Saint Catherine: A Tale of Possession and Redemption

I’m heading into what is my third week of school. I’m only taking one class (Anatomy and Physiology). I don’t know how I did five classes back in the day. Maybe it’s because I’m older or the class is harder but I’m struggling and buried under a mountain of flash cards. I enjoyed this break spending time in Catherine’s world and hope you will enjoy it too.

I got Saint Catherine as an arc through NetGalley. And my opinions are my own.

Synopsis

In her 20-something years of existence, Catherine never skipped mass once. As a recovering Irish American Catholic, she has mostly traded the world of communion and confessionals for the “city-girl” struggle of work-life balance, family, and her relationships. But she can’t shake the feeling that if she misses Mass something bad will happen to her.

Her fears come to life when she skips Mass for the first time to go out with her boyfriend and explore the city. She discovers she is now possessed by a being that claims to be the prince of hell. After her first bit of incredulity, she takes matters into her own hands trying to exorcise her own demons both paranormal and emotional.

In the process, Catherine must deal with her upbringing and the ghosts of her childhood fears about heaven, hell, and her own morality.

Saint Catherine is a stirring and cathartic tale about the power and downside of faith and the effect of childhood fears. It focuses on the importance of letting go of guilt and taking responsibility for your hopes, desires, and mistakes.

Review

While I’m not religious myself I definitely have plenty of friends with religious trauma, it is easy to see the effects of religion on people around me, anywhere from the Catholic guilt which so prevalent to the enforced morality. I also live in the American South where religion is big, and while it is not the same flavor as Catherine’s its easy to see how I might still be affected by it after being soaked in the culture.

Guilt is a big theme of this book. It is done well because you question whether or not Catherine’s actions are coming from the demon who is infesting her or her own guilt at her past actions. Throughout the process of being possessed, she starts to tell the truth about things she kept hidden.

However, the demon challenges if she is simply doing that because she wants to get rid of him leading Catherine to question her own actions. I think this is a good parallel for the way religion makes you question your own actions. Are you doing things because you are a good person, or because you fear punishment?

There is a twist at the end of the book. And while some people may feel a little cheated by it. I find it ties in with the B plot that is going on with Catherine’s friend very well. But to each their own. I’d give this book five stars, it is brilliant in its exploration of themes with great art and a solid story.

Amazon: Saint Catherine