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3.13 AVERAGE
3.13 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
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:
No
This is hard to rate! I loved the premise and enjoyed the book but it was more thriller than horror (it was tagged as horror). Horror book rating: 3 stars. Fun creepy thriller rating: 4 stars
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There were a few memorable scenes but it just becomes absurd by the end
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
maybe i’ll come back to this at another time, but it’s just so… slow and in a boring sorta way, i just can’t seem to get into it.
I was intrigued going into The House Of Last Resort after seeing some mixed reviews and thoughts on it. Overall, though, I found it an enjoyable experience, albeit one that doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to this style of horror.
Tommy's grandparents live in the idyllic but slowly dying Italian town of Becchina. After his father fell out with his grandfather, they stopped visiting, and Tommy began to lose his connection with the area. When his wife Kate sees an offer from the local government to buy abandoned houses for €1, they decide to purchase a beautiful property and begin building a new life for themselves. However, Tommy's Nonna is furious when she realises which house they purchased, and before long they start hearing strange sounds at night and disturbing rumours from locals—and start to wonder if there's more to their new home than meets the eye.
This is a fairly standard, albeit very good, take on the religious horror tropes. The possession elements are well done, drawing from small-town superstition and familial relationships and trauma, and I thought the story built to an interesting climax. The prose is very good, with Golden showing his skill in the genre while drawing from the likes of The Exorcist.
I can see why a lot of people didn't like the book as much as me. It's very much a slow burn, with things really escalating only in the third act—and even then may not get as crazy as some people would want. I'm a big fan of character-driven stories, and I love getting lost in a small town with colourful characters and a lingering sense of mystery and dread, which Becchina gave me in spades. I'd recommend this one more for people who feel similarly to me in that regard, as this certainly isn't all out action from the first pages. I do, however, think it's a rewarding experience, and one in which I found myself wanting to dive back into so I could spend more time with the protagonists.
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've read a few mixed reviews on this book, here's my thoughts. I didn't feel very connected to the characters personality wise but I did enjoy learning their background gradually through the process of reading the book which gave it mystery surrounding the plot. I wouldn't say it was a very scary book action wise, however I really enjoy the plot. The descriptive writing in certain chapters were creepy and eerie and i found myself very jumpy after reading them. I love the description detail of the town (the story being set in Italy) I could visualise and imagine the smell of food, it made me feel like I was in the book walking along the streets with them. The ending definitely left me wanting more.