Scan barcode
blouviere4's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicide, Death, Murder, and Violence
bookishgoob's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Riley Sager does it again. and by does it again i mean writing a “not like other girls” main character and using “ample bosom” as a descriptor for no apparent reason. Maggie was so annoying to me. she oozed pick me energy to a point where it made me want to DNF. another thing i don’t like about sagers writing is that he literally waits until the end of the book to do the final twist which is predictable but often annoying. plot twists are fine at the end once in a while but damn, every book? i don’t know man. i have a lot of problems with riley sager and his writing. i would almost recommend you watch haunting of hill house (5/5 show) than read this but i do have to admit that the atmosphere was creepy and would be a great “spooky szn@ read. it’s quick. it’s creepy. it involved and old house. so i’m torn. either way the characters were so bland but the story was good. do with that information what you want.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Stalking, and Suicide
seawarrior's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Home Before Dark is an engaging read that glued me to its pages, but began to lose my suspension of disbelief near the end. The title is narrated by the text of the notorious House of Horrors and the inner thoughts of its now grown feature character Maggie Holt, who lived her life in the shadow of her father's writing. Early on it becomes obvious that we're not reading a story of a haunting, but rather one of a series of lies that spirals into a decades old "whodunnit". Sager presents just the right amount of description for us to richly imagine Baneberry Hall without losing momentum in the plot, or creating something that felt like a drudgery to read. Yet to me, the ending twists were more annoying than satisfying, as the sheer amount of them seemed unnecessary and almost silly. I would still recommend this book to others who enjoy a mystery novel that it almost effortless to read. There was never a period where reading this book felt tedious, and I repeatedly looked forward to spending more time with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Stalking, and Suicide
shelfofunread's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Having previously read and enjoyed The Last Time I Lied, I was excited to see that Riley Sager’s latest thriller came with some additional spooky stylings. The former novel was packed with growing tension and page-turning plot beats so I was keen to see what the addition of some trademark horror tropes would do to that mix. The answer, it turns out, is to make it even more page-turning – and to provide more than a few ‘sleeping with the lights on’ moments!
Maggie Holt’s life has been defined by The Book – the tell-all memoir that her father Ewan wrote after her family’s fateful stay at Baneberry Hall. According to The Book, the vengeful ghosts of Baneberry Hall drove Ewan, Jess, and five-year-old Maggie away from their dream home, never to return. But after her father’s death, Maggie discovers that her parents never sold Baneberry Hall. Despite being warned to never go back there, Maggie is determined to make the most of her unexpected inheritance – she’s going to renovate and sell her family’s cursed legacy; but not before she gets to the bottom of why her family really fled all those years ago.
When the body of a missing teenager falls out of her kitchen ceiling, however, Maggie gets far more than she bargained for at Baneberry Hall. Could her parents really have been involved in a murder? Or are the strange noises and fleeting shadows of Baneberry Hall really signs of the supernatural? As Maggie starts to delve into the history of her father’s House of Horrors, she finds herself wondering if he was telling the truth about Baneberry Hall all along.
Whilst Home Before Dark continues to showcase Sager’s command of pacing and plotting, it serves up some genuinely spooky and atmospheric moments alongside the more familiar mystery-thriller territory of its main storyline. If you love ghost stories and ‘true life’ tales of the paranormal, you’re sure to love Home Before Dark which alternates between excerpts from Ewan’s Amityville Horror-style memoir and Maggie’s own investigations in the present day.
Maggie Holt’s life has been defined by The Book – the tell-all memoir that her father Ewan wrote after her family’s fateful stay at Baneberry Hall. According to The Book, the vengeful ghosts of Baneberry Hall drove Ewan, Jess, and five-year-old Maggie away from their dream home, never to return. But after her father’s death, Maggie discovers that her parents never sold Baneberry Hall. Despite being warned to never go back there, Maggie is determined to make the most of her unexpected inheritance – she’s going to renovate and sell her family’s cursed legacy; but not before she gets to the bottom of why her family really fled all those years ago.
When the body of a missing teenager falls out of her kitchen ceiling, however, Maggie gets far more than she bargained for at Baneberry Hall. Could her parents really have been involved in a murder? Or are the strange noises and fleeting shadows of Baneberry Hall really signs of the supernatural? As Maggie starts to delve into the history of her father’s House of Horrors, she finds herself wondering if he was telling the truth about Baneberry Hall all along.
Whilst Home Before Dark continues to showcase Sager’s command of pacing and plotting, it serves up some genuinely spooky and atmospheric moments alongside the more familiar mystery-thriller territory of its main storyline. If you love ghost stories and ‘true life’ tales of the paranormal, you’re sure to love Home Before Dark which alternates between excerpts from Ewan’s Amityville Horror-style memoir and Maggie’s own investigations in the present day.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide
Minor: Car accident, Dementia, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
davidrb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Oy vey. Just...not my favorite. Twists weren't fun, story didn't go anywhere...it had some interesting things to say about the lengths that men will go to justify their actions, and then it just didn't use them for anything. But, despite all that, a fun and easy read. Definitely good fodder for this time of year just to get into the mood.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Stalking, Terminal illness, and Violence
librariangeorgia's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Murder, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, and Dementia
chellbear's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Cursing, and Dementia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cancer, Car accident, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Vomit, Violence, and Sexual content
ruruxxi's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Much like the Baneberry Hall where the novel is set in, Home Before Dark is built on a strong foundation, but once you look closely the cracks start showing. It begins and unfolds much like a horror novel: creeping and taking ahold of you after every chapter. However, as soon as it rushes to its endpoint, it collapses under its own weight; with one contrived twist after another, it ruins the atmosphere it set and stretches plausability until it snapped.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Mental illness
booksandtea997's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
I did guess where the story was going before I reached the halfway point (and later on figured it out), but, I really loved the chapters the father wrote (except for the last one - let's not talk about that one) and the atmosphere.
Still, even though I suspected what is going on I still really liked how creepy the writing is - it gave me chills.
I liked this book a lot more than Lock Every Door.
But let's be honest it does not deserve more than three stars. Just like the one in Lock Every Door, the main heroine is absolutely annoying and I'm starting to believe that all Sager's main characters are like that (it's been two books after all xD).
So basically it is a decent mystery/thriller/suspense novel perfect for a foggy autumnal day and a cup of tea, at least that's how I read it.
Still, even though I suspected what is going on I still really liked how creepy the writing is - it gave me chills.
I liked this book a lot more than Lock Every Door.
But let's be honest it does not deserve more than three stars. Just like the one in Lock Every Door, the main heroine is absolutely annoying and I'm starting to believe that all Sager's main characters are like that (it's been two books after all xD).
So basically it is a decent mystery/thriller/suspense novel perfect for a foggy autumnal day and a cup of tea, at least that's how I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Minor: Mental illness and Domestic abuse
harley_sage's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I couldn’t put this book down. I seriously finished this in one sitting because it was incredibly entertaining and attention grabbing. I think it's fair to say that Riley Sager is my favourite contemporary author. I still think that Final Girls is a stronger book however this one is still great.
If you are a fan of the horror genre, especially horror movies, I'm sure you would like it. Even though this book could be considered more of a thriller than a horror, Sager is a master in making you feel the creepy and disturbing setting through imagery. I wouldn't say it is the most terrifying thing I've read but it definitely gave me the creeps.
If you are a fan of the horror genre, especially horror movies, I'm sure you would like it. Even though this book could be considered more of a thriller than a horror, Sager is a master in making you feel the creepy and disturbing setting through imagery. I wouldn't say it is the most terrifying thing I've read but it definitely gave me the creeps.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Violence, Suicide, and Mental illness
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Cancer, and Gore
The adult/minor relationship is only ever suggested and never confirmed, the minor in question was 16. If you have an irrational fear of snakes, maybe skip it.
More...