Verse, Veins, and Vows
What did I just finish? That is the question looping in my head.
Doe is a narrative told in fragments, echoes, and sharp edges. Written entirely in verse, the aphoristic format crafts an intimate, almost voyeuristic window into the protagonist’s mind. We aren’t just reading Maris’s story; we are witnessing her raw, unfiltered thoughts as she suffocates under the weight of her life—the cheer captain title, a depressed mother, deep-seated inadequacy, and a fractured romance.
It’s this poetic internal dialogue that keeps her grounded and relatable, even as the supernatural closing in around her feels entirely unhinged.
Enter Doe: an ancient, decaying creature that embodies a very tangible, visceral kind of horror. Maris’s vividly written dreams are a masterclass in psychological unraveling—equal parts thrilling and terrifying.
The tension peaks as her fierce rivalry with Genevieve drives her straight into a supernatural web, revealing a dark, historical magical bond with haunting consequences.
Barrow delivers a suspenseful, horror-tinged exploration of identity and power. There is a lingering, heartbreaking moral ambiguity to a plot where Maris accidentally bargains with a devil, realizing too late that someone has to die for her to win.
I’ll admit, some chapters were a massive struggle for me to get through, and that ending definitely hints that there is more to come. But because the writing style was so stunning and the concept so unique, it lands as a solid 3-star read for me.
