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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
This book was delightfully weird – in the absolute best possible way!
Cassie took some warming up to, but her journey and internal battle with OCD and intrusive thoughts offered powerful insights and resonated deeply. Ultimately, a compelling and well-paced read that I truly enjoyed. Huge thanks to @simonbooks and @kermichele for the gifted review copy!
Cassie took some warming up to, but her journey and internal battle with OCD and intrusive thoughts offered powerful insights and resonated deeply. Ultimately, a compelling and well-paced read that I truly enjoyed. Huge thanks to @simonbooks and @kermichele for the gifted review copy!
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I think it was written well and I enjoyed the progression of the story itself. It is pretty dark and touches on some serious mental health issues. The main character is not very like-able and definitely has self destructive tendencies. Those aren’t deal breakers for me though. I liked it overall and if you’re into horror I would definitely recommend reading it.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Main character was annoying and the book became very repetitive with her gruesome thoughts. I was over it.
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a complimentary early release copy of House of Beth by Kerry Cullen.
House of Beth is a slow paced book plot wise but the story is mainly character driven, I found both Cassie and Beth’s characters to be intriguing, they felt throughly fleshed out. I could really feel for Cassie’s struggles about being more open and vulnerable when it came to her ocd. I could also feel for Beth whose time was cut short just as she was potentially discovering her queer identity.
I had gone into this book thinking it would be more of a lgbt horror novel given the “Cassie hears a voice narrating the houses secrets” but the story does tend to focus more on Cassie’s ocd and the romantic relationships that the characters had. While there are some haunting aspects it doesn't come into focus until 60 percent mark. I liked how the story went about the haunting aspects but I think if it would have kicked in a bit sooner I would have felt a bit better about the characters relationship. There were parts of the story that felt important to be continued but for some reason things would just be skipped over, I had enjoyed my time with these characters but the ending felt rushed and flat. I thought the book could have used an extra chapter or two to wrap things up a bit more nicely.
House of Beth is a slow paced book plot wise but the story is mainly character driven, I found both Cassie and Beth’s characters to be intriguing, they felt throughly fleshed out. I could really feel for Cassie’s struggles about being more open and vulnerable when it came to her ocd. I could also feel for Beth whose time was cut short just as she was potentially discovering her queer identity.
I had gone into this book thinking it would be more of a lgbt horror novel given the “Cassie hears a voice narrating the houses secrets” but the story does tend to focus more on Cassie’s ocd and the romantic relationships that the characters had. While there are some haunting aspects it doesn't come into focus until 60 percent mark. I liked how the story went about the haunting aspects but I think if it would have kicked in a bit sooner I would have felt a bit better about the characters relationship. There were parts of the story that felt important to be continued but for some reason things would just be skipped over, I had enjoyed my time with these characters but the ending felt rushed and flat. I thought the book could have used an extra chapter or two to wrap things up a bit more nicely.
This book was both almost nothing I expected and almost everything I wanted.
We are following a woman grappling with harm OCD, who decides to blow up her life, return to her home town, and marry her childhood bestfriend who's recently a widower.
HUH.
This all happens in the very beginning of the book which is bonkers and so much fun. This book was so much queerer, darker, and tender than I was expecting. Also incredibly weird. I can't wait to read more from Kerry Cullen.
Thank you Danielle at Simon and Schuster for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.
We are following a woman grappling with harm OCD, who decides to blow up her life, return to her home town, and marry her childhood bestfriend who's recently a widower.
HUH.
This all happens in the very beginning of the book which is bonkers and so much fun. This book was so much queerer, darker, and tender than I was expecting. Also incredibly weird. I can't wait to read more from Kerry Cullen.
Thank you Danielle at Simon and Schuster for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
From independent woman to tradwife, this is already a creepy story… but now add a dead ex-wife and we have ourselves a haunting. And truly, this story is more of a haunting than an all-out horror. You won't be scared to turn off the lights, but you will experience a dark, misty sense of unease. And of course, Cassie's intrusive thoughts present an additional, more realistic horror faced in real-life by individuals with OCD. To her credit, Cullen's representation of this disorder was very well done, and presented respectfully.
This book is a slow burn, but the prose is strong enough to carry it. I would almost describe this as a dark, speculative fiction more than horror. The narrative jumps from Cassie's internal monologue to Beth's internal (because it has to be) monologue, until they weave together in a very creative way. I had no trouble staying engaged with the storytelling, and I was excited to find out what would eventually be revealed by Cassie and Beth.
Alas, I was unfortunately disappointed with the reveal and hasty ending. After such a creative build up, I felt somewhat like I was left hanging. There was also a scene toward the end (you will know it when you see it) that was a bit embarrassing to read -- I did not feel that it lived up to the quality of the rest of the story.
Still, I am glad that I read this book; it has given me a lot to think about with regard to women's roles in relationships and their potential to empower each other. I think this book could find its niche among readers who enjoy a dark speculative fiction/horror centered around female comradery, ala Blood on Her Tongue, by Johanna Van Veen.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kerry Cullen, and Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.