The Twin Peaks vibes were absolutely on point, and that was my favorite part of this novella.

I really liked the story, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it needed more room to breathe. I wanted to know so much more about the lore because the world was genuinely intriguing, it just didn't feel explored enough for me.

The characters were amazing, my heart broke for Samira, Noor, and Kylie. Their stories were genuinely heartbreaking, and I found myself much more invested in them than I expected.

There were a few things that didn't work for me, though. The podcast chapter felt really out of place, and if it were up to me, I would have cut it completely.

This one kind of fizzled out for me as the story went on. It seemed to focus more on the characters rather than the world it had created, which is fine but not really my preferred tastes. I enjoyed the premise and the beginning of the story was interesting enough to keep me reading, but I feel like the narrative kind of lost steam as things went on.

For fans of Twin Peaks, David Lynch, and generational trauma, look no further! This was a riveting read with powerful characters facing an oppressive force that for too long has been allowed to run rampant in the Pacific Northwest town of White Veil.

When the latest victim is found strung up like a marionette in the woods, it seems that things are only getting worse. Fed up with the town's complacency as more young women go missing or worse over the years, a group of residents concoct a plan to stop the cycle of violence and save future generations from a similar fate.

Juggling multiple POVs within a novella is a tall order, and the author manages it well, giving each character the proper depth and motivation to invest the reader in the story. In true Lynchian fashion, the scenes here are immersive and impactful, but the narrative does not hold your hand. So grab a slice of cherry pie, a damn fine cup of coffee, and buckle in for a surreal, exciting read that will entertain you and hopefully elicit a sense of rage at the injustices too often inflicted on the marginalized. Highly recommended!

This is an interesting take on the continuing inequality of women in general and specifically indigenous and women of colour and the violence perpetuated upon them. I enjoyed the narrative format moving between characters as well as the addition of the podcasters chapter. Due to the main characters being teens it can occasionally read as a YA but I don't personally think that's a bad thing as I loved The Summer I Ate The Rich. Honestly I think The Veils only downfall is it's length - I wanted to know more about the creation of the Veil, the roles the women played and more back story to the characters lives and life choices.

This had a really good premise and really caught my attention at the start. Some books when they change POV's it can be hard to follow, but this worked really well in this case. I did find that for me, more would have been better, it felt like by the time we got to the second half, we were really trying to fit everything in and get to the end of the book. This lead to me having to re-read some parts as I ended up a bit confused and would have liked it more fleshed out.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!!

i enjoyed this, but i feel it might have suffered because of its length. yes it's a novella but i feel like it might have benefitted from being a full length novel.

the horror though, is pretty on point. the goriness and the body horror (especially noor being strung up like a marionette and the body part of the other murdered girls) were done quite well. i mean, look at that cover. i always like small town horror, especially one that represents the cycle of violence (against women, especially those of colour in this case).

i like noor and kylie as characters, as symbols of being a girl yet one who can muster the power to put a stop to, 'distract' the big evil (the veil) from preying on more.

spoilers but personally i thought the whole 'exploding oneself' plan was very out there, but noor and samira died to stop the murders and i think that's huge.

my main critique is that 1) there are so many povs and some were too short for me to particularly care, like mike's sadly and 2) i needed more of an explanation on the lore, the wolves, the other god, and the various roles like the seer, shadow and attendents.

all in all a quick and entertaining read.

A small town with a history of murdered girls and supernatural secrets.

The Veil had a really intriguing premise, and I loved trying to figure out what exactly “the Veil” was and how everyone in the town was connected.

I think this novella tried to fit a little too much into its page count. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and whilst I loved the lore, it felt quite rushed so I was still a little confused at the end. I loved the ideas, but I wish there had been more time to explore them.

Overall, a strong start with an intriguing concept that just needed a bit more room to breathe.

⭐⭐⭐ rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley, Niyyah Ruscher-Haqq, and Waxing Crescent Quills for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

White Veil has learned to treat murdered girls like a fact of life. Noor Winters has other plans.

The Veil by Niyyah Ruscher-Haqq is a supernatural horror novella releasing September 25, 2026, from Waxing Crescent Quills. It is a short but ambitious story filled with mystery, murdered-woman rage, and a town that has become far too comfortable with its young women disappearing.

Noor Winters was supposed to graduate and escape White Veil. Instead, the model, activist, and homecoming queen is found murdered and strung among the evergreens. But Noor does not disappear quietly. As the people connected to her death begin uncovering what has been happening in White Veil, her anger becomes something powerful, supernatural, and increasingly difficult to contain.

The Veil reads almost like a dark, surreal vignette. It moves through several points of view while gradually revealing its mystery and supernatural rules. That made the beginning a little confusing for me. I already tend to struggle with multiple POVs, but I do think the extremely short length contributed to it. The complete ARC is listed at 112 pages, but the story itself ends around page 86. There is a lot happening in that limited space, and I had to go back and reread a few sections before everything fully clicked.

Once the mystery started unfolding, though, I was invested. I loved the subject matter and the fury behind Noor’s story. As a Native woman, the rage surrounding girls who disappear and the communities that allow them to be forgotten hit especially hard for me. Noor refuses to remain another silent victim, and that anger gives the book its strongest and most memorable moments.

The supernatural elements become extremely surreal toward the end, but the broader emotional outcome landed for me. Honestly, I think this story could have been longer. More room for the characters, shifting perspectives, and mythology to breathe would have made it easier to follow and given its ideas even more impact. Wanting more from such a short book is hardly the worst complaint to have.

I would recommend The Veil to readers who enjoy supernatural horror, dark fantasy, unconventional mysteries, female rage, and stories that are not afraid to get strange. Readers who need every supernatural element clearly explained may occasionally feel lost, but there is a lot of merit packed into this brief and memorable story.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Author Note: Thank you @waxingcrescentquills for providing this book for review consideration via @NetGalley. All opinions are my own.