Reviews

Remains by Andrew Cull

jasmeaniethebookish's review against another edition

5.0

This book was my favorite of the month by far. A story of grief, loss, and just how far a mother will go to do whatever she can for her children. Be that dead or alive. Lucy is driven to a breakdown by the murder of her young son. She commits herself to a psych ward and stays until she starts feeling a pull towards the house where the murder happened. Lucy can’t escape the need to be close to the house but to what end? This is a super dark, atmospheric book (there might be a theme here) but holy wow, is it ever worth it. Remains was most definitely a 5 star read!

theboldbookworm's review against another edition

4.0

This was a very unique take on a haunting. It was heartbreaking at times reading about the feelings of a mother who has lost her child. There were some very chilling moments as well. I had a sense of foreboding through much of the book. It ended up turning out completely different from what I expected, and that is a good thing. I look forward to reading more from Andrew Cull!

bozzi1's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

4.25

There’s a lot to love about this book, particularly if you’re a fan of grief horror. It’s a slow burn, but at just over 200 pages it’s easily worth the build up. The author does a fantastic job of creating a dark, unsettling atmosphere.  There are moments that are genuinely creepy.  If you’re reading alone in the dark, expect to turn on a light after you feel goosebumps on your arm or a chill on your neck. 

There was one plot point early on that didn’t make sense to me and a couple of things that felt unfinished as the author left them, which is what kept Remains from being a full five stars, but I’m seriously impressed with this debut novel.

rhiandroid_'s review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

paperbacksandpines's review against another edition

3.0

I love a good haunted house book. The premise this story was based on was intriguing - a grief-stricken mother trying to reach out to her lost child through spiritualism. The grief that the mother in this story was going through put her on the knife edge of madness. The lengths she was willing to go to in order to get in touch with her dead son was unfathomable to a reader who's never been driven to the edge.

This book wasn't that scary for me. I'd personally prefer a comparable haunted house book by Darcy Coates to this book, something along the lines of [b:The Haunting of Ashburn House|30646488|The Haunting of Ashburn House|Darcy Coates|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1466297768l/30646488._SY75_.jpg|51187708] or Cherie Priest's [b:The Family Plot|25543181|The Family Plot|Cherie Priest|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431700446l/25543181._SX50_.jpg|45335275].

theliteraryhooker's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I think I'm realizing I just don't love this particular brand of grief horror. Cull's writing is very good, as always, but I struggled to connect with the main character's decisions. I finished this about a week ago and unfortunately it hasn't really stuck with me the way Cull's other works have. Not a bad book, just a case of it not being the right book for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Child death, and Gore

sjgomzi's review against another edition

5.0

This was my first time reading Andy Cull, and it certainly won’t be my last. This Is a haunted house story that delivers. This book is terrifying. I actually felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up while reading this book alone, in my bed, in a dark quiet house. Every time my floor creaked, or my furnace fired up, my nerves became frayed. This was a brutal, emotionally draining read. I have never seen grief portrayed so well on the written page. A real page turner that provides great scares while also putting you through an emotional ringer, making you feel thankful for everything good in your life. Fantastic book!

piggottc's review against another edition

5.0

Well I’m freaking the fuck out

rcliffordolson's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

keithhanson's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.75