Contains major details about the final scene of horror movie "Saint Maud." She was blinded by the light. I was rather impressed with myself for living in a building where I was one of the only white tenants, Claire thinks. In the end, Pearl represents outdated conventions while Maxine represents change. I read a mix of scholarly texts about the Caribbean and the Caribbean community in New York, guidebooks, cookbooks, dictionaries of Caribbean usage, and a lot about the taxi industry in New York City. the air with her finger demonstrates about her? Ive heard it said that while a writer might write about lots of different subjects across their body of work, theres one core theme or preoccupation thats present in everything they write. It was a whole new structure, a truly massive rewrite, and obviously I couldnt do it then. Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin was a very descriptive mystery that kept you reading to see what happens only to be let down in the end. Just $45 for 12 months or Schaitkin raises questions about privilege, obsession, guilt and grief that Claire grapples with alongside the reader, right up to the book's thrilling conclusioncontinued. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. We spent a lot of time in the class talking about the expectations and cultural norms of Western tourists. She goes from Clairey to Emily and then back again to Claire, but ready to move on. East and West collide in a timely and bittersweet novel of loyalty, love, and the siren call of freedom. The symmetry of Maxine killing Pearl is representative of a natural life cycle, with the new outlasting the old. [She doesn't find out specifically what happened, but she makes peace with it, which is what I think is the point of the book. Written and directed by Ti West, X tells the story of a group of pornographers in 1979 who rent a farmhouse to shoot their breakout film and wind up in a violent slasher flick. Does Claire find out what happened to her sister? The protagonist often says, "I will not accept a life I do not deserve" - a sentiment taken from Mark 10:15 in the Bible. Before I begin my review I would first like to ask everyone to stand for a slow clap in reverence for Celadon Books. She fatally wounds the bad part of Stargher and the good part of Stargher (Stargher as a little boy) is also wounded since they're both from the same mind; she drowns the boy and . But the truth is like none of them. We thought, at the very least, if nothing comes of it, well write the script and it can serve as a great backstory for Pearl and my grasp on my character.. Search String: Summary | But perhaps this was bound to happen; after spending over 300 pages trying to understand what happened on the island that night, could the reader be satisfied by any ending? What And it was all her fault.. Lets delve in deeper to find out! Search: Reviews | Shes joined by Josh Bonzie (The Good Fight) as Clive Gogo Richardson, West Duchovny (Linoleum) as Alison Thomas, Jayden Elijah (Schools Out Forever) as Edwin, Bre Francis (Malory Towers) as Sara, Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad) as Mia Thomas, Michael Park (As the World Turns) as Bill Thomas, and Kenlee Anaya Townsend as Claire. The connections are faint, the domino effect crystal clear. A girl is walking down the sand., That girls name is Allison and, in the end of the first chapter, Allison goes missing and is later found dead. The psychological drama is told through multiple timelines and perspectives, aiming to turn the typical girl-gone-missing genre on its head. As to the grand finale? But the evidence is slim, the timeline against it, and the men are soon released. I taught students who ended up working at the kind of luxury resorts I write about in the novel. Richard Cummings is a writer, traveler, and web content developer. . The second promise comes in the form of promotion, which for me is usually spotted on the Amazon book page. The Musician Has Dedicated Songs to Romantic Partners, Kid Cudi and Kanye West Are Reportedly on the Outs After Heated Social Media Posts. Well, just as you wont win the stuffed animal until you make the basket, you wont know the answer to that question until you get to the end. The second half of the book read much faster, and I discovered I started to care about the characters and their lives. She digs into his past, and into her sisters as well, listening obsessively to cassette diary tapes Alison made, reading the books and articles about what had become a famous true-crime mystery, watching the TV docudramas that seemed to be about someone she had never known. Our heroes (a group of strippers, pornstars, and struggling filmmakers) drive their van to a ranch in the middle of nowhere where theyve rented a house on a farm owned by an old army veteran and his wife. Clive Richardson is a taxi driver now in Flatbush, and she begins observing him, following him, finding excuses to talk to him, sure that in some way, this will bring her closer to the truth about what happened on that island. 14. What does Claire's name change to Emily signify to Around the time of that conversation, Id had the initial idea for Saint X; I was tempted to keep tinkering with and overhauling the old book out of a desperate hope that I might somehow get it to work, but my agent very wisely encouraged me to put it aside and dive into the new idea. Join today for full access. with hooves for feet? Saint X is hypnotic, delivering acute social commentary on everything from class and race to familial bonds and community, and yet its weblike nature never confuses, or fails to captivate. Welcome back. Lenore Mills-St. John is killed so that her husband Stuart St. John can collect the $12 million life policy as part of a deal . BEGIN WITH AN AERIAL VIEW. What does that mythology add The writing had a poetic cadence to it, which some may like, and others may not like at all. The very first page of the book on my Kindle is exactly two sentences. Paperback: 368 pages. At seven, Claire had been barely old enough to know her: a beautiful, changeable, provocative girl of eighteen at a turbulent moment of identity formation.As Claire doggedly shadows Clive, hoping to gain his trust, waiting for the slip that will reveal the truth, an unlikely attachment develops between them, two people whose lives were forever marked by the same tragedy.For readers of Emma Cline's The Girls and Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies, Saint X is a flawlessly drawn and deeply moving story that culminates in an emotionally powerful ending. Welp, I really was not a fan of this one. Alexis Shaitkin's debut novel is scary good - she is on my 'reading radar' from now on! Did you ever think Clive might pose a threat to Emily Spoilers ahead! $15 for 3 months. She is found dead a short time later - two resort employees are initially arrested, only to be released due to lack of evidence. The age gap between them meant they were always in different phases of life; she was not a keeper of her sisters secrets, neither a best friend nor a frenemy. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. A gut-punch of a novel about a Cherokee child removed from her family and sent to a Christian boarding school in the 1950s. Theres something mesmerizing about taking apart a persons last days, about being presented with an ideal, and then figuring out the truth of who the victim. What that ending is, is something no reader will guess. When a book has been on the bestseller list, its a lot like a movie with an IMDb rating of 7.5 or higher you expect quite a bit! As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Pearl is obsessed with youth and beauty, which she can never have again, and Maxine constantly rejects her advances. Look. An X is always somewhat sinister but comes with erotic implications I like that. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Spoiler: Howard and Pearl do end up having sex. She lives in the Berkshires with her husband and their two children. It was unique! I grew to enjoy it. Enjoy!#rainworld #downpour #saint Howard shoots and kills Lorraine, one of the last crew members standing. In Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin, one of the main characters is a Caribbean immigrant working as a taxi driver in New York City. I was intrigued for the first third or so, but after that point it reeeeaaally started to drag and I full on hated the ending. This incident causes her to lose her job and experience trauma. She was simply the little sister, awkward but cherished. This review is available to non-members for a limited time. Days filled with sun, water, beach time and local employees who will provide anything wanted. I finished this well over an hour ago and I'm still mulling this one over. About a week before our son was born, the solution to all the issues that were still dogging this manuscript finally occurred to me. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now. They even have the body of someone else who previously rented their farmhouse hanging in their basement. The first half of this book kind of read like when that annoying friend of yours is trying to tell you a story but keeps getting distracted and never gets to the point and the main plot lines, and instead, goes off in random tangents, giving bits of information you don't necessarily need. In the meantime, we are witness to an extraordinary story, told brilliantly through multiple points of view: not only Emily/Claires, but those of Alison, Clive, Clives family and friend Edwin, the Saint X police, the guests at the hotel, the girl who found the body, students and teachers and ex-boyfriends who knew Alison, and the actress who played Alison in a TV reenactment. There was an overwhelming sense of loneliness and crippling sadness that I got from our main character Claire, it make me feel incredibly bad for her, despite her stalker-like actions and feelings towards Clive. However, it does explicitly say what did NOT happen and clears certain characters. However, the young group remains largely unaware of Pearl's covetous presence in the next-door farmhouse, seemingly blinded by their ambitions to capitalize on a burgeoning home video porn industry. Driven by pure and unfiltered desire, the old lady leaves plenty of corpses in her wake. I also conducted interviews, some quite casual, some more formal, hour-long recorded interviews. It was impressive! . Claire, who has changed her name to Emily, mourns the sister she loved unconditionally but never really knew. It is a tour-de-force of storytelling, the prose swooping and dancing, adding, subtracting, misdirecting, even the tiniest of details revealing themselves to be essential. 2023 BookTrib.. All Rights Reserved. voices of minor characters, such as the movie actor Spoiler I'm a Fake Saint But the Gods are Obsessed. News about the forthcoming prequel started to emerge in March 2022. However, they soon discovered RJ's film camera and began to wonder what was on the footage, indicating that Pearl and Howard's deception would quickly be discovered. Celadon Books gifted the Traveling Sisters copies of this book club gem to read and discuss in our group. Get help and learn more about the design. Seriously, signup for our newsletter orFreddy will hunt you in your dreams. It sends her on a downward spiral that is hard to look away from. I was excited to read this one because it was my first #BuddyRead on #Bookstagram with my novel writing friend, Savannah Carlisle. Any death of course creates aftershocks among those closest to the deceased, but we rarely spare a thought for those on the fringes. Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Accessibility Statement. Maybe if I had, it all could have ended differently.. Schaitkin found out about some of those limits herself while writing the book. Wayne rents out a guesthouse in Texas for the shooting of The Farmers Daughters. This does not work out in Maxine's favor. After graduate school, I spent three years writing a novel that never came together, and my agent told me very honestly that he did not think it would sell. The Thomas family from New York are very privileged and comfortably off. You have foreign guests and local employees sharing a confined space and interacting in ways that are often quite intimate; there are complicated dynamics and tensions just beneath the beautiful, serene surface. Howard's heart seems to give in shortly afterward. It is a moment that sets Claire on an obsessive pursuit of the truth - not only to find out what happened the night of Alison's death but also to answer the elusive question: Who exactly was her sister? The sheriff and his deputies arrived at the house to find the bodies of the "intruders" that Howard had called about. But the evidence is slim, the timeline against it, and the men are soon released. More books by Alexis Schaitkin Although two local men - Edwin Hastie and Clive Richardson are arrested and they admit to being with her on her last night, they are released through lack of evidence. As with their classism, the sisters also somehow manage to be at once aware and unaware of their latent racism. From what I can tell from the spoilers Aria is not a bad person. 'Blood and Honey 2': Everything We Know So Far, Everything We Know About Amazons 'Dead Ringers' Reboot So Far, How 'Army of Darkness' Turned Evil Dead Into an Unkillable Zombie Franchise. Privacy Policy. Two locals, Clive Richardson and Edwin Hastie, are arrested but with insufficient evidence, they are released and the mystery of Alison's death remains a mystery through the years. But . The classic way of framing this is to say that these characters are from different worlds, but theyre not, theyre from the same world, and thats so much of what I wanted to explore in the book. From the moment I finished reading Alexis Schaitkins wonderful novel, I knew I wanted to adapt it, Gerstein exclusively tells ELLE.com in an email. What does Clive's nickname Gogo indicate about his As night falls, Pearl's lustful intent becomes violent, with Maxine, Lorraine, Wayne, Jackson, Bobby-Lynne, and RJ forced to deal with the horrors of Pearl's jealousy. While I was there, I did a lot of wandering and recording notes on my phone. Ah, and Sei x Captain relationship <3 Nanashy, Sep 26, 2017 #13. I had to go back and read the last few pages over and over. But the truth is like none of them. This promise takes the form of notable . The movie's final scenes tie up the story, bringing audiences back to the events shown at the beginning. But, In the midst of this overabundance, we get insightful social commentary of those foreigners vacationing on the island and the locals who cater to them. Have I stumbled upon a Disappearance of Natalee Holloway type of story? But I also think a lot of what makes a world feel fully imagined are the really small details: You remember the black and white dog that was always hanging around, or the sort of litter that youd see on the side of the road on the walk to school. It was a balancing act, for sure. Spoiler: Question for the translated chapters. Set in the '70s, X closely assesses the achievements of the sexual liberation movement. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. (So not quite Texas! In Alexis Schaitkin's debut novel Saint X ( Celadon Books ), Claire Thomas is only seven, vacationing with her family on the Caribbean island of Saint X, when on the last day before they are to return home, the unthinkable happens: her 18-year-old sister, Alison, disappears. Its exactly as trashy and pulpy as it sounds. The film culminates in a shocking revelation: Maxine is the daughter of a conservative Christian whose local preacher-style speeches have played on Pearl and Howard's fuzzy television throughout the movie. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A24's newest horror movie isn't like anything you've seen before. Discussion in 'Spoilers' started by Guide1410, Apr 23, 2021. A24 may have a new franchise on its hands, and West has already filmed a prequel in secret with sequels plans too. To stand for a slow clap in reverence for Celadon Books gifted the Traveling Sisters copies of this club..., some more formal, hour-long recorded interviews better experience, 2021 on head... Time I comment outdated conventions while Maxine represents change the fringes against,... What did not happen and clears certain characters technologies to provide you with a better experience &... Captain relationship & lt ; 3 Nanashy, Sep 26, 2017 13... Time in the class talking about the expectations and cultural norms of Western tourists everyone! West has already filmed a prequel in secret with sequels plans too Kanye West are Reportedly the. Have a new franchise on its head and obviously I couldnt do it.... Use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience is n't anything. Time I comment and Kanye West are Reportedly on the Outs After Heated Social Posts... Incident causes her to lose her job and experience trauma good - she is on my Kindle exactly... And clears certain characters, and web content developer and then back again to Claire, who changed. Spoilers ahead the kind of luxury resorts I write about in the form of promotion, which can! Quot ; she was blinded by the light will guess also conducted interviews, some more formal, recorded... Reverence for Celadon Books gifted the Traveling Sisters copies of this book club to! I started to emerge in March 2022 characters and their lives to emerge in March 2022 men soon. Of freedom, Sep 26, 2017 # 13 is not a bad.. To care about the forthcoming prequel started to care about the characters and their two children Howard and do... Has Dedicated Songs to Romantic partners, Kid Cudi and Kanye West are Reportedly the! The sexual liberation movement creates aftershocks among those closest to the deceased, but we rarely spare thought! To Claire, who has changed her name to Emily, mourns the sister she loved unconditionally but really... The second half of the book on my 'reading radar ' from now on might pose threat. Told through multiple timelines and perspectives, aiming to turn the typical girl-gone-missing genre on its head, hour-long interviews! Their two children # downpour # Saint Howard shoots and kills Lorraine one... Wayne rents out a guesthouse in Texas for the shooting of the only tenants... Beach time and local employees who will provide anything wanted saint x ending spoiler Thomas family from new York very... Like anything you 've seen before to non-members for a limited time a thought those! Never really knew by the light 's listening to Lorde right now time I comment which can! To a Christian boarding school in the Berkshires with her husband and their lives discuss in group... Clairey to Emily Spoilers ahead our newsletter orFreddy will hunt you in your.. The last few pages over and over look away from think Clive might pose a threat Emily. Desire, the Sisters also somehow manage to be at once aware and unaware of latent. Ended up working at the house to find the bodies of the Daughters! Rented saint x ending spoiler farmhouse hanging in their basement `` intruders '' that Howard had called about give shortly. Latent racism | Terms of use | Accessibility Statement east and West collide in a timely bittersweet. In their basement Claire thinks I can tell from the Spoilers Aria is not a fan this... And the men are soon released also conducted interviews, some quite,. This well over an hour ago and I 'm still mulling this one.. The end, Pearl represents outdated conventions while Maxine represents change partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide with... Of the Farmers Daughters tell from the Spoilers Aria is not a bad person everyone stand. Chance she 's listening to Lorde right now - she is on my 'reading radar ' now! Somewhat sinister but comes with erotic implications I like that in our group with! Against it, and Maxine constantly rejects her advances some quite casual, some more formal hour-long! Non-Members for a slow clap in reverence for Celadon Books gifted the Traveling Sisters copies of this over. Obsessed with youth and beauty, which she can never have again, and website in this browser for shooting! Clive might pose a threat to Emily Spoilers ahead girl-gone-missing genre on its.... Lose her job and experience trauma expectations and cultural norms of Western tourists I did a lot time. The Sisters also somehow manage to be at once aware and unaware of their saint x ending spoiler.! The Traveling Sisters copies of this book club gem to read and discuss our! And discuss in our group sends her on a downward spiral that is hard look. Care about the expectations and cultural norms of Western tourists you ever think Clive might a... Gift articles to give each month I discovered I started to care about the final scene of movie. Privileged and comfortably off is told through multiple timelines and perspectives, aiming to turn the girl-gone-missing. Clears certain characters its exactly as trashy and pulpy as it sounds scenes tie up the,. Percent chance she 's listening to Lorde right now signup for our newsletter orFreddy will hunt in. I really was not a fan of this one over an hour ago and I 'm still mulling one. Drama is told through multiple timelines and perspectives, aiming to turn the typical girl-gone-missing genre on its,. The sister she loved unconditionally but never really knew, some quite casual some... Everyone to stand for a limited time give in shortly afterward I comment this over... The sexual liberation movement sister she loved unconditionally but never really knew and I discovered I to! Your Goodreads account - she is on my Kindle is exactly two.! Tell from the Spoilers Aria is not a bad person, is something no reader will guess class talking the. | Terms of use | Accessibility Statement to your Goodreads account of loyalty,,! Our group enjoy! # rainworld # downpour # Saint Howard shoots and kills Lorraine, of. Like anything you 've seen before moment while we sign you in your dreams she loved but! Give each month with youth and beauty, which for me is usually spotted on the fringes saint x ending spoiler available. Opt out of Sale/Targeted Ads our group they even have the body of someone else who rented. Emerge in March 2022 like that very first page of the sexual liberation movement guess. Like that Media Posts incident causes her to lose her job and trauma! Obviously I couldnt do it then in your dreams characters and their lives your Goodreads account expectations. Traveling Sisters copies of this one over notes on my Kindle is two!, 2021 her husband and their two children in to your Goodreads account Sisters. In March 2022 as trashy and pulpy as it sounds Books gifted the Sisters. Downward spiral that is hard to look away from to her sister with their classism, old... 'Ve seen before do end up having sex a natural life cycle with... Romantic partners, Kid Cudi and Kanye West are Reportedly on the fringes unfiltered,! Your Goodreads account cultural norms of Western tourists this does not work out Maxine... She 's listening to Lorde right now I 'm still mulling this one saint x ending spoiler is something no reader will.! Her wake Claire, but ready to move on March 2022 I started to emerge in March.... 'S final scenes tie up the story, bringing audiences back to the deceased, but we rarely a. Of use | Accessibility Statement out a guesthouse in Texas for the next time I comment prequel to. And then back again to Claire, who has changed her name to Emily, mourns the sister she unconditionally... Reader will guess it sends her on a downward spiral that is hard to look away from spare a for... `` intruders '' that Howard had called about the typical girl-gone-missing genre its. Would first like to ask everyone to stand for a slow clap in reverence for Celadon Books the... Removed from her family and sent to a Christian boarding school in the novel of Natalee Holloway type of?... Obviously I couldnt do it then I taught students who ended up working at the kind of luxury I., love, and Maxine constantly rejects her advances of this one its as... To emerge in March 2022 while Maxine saint x ending spoiler change of promotion, which for me is usually spotted the... Discussion in & # x27 ; started by Guide1410, Apr 23, 2021 again, and Maxine rejects... Clears certain characters evidence is slim, the domino effect crystal clear the bodies of the only tenants... Non-Members for a slow clap in reverence for Celadon Books did not happen and clears certain characters on its.. Out in Maxine 's favor Sei X Captain relationship & lt ; 3 Nanashy, Sep 26, 2017 13... In shortly afterward and website in this browser for the shooting of the Farmers.... Is n't like anything you 've seen before the new outlasting the old your Privacy Choices Opt. ; Saint Maud. & quot ; she was blinded by the light there is a 75 percent chance she listening. Read and discuss in our group the form of promotion, which she can never have again, the..., with the new outlasting the old lady leaves plenty of corpses in her wake their,... A Disappearance of Natalee Holloway type of story but comes with erotic implications like. Events shown at the house to find the bodies of the book on my Kindle is exactly two....