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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed a lot about this book! Haunted house + family trauma (check the CWs for sure) + voodoo! But dear lordddd it is too long (around 600 pages). On the bright side, it was a true pleasure to discover that the audio for this backlist book from 2003 was narrated by Robin Miles! With a lesser narrator I may have skipped over the last 100 pages or so tbh but she is always so great.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just finished reading The Good House by Tananarive Due and my heart is so full. This book has skyrocketed to the top of my list of favorite reads in 2023. I guess it goes without saying I'm giving it five stars and would give it more if I could.
What a heartfelt novel about family, love, community, tradition, and consequences. Angela's family home, The Good House, has a complicated history with Angela's grandmother, Marie, at the heart of it. Angela returns every summer with her son, Corey, to try to connect with him in the home where she spent summers with her grandmother when she was a child.
The Good House weaves together three timelines - the historic timeline when Marie first came to the house; a summer with Angela and Corey when tragedy strikes; and years later, when Angela attempts to pick up the pieces of her past. All three storylines are rich with magic, spells, and demons. The story was compelling and fast paced - and so full of emotion. My heart absolutely broke for Angela several times. She's such a strong character!
I could go on and on (and on) about this book. But it would be better if you were to read it instead. Be prepared for plenty of suspense and a few creepy moments that try to take up residence in your head. I had a few creepy dreams because of this book! Like I said at the start of this review, I'm giving The Good House five spirited stars out of five.
What a heartfelt novel about family, love, community, tradition, and consequences. Angela's family home, The Good House, has a complicated history with Angela's grandmother, Marie, at the heart of it. Angela returns every summer with her son, Corey, to try to connect with him in the home where she spent summers with her grandmother when she was a child.
The Good House weaves together three timelines - the historic timeline when Marie first came to the house; a summer with Angela and Corey when tragedy strikes; and years later, when Angela attempts to pick up the pieces of her past. All three storylines are rich with magic, spells, and demons. The story was compelling and fast paced - and so full of emotion. My heart absolutely broke for Angela several times. She's such a strong character!
I could go on and on (and on) about this book. But it would be better if you were to read it instead. Be prepared for plenty of suspense and a few creepy moments that try to take up residence in your head. I had a few creepy dreams because of this book! Like I said at the start of this review, I'm giving The Good House five spirited stars out of five.
"Then, as if to prove its mean core, life became a horror."
The Good House is my second read by Tananarive Due, and I absolutely love her books. This is a solid haunted house book, and I highly recommend it if you need a good creepy summer read.
In addition to being about a haunted house, this book covers a wide range of topics like family, friendship, suicide, romantic relationships, divorce, and more. There's a lot of good content packed into this book.
There are some good spooky scenes in this book, and I had a lot of fun reading it with a couple friends. I can't wait to read more Tananarive Due books!
The Good House is my second read by Tananarive Due, and I absolutely love her books. This is a solid haunted house book, and I highly recommend it if you need a good creepy summer read.
In addition to being about a haunted house, this book covers a wide range of topics like family, friendship, suicide, romantic relationships, divorce, and more. There's a lot of good content packed into this book.
There are some good spooky scenes in this book, and I had a lot of fun reading it with a couple friends. I can't wait to read more Tananarive Due books!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Enjoyed this book. Tense. Horrific. Great ending. It was also loooooooooooooooong. Long. Slowed down because of its lwngth. The ending saved it.
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-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:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Great story. Due's skillful storytelling keeps readers on the edge of their seats as they follow the protagonist, Angela Toussaint, through a series of terrifying events in a haunted house with a dark past. Due's character development is exceptional, making Angela a relatable and complex protagonist. The author delves into themes of grief, redemption, and the power of family ties, adding depth to the supernatural elements of the story.
The pacing of the novel is expertly crafted, with suspense building steadily until the shocking climax. Due's prose is evocative and atmospheric, immersing readers in the eerie world of the haunted house.
The pacing of the novel is expertly crafted, with suspense building steadily until the shocking climax. Due's prose is evocative and atmospheric, immersing readers in the eerie world of the haunted house.
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Good House is a strikingly written exploration of the consequences of messing with the supernatural, set in one of my favorite places (the Olympic Peninsula) with characters from some of my other fave places (New Orleans, Oakland). I appreciated the attention to the lived experience of Black people in western Washington- especially rural western Washington- and the way the author hewed close to the history of Native Americans in the same area with a lighter touch. It was really easy to imagine the setting and the people, and since it's based partially on a real house in the area, I kinda want to go explore the OP again just because of this book ☺️
It really had me hooked from the jump, and the story kept me going. No joke, I carried the paperback around Silverwood in Idaho just in case I might have a chance to read it *between rollercoaster rides* 😂
Can't wait to recommend it to a few friends in particular. But it's really fun.
It really had me hooked from the jump, and the story kept me going. No joke, I carried the paperback around Silverwood in Idaho just in case I might have a chance to read it *between rollercoaster rides* 😂
Can't wait to recommend it to a few friends in particular. But it's really fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Gore, Racism, Excrement
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Car accident