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m4rtt4's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Mediocre writing and with unoriginal horror, but the plot twist was very well crafted. The book did manage to creep me out, but just a little.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
dev921's review against another edition
dark
slow-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
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Murder, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Stalking, and Violence
cyndi1966's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Stalking, Violence, and Suicide
amweber's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Death of parent, Violence, and Child death
kat_rowlen's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A very twisty book and enjoyable read! Every time I thought i had it figured out I was wrong
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Child death, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
seetaylorwriteandreview's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
4.5/5 stars. I wish GR had 1/2 star options.
“Every house has a story to tell. Baneberry Hall is no different. Its story—the real one—might still be there. Why we left. Why my father felt compelled to lie about it. What I actually experienced there. All of it might be hiding within its walls, waiting for me to find it.”
It’s very rare that I read a horror book that genuinely spooks me. However, Riley Sager has managed to do just that with this book. And that twist at the ending. Phew. I truly didn't see that coming.
The entire book is spent with Maggie Holt trying to differentiate between the facts in the book her father wrote, The House of Horrors, and what truly happened to her family during the 20 days they lived at Baneberry Hall, named for the lethal baneberries that surround the estate. When strange things that Maggie cannot explain, even though she doesn’t believe in the supernatural or the events of her father’s tell-all, she starts to question what truly happened on the night of July 15th, 25 years ago.
What happens next is shocking and the perfect set up for this horror novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!
“Every house has a story to tell. Baneberry Hall is no different. Its story—the real one—might still be there. Why we left. Why my father felt compelled to lie about it. What I actually experienced there. All of it might be hiding within its walls, waiting for me to find it.”
It’s very rare that I read a horror book that genuinely spooks me. However, Riley Sager has managed to do just that with this book. And that twist at the ending. Phew. I truly didn't see that coming.
The entire book is spent with Maggie Holt trying to differentiate between the facts in the book her father wrote, The House of Horrors, and what truly happened to her family during the 20 days they lived at Baneberry Hall, named for the lethal baneberries that surround the estate. When strange things that Maggie cannot explain, even though she doesn’t believe in the supernatural or the events of her father’s tell-all, she starts to question what truly happened on the night of July 15th, 25 years ago.
What happens next is shocking and the perfect set up for this horror novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Death, Child death, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Violence, and Dementia
violetsonata93's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
5.0
This was such a fun read! A perfect book for fall, with twists and turns and spookiness and family drama, kept me guessing until the very end. I loved it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Suicide, Gaslighting, Murder, Dementia, Alcohol, Death, and Vomit
andrear's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
baby’s first thriller 😳
this was wild, sager had me in the palm of his hand throughout the whole thing. I believed all the twists and turns and fell into thinking I had figured it out exactly the ways I’m sure he wanted me to. & the twist got me. A good time!!
(Full disclosure the only reason I’m hesitant to give this a full 5 is bc I don’t have anything else of the genre to compare this to, but it was definitely fun)
this was wild, sager had me in the palm of his hand throughout the whole thing. I believed all the twists and turns and fell into thinking I had figured it out exactly the ways I’m sure he wanted me to. & the twist got me. A good time!!
(Full disclosure the only reason I’m hesitant to give this a full 5 is bc I don’t have anything else of the genre to compare this to, but it was definitely fun)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness
avalenza's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
ging090803's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I love Riley Sager. It’s the third book that I’ve read from him and I’m never disappointed.
The only thing that I didn’t really like (which explained the 4.5 stars) is the slowness around the middle/start of the book.
Except that, it was super fun. I liked how present and past/the Book were intertwined. While reading the Book, we could explained things in the house during the present (or not)
Throughout the pages, I was, at the same time, sure it wasn’t a ghost story but I couldn’t stop myself having a part of me believing it was a ghost story… when Maggie herself started to believe ghosts were real, I also started to believe it
I almost wished it was ghosts.
During all my reading, it reminded of the serie on Netflix, the Hill House. While not entirely the same, there have the same vibe.
Great book.
The only thing that I didn’t really like (which explained the 4.5 stars) is the slowness around the middle/start of the book.
Except that, it was super fun. I liked how present and past/the Book were intertwined. While reading the Book, we could explained things in the house during the present (or not)
Throughout the pages, I was, at the same time, sure it wasn’t a ghost story but I couldn’t stop myself having a part of me believing it was a ghost story…
I almost wished it was ghosts.
During all my reading, it reminded of the serie on Netflix, the Hill House. While not entirely the same, there have the same vibe.
Great book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Child death
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Blood