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erinreadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Once the plot picks up around the 50% mark, it gets interesting and I began to get invested in the mystery of the house and the people surrounding it. I was entertained as Opal unraveled it but I must admit it was pretty frustrating that she withheld so much information from her brother with no real explanation. If it came from some sort of desire to have something for herself, it might have been nice for the author to have alluded to that, but without explanation it was almost infuriating that she wasn’t sharing this information she was finding out.
I liked all the secondary characters and I wish we got to spend more time with them, perhaps seeing more interaction with them in the first half to invest the reader a bit more.
Ultimately, the end was more or less rewarding as everything was revealed, but I wasn’t rooting for Opal as much as I was rooting for everyone else around her.
Read if you don’t mind slowly paced dark mysteries with light mythological elements.
Graphic: Violence and Gore
Minor: Suicide, Racism, Car accident, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Child abuse, Bullying, Incest, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
roseleebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The story was atmospheric and had an interesting take on how stories change and evolve depending on the teller. I especially enjoyed the way the ending was handled.
I did find that the story dragged a little in the middle and the romance felt rushed. However, the house as a character and the side characters made up for this in a lot of ways. Their influence and contribution helps to keep the slower middle portion interesting, as well as providing some counter to Opal's viewpoint and narrative.
The main character, Opal, is flawed but in a way that allows us to sympathize. She makes many mistakes and while she doesn't face any truly dire consequences, she does have to reconcile the outcome of her actions.
I keep thinking about her and her actions and the way she approaches life. I can't fully decide if I like her as a character or not. I suppose that's a comment on Harrow's effectiveness as a writer. I will definitely be rereading this at some point.
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Car accident, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse
megnut's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Sexism, Classism, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Abandonment, and Police brutality
Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Confinement, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Bullying
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Sexual violence, and Incest
laurenmiller100's review against another edition
4.0
- Characters: 7
- Atmosphere/Setting: 8
- Writing Style: 9
- Plot: 7
- Intrigue: 8
- Logic/Relationships: 8
- Enjoyment: 6
This books is pretty good! It’s really cool take on the haunted house. I really enjoyed the build up of tension and mystery. Opal is an unusual heroine, and while that can make her frustrating, it also makes her interesting. There were times where I wish the book did more though. I think if it had leaned further into horror, it would’ve been a better book.
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child death
micheala's review against another edition
3.0
There is a plot, however this does feel like the characters are the main focus. It's hard, because most of the characters are very unlikeable however that's clearly the point. It's also in first person, which always knocks down my enjoyment a little.
At the beginning we had these fun footnotes that kinda just stop, as if the author forgot that was a thing she was doing. I wish they had continued, especially based on how the ending of the book was framed.
There are a lot of topics that fall into content warnings that feel more in line when you view this as a horror novel rather than a fantasy novel. None of them are super graphic, but they are clearly on page.
The prose was good, and I might give Harrow another go with a book that has a more appealing premise.
Moderate: Murder, Blood, Classism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Alcohol, Incest, Xenophobia, Body horror, Gore, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Grief, Car accident, Child abuse, and Child death
katielouisef's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, and Child abuse
brewdy_reader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘰𝘨 • 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 • 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭
𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 3 𝘖𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.75)
"𝑪𝒐𝒛𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓" may sound like an oxymoron but is a perfectly fitting description for this book. 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℍ𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖 had me from the jump: the atmopshere, the scenes and the setting of rural Appalachia - poor "backwater" Kentucky - the underdog narrator (Opal), the sentient house, the depth of the writing, the nuance, the civil war battle references, the witty banter between Arthur and Opal, the sarcasm and the strife, the mystery and the misery.... loved it all. Until the last 20% which was a lackluster fever dream of a final act. No spoilers here, but it fell flat for me relative to the rest of the book. I had to dock a star for that.
I still think this was worth the read and would recommend, because the rest of the book was well done and the atmosphere perfectly gothic. How many times can you say you read a cozy horror novel? I also loved how Arthur and Opal are not your traditional "beautiful" and "handsome" heroes. They are hardened, cunning, ruthless, flawed, shunned, and maybe even a bit ugly. They don't always make the right choices, and yet even these outcasts may make a house a home.
Minor: Gore, Incest, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
jerseynoonatic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Deportation, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Slavery, Vomit, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Police brutality, Violence, Cursing, Drug use, and Death of parent
story_goblin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Car accident
Moderate: Bullying, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Slavery, Blood, Body horror, Sexual content, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Incest, Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
katievallin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Blood, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Violence, Racism, Stalking, Classism, Cursing, Mental illness, Slavery, and Vomit
Minor: Drug use, Murder, Outing, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Child abuse, Child death, Body horror, Lesbophobia, and Incest