Reviews - House of the Beast

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394 reviews for:

House of the Beast

Michelle Wong

4.01 AVERAGE

csu572's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

bookmothmaeve's review against another edition

3.75

I wanted to like this more but the marketing was misleading and I wasn’t a big fan of the ending. However, I would still recommend this book.

Content Warnings

careb's review against another edition

3.25

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

anreha's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A solidly good read, finished in a day. There were parts of it that dragged on and were a bit tedious, which is why its not quite a 5/5 for me. But overall, the story was fantastic.

buggy3411's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

zaiphon's review against another edition

3.5

hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I’ve been in a major reading slump lately and struggling to commit to a book. The beautiful artwork of House of the Beast pulled me in, and I figured a fantasy standalone might be just what I needed to break through.

The story promises a gothic-tinged tale of gods, beasts, family, and the emotional struggles of Alma, our FMC. And while it does deliver on much of that, readers expecting fast-paced action or heavy magic-wielding may come away a bit disappointed. Instead, the novel leans into a strong, steady narrative voice that carries us through Alma’s inner turmoil as she grows up under the command of her estranged father.

There are plenty of rich descriptions of the world and its creatures, and the settings carry a gothic, atmospheric quality that deepens the history and weight of the story. But by the time the action seemed ready to really ramp up, I realized I was already well past the halfway point. Many characters emerge as integral to Alma’s journey, yet much of the tension is filtered through her inner monologue rather than through on-page conflict.

In many ways, Alma’s relationship with Aster reads less like a straightforward plotline and more like an allegory for deeper struggles—mental health, loneliness, and self-perception. At its heart, the book felt like a coming-of-age and self-discovery tale, wrapped in a fantasy backdrop.

I really enjoyed the read for what it was, and the illustrations are stunning—they add a vivid dimension to everything the narrative builds. Michelle Wong is definitely a creator to watch, and I’m excited to see what she does next.