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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
This was scary and unsettling and much more powerful than I expected. A perfect October read if you don't intend on sleeping!
Devoured it in 2 days, but my only criticism is that it was a bit too long. I understand why everything was included in the book, but I do feel that some of the very small details could've been cut. Other than that - what a beautifully heartbreaking story, terrifying at points, with an end that made me tear up. Lovely.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a great blend of two things I love in horror: creepy houses and creepy forests. I'd never read any Dawn Kurtagich before and I was pleasantly surprised!
This book has what I term a "fucked up circus funhouse" feel. The characters are trapped in this house where nothing is quite right, but you don't know what the laws of this universe are, and you can't get out of it. As a reader you feel like you're trapped in a bad acid trip, and all you want is for the characters to escape but they become more ensnared by the house by the second.
It's grotesque and unsettling but it creeps up on you slowly and you can't get away!
This book was a weird reading experience in that the first 3/4 had me convinced that it just wasn't well written. It felt like something was missing for me, and the mixed media format was trying too hard to be Night Film or House of Leaves. But then I hit the final act and everything came together perfectly, and the quirks in the writing that I'd perceived as "bad" or "unpolished" suddenly made sense.
That being said - while the ending was well executed I could have used a liiiiiiiiittle more time to sit with these characters. I almost teared up but didn't quite get there. If the ending had been 20 pages longer and more emotive it could have easily bumped this up to 5 stars!
I have [b:The Dead House|22396591|The Dead House (The Dead House #1)|Dawn Kurtagich|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421353573l/22396591._SY75_.jpg|41818801] on my shelf by this author and now I'm super keen to get to it! There aren't nearly enough YA horrors on the market and it's always such a thrill to find a good one!
CW: child abuse, spousal abuse, suicide
This book has what I term a "fucked up circus funhouse" feel. The characters are trapped in this house where nothing is quite right, but you don't know what the laws of this universe are, and you can't get out of it. As a reader you feel like you're trapped in a bad acid trip, and all you want is for the characters to escape but they become more ensnared by the house by the second.
It's grotesque and unsettling but it creeps up on you slowly and you can't get away!
This book was a weird reading experience in that the first 3/4 had me convinced that it just wasn't well written. It felt like something was missing for me, and the mixed media format was trying too hard to be Night Film or House of Leaves. But then I hit the final act and everything came together perfectly, and the quirks in the writing that I'd perceived as "bad" or "unpolished" suddenly made sense.
That being said - while the ending was well executed I could have used a liiiiiiiiittle more time to sit with these characters. I almost teared up but didn't quite get there. If the ending had been 20 pages longer and more emotive it could have easily bumped this up to 5 stars!
I have [b:The Dead House|22396591|The Dead House (The Dead House #1)|Dawn Kurtagich|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421353573l/22396591._SY75_.jpg|41818801] on my shelf by this author and now I'm super keen to get to it! There aren't nearly enough YA horrors on the market and it's always such a thrill to find a good one!
CW: child abuse, spousal abuse, suicide
I would have easily given this book a four but it had SUCH a weak ending. It was super scary in the middle, and I loved the haunted mansion aesthetic, but I would never reread this book knowing how it ends. It isn’t even close to on par with the rest of the book.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I overall enjoyed this book. Once the ending came full circle, I enjoyed figuring out what everything had meant in hindsight.
This was another amazing read from this author, but unlike the other book from this author this one was a bit predictable. I believe it is cause im well versed in horror settings and themes otherwise a lot of this would have blew me outta the water.
BOOK COVER: 4 stars
RATING: M contains horror lol
OVERAL: lost that it ended but overjoyed about how good it was
FAVE CHARACTER: None they are all amazing and evenly attributed to the story
WOULD I READ MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR: Yes I would
RECOMMEND: People who enjoy horror
BOOK COVER: 4 stars
RATING: M contains horror lol
OVERAL: lost that it ended but overjoyed about how good it was
FAVE CHARACTER: None they are all amazing and evenly attributed to the story
WOULD I READ MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR: Yes I would
RECOMMEND: People who enjoy horror