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I was once a mega fan of the Southern Gothic genre, thanks to Faulkner casting a soupy spell over me. Books like As I Lay Dying, The Sound and the Fury, Light in August, and Absalom! Absalom! are absolute masterpieces. As years pass, I have since lost interest in the genre (except for reading Faulkner); although I do come back to it every now and then if something peaks my interest. Just last year, I read Lark and Termite. Wasn’t a fan. Let’s just say it was a pour parody of The Sound and the Fury. And now another Southern Gothic book comes along, entitled Bloodroot. Unfortunately, the book is yet another parody in a long line of epic southern family dramas. My best recommendation is this: want Southern Gothic? Read Faulkner. O’Connor is okay, too. But just okay. Bloodroot was longwinded and silly, too full of sub par scenery and scene descriptions. There are a lot of characters that weave in and out, all of which are one dimensional. Young girls run off with their lovers and get married. Then they realize they made a mistake they can't fix. It's all been done before. I give it a 4/10.