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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
DNF at 23%/after chapter 7.
TW: not only does a dog probably die (not reading more to find out), but you have a narrator/MC constantly thinking down on her best friend for "seeing a pet as a child", "wanting to postpone work duties because of her dog" who is basically an ESA may be dead, and getting angry because she feels grief over a pet shouldn't get people down like losing a child... Etc. Just really triggering, irritating thinking that it honestly makes me think less of the author for including such unempathetic and selfish, cruel commentary.
TW: not only does a dog probably die (not reading more to find out), but you have a narrator/MC constantly thinking down on her best friend for "seeing a pet as a child", "wanting to postpone work duties because of her dog" who is basically an ESA may be dead, and getting angry because she feels grief over a pet shouldn't get people down like losing a child... Etc. Just really triggering, irritating thinking that it honestly makes me think less of the author for including such unempathetic and selfish, cruel commentary.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So good! Lots of really creepy moments that made my arm hairs stand on end. This is another solid 5-star page-turner like The Reformatory by the same author. And that ending stuck the landing. I mention this specifically because I've read so many books that I enjoyed, but their endings were meh.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Violence
dark
tense
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Racism, Suicide
An instant all-time favorite for me. This story and its characters gripped me from the very beginning and never let go. There is no shortage of horrific, heart-pounding moments in The Good House, as the terror crosses generations and geographies. Due ties it all together seamlessly and satisfyingly. This book showcases her skills in building tension and suspense as well as her ability to jump timelines cohesively.
Vodou is a central theme in The Good House, a theme mostly unfamiliar to me. As a religion that has been demonized in US entertainment throughout history, Due redefines its role in a horror novel. She writes about it with reverence, displaying its beauty alongside its power. I loved getting to see this side of vodou.
This book not only passed my nightmare test (a nightmare about leaves! Who would have thought?), but the writing was inspired! I can’t wait to read more of Due’s work.
Spoilers following...
It’s not often that I encounter a story in the horror genre that actually has a happy ending. And even more rare to find a happy ending that feels believable. After this intense journey we are gifted with relief in the conclusion. While I didn’t want this book to end, I was grateful to leave it on a hopeful note.
Vodou is a central theme in The Good House, a theme mostly unfamiliar to me. As a religion that has been demonized in US entertainment throughout history, Due redefines its role in a horror novel. She writes about it with reverence, displaying its beauty alongside its power. I loved getting to see this side of vodou.
This book not only passed my nightmare test (a nightmare about leaves! Who would have thought?), but the writing was inspired! I can’t wait to read more of Due’s work.
Spoilers following...
It’s not often that I encounter a story in the horror genre that actually has a happy ending. And even more rare to find a happy ending that feels believable. After this intense journey we are gifted with relief in the conclusion. While I didn’t want this book to end, I was grateful to leave it on a hopeful note.
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Dementia, Murder
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-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:
Yes
5.0⭐ The book that saved my 2016
In the year 2016, I only gave 7 out of 30 books a 5.0⭐ rating
Of those 7, 6 were fiction novels.
Of those 6, 2 were re-reads!
So that leaves four. I've read FOUR five star books in the year 2016. No wonder this was such a shit year.
Life is just too damn short to read subpar books for a year straight. So This book came to me with the hallelujah chorus choir playing in the background. Thank God, some good ass fiction!
I was looking up horror authors, and somehow Due has been under my radar until this year. I cannot wait to read something else by her, she's the horror genre's best kept secret. Not such a big secret, I suppose, I found her on google, but there's been little mention of her on the horror blogs and sites I follow.
Why? I have no idea. She killed it. This book is everything. The characters lift right off the page, alive and familiar. The setting is almost a character in itself, the way Derry, Maine was a character in Stephen King's It. I wasn't terrified, but I was occasionally jarred during some of the build-ups. The dialogue has rhythm, the prose is fluid. The conflict is great, the resolution greater.
This book has style too, I love the mention and use of various songs and music. I love the way it pans back and fourth between an elderly and even ancient family history and their postmodern present. I listened via Audio and Robin Miles NAILED the reading. What else can I say without dropping spoilers, except that The Good House saved my year in reading. Literally saved it. Brightened my days and gave me a reason TO read. I'll be revisiting this author in 2017, no doubt. The best books don't require much in reviews because the books speak for themselves.
31 novels read, Five 5.0⭐ ratings given.
In the year 2016, I only gave 7 out of 30 books a 5.0⭐ rating
Of those 7, 6 were fiction novels.
Of those 6, 2 were re-reads!
So that leaves four. I've read FOUR five star books in the year 2016. No wonder this was such a shit year.
Life is just too damn short to read subpar books for a year straight. So This book came to me with the hallelujah chorus choir playing in the background. Thank God, some good ass fiction!
I was looking up horror authors, and somehow Due has been under my radar until this year. I cannot wait to read something else by her, she's the horror genre's best kept secret. Not such a big secret, I suppose, I found her on google, but there's been little mention of her on the horror blogs and sites I follow.
Why? I have no idea. She killed it. This book is everything. The characters lift right off the page, alive and familiar. The setting is almost a character in itself, the way Derry, Maine was a character in Stephen King's It. I wasn't terrified, but I was occasionally jarred during some of the build-ups. The dialogue has rhythm, the prose is fluid. The conflict is great, the resolution greater.
This book has style too, I love the mention and use of various songs and music. I love the way it pans back and fourth between an elderly and even ancient family history and their postmodern present. I listened via Audio and Robin Miles NAILED the reading. What else can I say without dropping spoilers, except that The Good House saved my year in reading. Literally saved it. Brightened my days and gave me a reason TO read. I'll be revisiting this author in 2017, no doubt. The best books don't require much in reviews because the books speak for themselves.
31 novels read, Five 5.0⭐ ratings given.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
challenging
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
After the poop-fest that was my last read, this horror novel settled into me like sweet, sweet water. Interesting characters, sympathetic yet flawed, with an intergenerational storyline of a haunted house, racial tensions, mental illness, spouse abuse, and Voudou.
It's really great stuff. I'm not sure why this has been sitting in my TBR pile since 2011. I listened to the audio for this one, and the narrator was amazing with the various characters. 5 stars all the way!
It's really great stuff. I'm not sure why this has been sitting in my TBR pile since 2011. I listened to the audio for this one, and the narrator was amazing with the various characters. 5 stars all the way!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced