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hauntedtesty's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
smpeeden's review
4.0
I liked this book and found the premise pretty interesting. The main issue I had with it was that it read like a sequel where you already know the characters. There wasn't enough exposition for them, and it had the unfortunate side effect of reducing what seemed like excellent characters to their disabilities/neurodivergence/queerness and a handful of quirks. However, I feel like I still got a good sense of them despite this. I also felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end, which could just be set up for a possible sequel, perhaps? There were some grammar issues, but they didn't take away from the story too much. As a whole, I really enjoyed this. I liked Morgan as a main character, and I enjoyed how empathetic and compassionate the whole book was. I've never seen ghosts framed in a disability rights light, so seeing "ghost rights" as a huge part of this novel was incredibly compelling.
phenexrose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
queserasarah_'s review
3.0
I was pulled into the hallways of Casswell Mansion with the promise of a fantastic story: a neuro-divergent found-family comprised of those both living and deceased. While I did get to know some beautifully unique characters, the overall plot, unfortunately, fell a bit flat towards the end.
But first, the things that I liked! I'm not sure if it was intentional on the author's part, but I appreciated how slowly we got to know the characters - methodically unpacking their various personalities and traits. Neuro-divergent or not, I feel like people have the habit of putting characters in a box based on whatever unique attribute they might display at the beginning of a book. So it was refreshing to get to know them more organically.
Another thing I enjoyed a lot was the parallels and comparisons made between neurodivergency, queerness, race, and ghosts. Morgan, our main character, makes several comments about how ghosts, while on a different plane of existence, are still people and should be treated with the same care and respect as anyone else. The book's overarching theme is that our differences, even those less corporeal, shouldn't give license to being treated differently or unfairly.
As amazing as it was to get to know the characters, the book's actual plot is where it seemed to be lacking. While slow, I'd say the first 60-ish% of the book was enjoyable because it was so heavily character-driven, but once we started to get to the more plot-driven aspects, it took a bit of a nosedive. What was supposed to be the most climactic and exciting scene in the book felt disjointed. The only way I can describe it is that instead of sitting to watch a movie yourself, it feels more like someone else is watching a movie in the next room with the door cracked, and you only get bits and pieces of what's going on. Furthermore, there are breaks in the writing and fragmented sentences that don't at all fit what's happening in the story. I don't know if that was a stylistic choice on the author's part, but the narrative loses a lot of fluidity and gets muddled and confusing.
Overall, I think the story's premise was fascinating and had a lot of potential, but the actual execution was lacking for me.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars rounded up to 3!
Thank you, NetGalley and Robot Dinosaur Press, for the ARC!
But first, the things that I liked! I'm not sure if it was intentional on the author's part, but I appreciated how slowly we got to know the characters - methodically unpacking their various personalities and traits. Neuro-divergent or not, I feel like people have the habit of putting characters in a box based on whatever unique attribute they might display at the beginning of a book. So it was refreshing to get to know them more organically.
Another thing I enjoyed a lot was the parallels and comparisons made between neurodivergency, queerness, race, and ghosts. Morgan, our main character, makes several comments about how ghosts, while on a different plane of existence, are still people and should be treated with the same care and respect as anyone else. The book's overarching theme is that our differences, even those less corporeal, shouldn't give license to being treated differently or unfairly.
As amazing as it was to get to know the characters, the book's actual plot is where it seemed to be lacking. While slow, I'd say the first 60-ish% of the book was enjoyable because it was so heavily character-driven, but once we started to get to the more plot-driven aspects, it took a bit of a nosedive. What was supposed to be the most climactic and exciting scene in the book felt disjointed. The only way I can describe it is that instead of sitting to watch a movie yourself, it feels more like someone else is watching a movie in the next room with the door cracked, and you only get bits and pieces of what's going on. Furthermore, there are breaks in the writing and fragmented sentences that don't at all fit what's happening in the story. I don't know if that was a stylistic choice on the author's part, but the narrative loses a lot of fluidity and gets muddled and confusing.
Overall, I think the story's premise was fascinating and had a lot of potential, but the actual execution was lacking for me.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars rounded up to 3!
Thank you, NetGalley and Robot Dinosaur Press, for the ARC!
fairestofthestars's review
3.0
This is a story about a queer, neurodivergent, found family, who shares a home, a sanctuary, with a bunch of ghosts besides their living, human members. Morgan, the person we follow, shares the house with their partner Araminta, Vinnie, and their kid Theo, Denny, Holly, Saeed, and Alison. They are all neurodivergent, they all see ghosts and they're each other's family. They also provide a safe space for the ghosts living with them. But when a mysterious man leaves a bunch of old, old bottles containing trapped ghosts, something sinister starts happening in their house. And now Morgan and the rest of their family need to figure out how to save both the ghosts and themselves.
I really enjoyed this story a lot! For the majority of the book, this is a very character-driven story, and that truly is its strong point. I loved all of the characters, and I enjoyed learning about them and their little safe haven. They are all autistic and range in age from 10 years old (Theo) to Denny, who's an older man. They all have their struggles and strengths, and I like how they're all appreciated in their household. I love how they include the ghosts, like when eating meals (even though ghosts don't eat - but some just like to be included), and respecting the ghosts' autonomy the best they can, given the limited communication.
In terms of the plot and the action, it is a very quiet book. I found myself more enjoying the first half, which was intentionally such. The author took their time introducing the characters and their personalities, dynamics, and their stories. The main conflict in the book is slowly introduced and felt quite secondary even when the situation heated up. The main conflict of the story culminates in a fight between the main characters and the villain of the story, and that scene felt drawn-out but also it didn't have enough build-up. I mentioned how I very much enjoyed just getting to know the characters for the first half of the book, and while that is absolutely true, it still left something to be desired in the build-up of the main conflict. I am being purposefully vague, so as to not spoil anything.
My main issue seems to be with the plot, and somewhat with the pacing. As I mentioned, the book is very slow to build, which while doing a service to the characters, is doing a disservice to the overall plot. So the book suffers from being slightly inconsistent. There are topics that are explored in-depth, such as the matter of ghost corporeality but also the question of consent (which I am all for, I am not complaining about that!) but some questions were definitely left open and unanswered. So, while I really enjoyed that some topics were well incorporated into the book, I feel like balancing those with the other themes a bit more would have been better.
Ultimately, what I loved the most about the book, and what drew me to it in the first place, were the characters. Their dynamics are unconventional, and exactly what I wanted and hoped for in this book. I think the characters are really the main focus, but I will say that I wish they got introduced a bit better. It took me a moment to follow along with who's who - as all of the living people and ghosts are named at the very beginning, but we're not given proper introductions for all of them. As I mentioned, the action scenes and the lack of build-up are what, in the end, made me lower my rating. I will say, I think the way it was written is intentional, as we follow the story through Morgan's experiences. So, in a way, it would make sense that something awful happening to them would be presented as something disjointed and messy, as that is how those situations must feel. However, I still wish, from a reader's perspective, that it was written a bit differently.
All in all, I did enjoy this book, and I would recommend it! It has a great found family aspect, and that is one of my favorite tropes, so reading this was a no-brainer for me. If you are interested in it, and you love more quiet and understated action, I say give it a go, you might enjoy it even more than I did!!
Thank you to Book Sirens for providing me with an eARC!
I really enjoyed this story a lot! For the majority of the book, this is a very character-driven story, and that truly is its strong point. I loved all of the characters, and I enjoyed learning about them and their little safe haven. They are all autistic and range in age from 10 years old (Theo) to Denny, who's an older man. They all have their struggles and strengths, and I like how they're all appreciated in their household. I love how they include the ghosts, like when eating meals (even though ghosts don't eat - but some just like to be included), and respecting the ghosts' autonomy the best they can, given the limited communication.
In terms of the plot and the action, it is a very quiet book. I found myself more enjoying the first half, which was intentionally such. The author took their time introducing the characters and their personalities, dynamics, and their stories. The main conflict in the book is slowly introduced and felt quite secondary even when the situation heated up. The main conflict of the story culminates in a fight between the main characters and the villain of the story, and that scene felt drawn-out but also it didn't have enough build-up. I mentioned how I very much enjoyed just getting to know the characters for the first half of the book, and while that is absolutely true, it still left something to be desired in the build-up of the main conflict. I am being purposefully vague, so as to not spoil anything.
My main issue seems to be with the plot, and somewhat with the pacing. As I mentioned, the book is very slow to build, which while doing a service to the characters, is doing a disservice to the overall plot. So the book suffers from being slightly inconsistent. There are topics that are explored in-depth, such as the matter of ghost corporeality but also the question of consent (which I am all for, I am not complaining about that!) but some questions were definitely left open and unanswered. So, while I really enjoyed that some topics were well incorporated into the book, I feel like balancing those with the other themes a bit more would have been better.
Ultimately, what I loved the most about the book, and what drew me to it in the first place, were the characters. Their dynamics are unconventional, and exactly what I wanted and hoped for in this book. I think the characters are really the main focus, but I will say that I wish they got introduced a bit better. It took me a moment to follow along with who's who - as all of the living people and ghosts are named at the very beginning, but we're not given proper introductions for all of them. As I mentioned, the action scenes and the lack of build-up are what, in the end, made me lower my rating. I will say, I think the way it was written is intentional, as we follow the story through Morgan's experiences. So, in a way, it would make sense that something awful happening to them would be presented as something disjointed and messy, as that is how those situations must feel. However, I still wish, from a reader's perspective, that it was written a bit differently.
All in all, I did enjoy this book, and I would recommend it! It has a great found family aspect, and that is one of my favorite tropes, so reading this was a no-brainer for me. If you are interested in it, and you love more quiet and understated action, I say give it a go, you might enjoy it even more than I did!!
Thank you to Book Sirens for providing me with an eARC!
emshark's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
kenfoxley's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
This book took me by surprise. I didn't know what this was about going into it and I was pleasantly surprised by how the author wrote the characters. There was so much representation in this, different characters who all have different neurodivergent characteristics. Autism, ADHD, ADD, anxiety, depression, disabilities, physical or otherwise. I found the ending extremely wordy when they were fighting the ghost eater . But at the same time, the main character wasn't much of a talker either. They communicated a lot with text messages or writing things down and no one gave them crap for it. I think it had to be wordy because the character themselves did not really speak.
I give this 4.25 stars just because I felt like the ending was too rushed. Half the time I didn't really realize what was happening.How do you fight a ghost that is taking over humans? How do you take the life force of a ghost that makes it fade faster? Maybe I don't know that much about ghosts after all, or this is just someone's take on ghosts and how they respond to their environment and live through time. But overall I did enjoy it! I love that this wasn't your typical "ghost story" but rather how to get along with them and live among them.
I give this 4.25 stars just because I felt like the ending was too rushed. Half the time I didn't really realize what was happening.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Blood, Child abuse, and Child death
queerspoons's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
This book had potential. The premise was exciting, and the cast of characters was diverse and endearing, however that’s where things fell flat for me.
To start, the ensemble was so vast that it felt that you didn’t really get to know any of them past their disabilities and challenges operating in a neurotypical, cisgender, heterosexual world. I believe in an attempt to highlight these differences in the characters, they were made one-note.
The novel also had very little in terms of plot. The majority of the writing was focused on the characters, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but when you couple it with writing that is blanketed by monotonous descriptions of the characters’ struggles, it leaves something to be desired. Plot points seemed glossed over or quickly described and then we move on.
Third, and perhaps most glaring, was the need for another revision. The writing had typos, potentially misgendered one of the characters more than once (though that could be misunderstanding on my part from unclear writing structures), was repetitive, and relied too heavily on fractured sentences.
I believe this book had promise, but the execution was faulty for me.
This book had potential. The premise was exciting, and the cast of characters was diverse and endearing, however that’s where things fell flat for me.
To start, the ensemble was so vast that it felt that you didn’t really get to know any of them past their disabilities and challenges operating in a neurotypical, cisgender, heterosexual world. I believe in an attempt to highlight these differences in the characters, they were made one-note.
The novel also had very little in terms of plot. The majority of the writing was focused on the characters, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but when you couple it with writing that is blanketed by monotonous descriptions of the characters’ struggles, it leaves something to be desired. Plot points seemed glossed over or quickly described and then we move on.
Third, and perhaps most glaring, was the need for another revision. The writing had typos, potentially misgendered one of the characters more than once (though that could be misunderstanding on my part from unclear writing structures), was repetitive, and relied too heavily on fractured sentences.
I believe this book had promise, but the execution was faulty for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
circereads's review
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book is delightful and I really loved having everyone be neurodivergent and queer, building the family nearly all of us dream of. The ghost story is compelling and lovely, and the time shifts work beautifully to weave together two stories into one. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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