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katiebella_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
3.75⭐️
Triggers : ⚠️
Dead babies
Hurt children
Dead pets
Bugs
Summery
Susan thinks she has found the perfect apartment for her and her little family. Her three year old Emma loves it. Her husband Alex is happy with the space and the price. It even has a small room to be her art studio!
Then strange things start happening. Little things at first. Weird smells and an annoying ping sound, followed by the bugs. Only she seems to get bitten. Only she seems to see them. The thought keeps consuming her. Even an exterminator can't find a trace of bed bugs.
But bedbugs are all over the news. The city is having an outbreak. Every newspaper reports it. This can't be all in her mind. Can it?
My Thoughts
I had a hard time with this book. I'm not quite sure why. It's well written. The plot moves along relatively quickly. It's a fairly short novel. I just couldn't seem to get fully engrossed in it until the last hundred or so pages. I found it easy to put down and forget about. What should have been an afternoon read turned into several days. It might have been the bugs. The constant talk of bedbugs was so descriptive that it actually had me itching and worrying about my own home! ( like I stated, well written. Very well written)
I found the FMC, Susan, likable and relatable. The fact that she is slowly being driven insane by phantom creepy crawlies notwithstanding. She is easy to understand. Even when thinking and fixating on the unthinkable, I couldn't help but feel bad for her. There is a realness to her that brought her very much alive for me.
I'm not sure what genre this book falls under. Somewhere between psychological thriller and psychological horror. It's thrilling and realistic to it cote. While remaining disturbing and grotesque. I'm not sure I would read anything else by this author, but I don't regret reading this book. The ending was truly everything, and then some. I do recommend. Just be warned you may start itching while reading!
Triggers : ⚠️
Dead babies
Hurt children
Dead pets
Bugs
Summery
Susan thinks she has found the perfect apartment for her and her little family. Her three year old Emma loves it. Her husband Alex is happy with the space and the price. It even has a small room to be her art studio!
Then strange things start happening. Little things at first. Weird smells and an annoying ping sound, followed by the bugs. Only she seems to get bitten. Only she seems to see them. The thought keeps consuming her. Even an exterminator can't find a trace of bed bugs.
But bedbugs are all over the news. The city is having an outbreak. Every newspaper reports it. This can't be all in her mind. Can it?
My Thoughts
I had a hard time with this book. I'm not quite sure why. It's well written. The plot moves along relatively quickly. It's a fairly short novel. I just couldn't seem to get fully engrossed in it until the last hundred or so pages. I found it easy to put down and forget about. What should have been an afternoon read turned into several days. It might have been the bugs. The constant talk of bedbugs was so descriptive that it actually had me itching and worrying about my own home! ( like I stated, well written. Very well written)
I found the FMC, Susan, likable and relatable. The fact that she is slowly being driven insane by phantom creepy crawlies notwithstanding. She is easy to understand. Even when thinking and fixating on the unthinkable, I couldn't help but feel bad for her. There is a realness to her that brought her very much alive for me.
I'm not sure what genre this book falls under. Somewhere between psychological thriller and psychological horror. It's thrilling and realistic to it cote. While remaining disturbing and grotesque. I'm not sure I would read anything else by this author, but I don't regret reading this book. The ending was truly everything, and then some. I do recommend. Just be warned you may start itching while reading!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, and Murder
bakerreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Death, Gore, Self harm, Gaslighting, and Torture
Bugs
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