as she waits for the men around her to interpret what she herself sees, the danger goes unaddressed.
Another important aspect is growth. There should be an arc that follows what the characters experiences. While there are moments of backsliding—common with people—Nona’s arc is believable. It’s bittersweet, but familiar. Often, the men treat women as emotional creatures, reading too much into every minute thing. This does a number. So, it’s common for women to seek confirmation from a man.
Multi-Layered Characters and Haunting
Through the story, Nona and her sons are the focus, but the story touches on others. We learn through Nona’s religious, judgmental viewpoint. But Thompson blends it with their own experiences, cementing The Curse of Hester Gardens as a more balanced but no less horrifying and tragic story. The story uses the paranormal to explain the awful tragedy of innocence lost to violence. These kids were friends with her sons when they were all little. Sometimes, the drastic shift from childlike innocence to a threatening young man feels almost supernatural. As though something took over their bodies.
The Curse of Hester Gardens fills readers with a growing trepidation from the seen and unseen threats. It’s a mystery, a tragedy, and a coming-of-age story for a woman who learns to stand on her own. Through the supernatural, the story explores the festering of pain and rage because of harm thrust upon Black people. It’s the hypocrisy of stealing homes and land from Black people to then turn around and rent it out to us. It’s enough to drive one mad. But add in years of rage without an outlet, and it harms those in physical proximity instead of the ones responsible. The Curse of Hester Gardens is an emotional, haunting whirlwind that holds you in an inescapable grip.
