Reviews

Remains by Andrew Cull

monty_reads's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

stranger_sights's review against another edition

5.0

You can check out my full review at: https://strangersights.com/remains-by-andrew-cull/

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for Goodreads

While much of the goings on in this story (and apparently the real life case upon which it was based) can be attributed to the depths of the mother’s grief, it can’t all. There is a definite sense of something evil lurking within the walls of 1428 Montgomery. But what is it? Where did it come from? Perhaps most importantly, what does it want?

shelikesitscary's review

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

I thought about sitting on this one before I shared my thoughts, but maybe it’s best I don’t. I was going to wait until my chest didn’t feel as heavy, and the knot in my stomach went away, but that’s what this book is all about. It’s about the worst possible nightmare you could ever have. It’s 200 pages of a living nightmare and all the emotions we try so hard to avoid and look away from. Sometimes it was so horrible I felt like I wanted to look away because it made me a little uncomfortable. Thank god for happy endings though, right? Right? 
Would I recommend it? Yea sure. Get your heart ripped out a little. It builds character. 

tekt's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.0

whatathymeitwas's review

5.0

This book was a suckerpunch. Straight to the gut. Like many others said, it started a little slow, but once it picks up, you aren't slowing down or taking a moment to breathe any time soon.

I would go into this as blind as possible, I knew the basic blurb but avoided all reviews before reading, the worst possible thing is seeing a spoiler for a horror novel. I read this in one night, snuggled into bed next to my toddler. By the end I didn't want to put my feet on the ground because of the darkness under my bed, and I cuddled my kiddo that much tighter.

If you have kids, this will resonate hard and painfully, and fill you with absolute dread and instinctive terror, it might leave you wondering what if's anytime your kids leave the house. If you're an empathetic person, you'll be hurting along with the characters, inching through the darkness with them, holding your breath with every step.

I don't really give five stars. I read a lot of books and most tend to fall in the three star range. My five stars tend to go towards the lines of Stephen King and Shirley Jackson and Clive Barker and the like. But this book holds its own easily, and for being a quick one night read, it packs a hell of a punch and the impact will ring through your teeth.

catsandbones's review

dark mysterious fast-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? No

2.0

hwalk91's review

5.0

Guys, this book was sooo good! Remains is a story about a mother's grief and her desperation to connect with her lost son one more time. Her son's death was gruesome and Lucy feels a pull from the house where Alex's murder took place. And if you want to know the awesomely creepy things that happen because of that, you'll have to read it yourself

paulabellman's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This book was difficult to read due to the overwhelming grief of the murdered boy's mother. I would not say this was an enjoyable read but the story itself was good. 

The 4 starts is due to a less than satisfactory ending.

readbydusk's review

5.0

Remains is an absolutely devastating read. It’s about a woman whose son was murdered and she returns to the house where it happened. Strange things occur and she’s convinced it’s her son’s ghost contacting her. I don’t do well with stories about child deaths so this was hard to read at times and the level of violence (on other characters too!) had me cringing. I wanted more information because I didn’t fully understand why her son died.

This is a fantastic horror story about memories, grief and holding on to something that is lost. It also has some TRULY scary moments! I think this might be one of my faves of the year. Recommended but only if you’re emotionally okay with the subject matter!

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slxtty_academia's review

5.0

CW: murder, death of a child, suicidal ideation, suicide, gun violence, grief

Imma need a minute, I'm kinda dead inside rn.
Jesus Christ that was fucked up.
This NEEDS to be turned into a movie.
Get on it Ari Aster!