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paperwitch's review
1.0
Oh boy.... I was pretty disappointed to say the least, it’s rare when I hate read a book and if it wasn’t because I requested it for review, I would simply not have finished it.
The novel was so slow, the love triangle felt forced and by the end of it all I just didn’t care about any of the characters.
The only cool one there was Nellie and if this was a book just about her maybe it wouldn’t have been that bad.
To put it simply: The novel felt as flat as this review and that’s saying something.
**Arc kindly provided by Netgalley**
The novel was so slow, the love triangle felt forced and by the end of it all I just didn’t care about any of the characters.
The only cool one there was Nellie and if this was a book just about her maybe it wouldn’t have been that bad.
To put it simply: The novel felt as flat as this review and that’s saying something.
**Arc kindly provided by Netgalley**
sarahskorupa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
beastreader's review
2.0
I had this book on my tbr list but bumped it up when a fellow reader raved about this book. Thus, I could not want to read this book. The story started out fine. The author did a good job of describing the dynamic relationship that Billy, Shawn, and Emily shared together. It was a bit of a tangled web.
In the beginning I got an idea of just what type of AI, Nellie was when the construction workers were sharing stories of incidents that had taken place while building the mansion. However, there was not enough Nellie for me. She appeared when Billie arrived in the house. The way she interacted with him versus with Shawn; did tell me that she had a "crush" on Billie. Yet, other mysterious events did not transpire until later in the book. I do agree that the idea of an AI controlled house is not ideal. Example: I read an article where an Alexa device turned on by itself and started playing music. The problem is that it was about 2 am and the owners were not home. The police were called where they broke the door down because no one was home.
This book for me did not hit the "sweet" spot like my friend. However, there was something there within the pages of this book that did have me intrigued. I would read another book from this author.
In the beginning I got an idea of just what type of AI, Nellie was when the construction workers were sharing stories of incidents that had taken place while building the mansion. However, there was not enough Nellie for me. She appeared when Billie arrived in the house. The way she interacted with him versus with Shawn; did tell me that she had a "crush" on Billie. Yet, other mysterious events did not transpire until later in the book. I do agree that the idea of an AI controlled house is not ideal. Example: I read an article where an Alexa device turned on by itself and started playing music. The problem is that it was about 2 am and the owners were not home. The police were called where they broke the door down because no one was home.
This book for me did not hit the "sweet" spot like my friend. However, there was something there within the pages of this book that did have me intrigued. I would read another book from this author.
librarian_wenn's review
4.0
I loved this story. It hit all the horror key points for me. Creep factor, crazy character interaction, twists, and insane AI.What a fun read.
colorfulleo92's review
2.0
2.5 stars. Loved The hatching by the same authors and was exciting to read a another book by him, but I was highly disappointed. While the other books was terrifying and creepy, this one just left me bored. Wasn't invested in the story and wasn't creepy at all. But the writing was good.
heatherburks's review
3.0
It’s a good entertaining book. Very little horror, but a thriller. Many parts seem more complex than they are and make it feel empty. However overall relatively enjoyable.
sarahlopod's review against another edition
disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for review consideration. All of the opinions presented below are my own.
With a premise that seemed to be a combination of Smart House and The Shining, I was stoked to try this book out. Unfortunately, the first 50 or so pages were a background dump and were so repetitive that I had to wonder if an editor actually combed through this or not. (To be fair, I was reading an advanced copy and it's possible this was cut down). The characters were solidly one-dimensional and I was torn between wanting to see if there was any development and not believing it was even possible. I skimmed reviews to determine whether it was worth continuing and this one reaffirmed my feelings on it. While it appears there are others who genuinely liked it, it doesn't seem like the issues keeping me from enjoying it will abate.
In addition to the poor pacing and lack of characterization, there were a couple instances where I had to raise an eyebrow at what I was reading. The first is mentioned in the above linked review: one of the characters has a secretary who is objectified in an incredibly misogynistic and racist manner. The second is another character thinking about how a daycare on a houseboat could only appeal to men with autism. First of all, what??? Second of all, relevance??? I didn't want to stick around to see what strike 3 would be, so I cut my losses there. Hopefully this went through some serious editing before publishing, but as the ARC stands this isn't a book I'd recommend reading.
With a premise that seemed to be a combination of Smart House and The Shining, I was stoked to try this book out. Unfortunately, the first 50 or so pages were a background dump and were so repetitive that I had to wonder if an editor actually combed through this or not. (To be fair, I was reading an advanced copy and it's possible this was cut down). The characters were solidly one-dimensional and I was torn between wanting to see if there was any development and not believing it was even possible. I skimmed reviews to determine whether it was worth continuing and this one reaffirmed my feelings on it. While it appears there are others who genuinely liked it, it doesn't seem like the issues keeping me from enjoying it will abate.
In addition to the poor pacing and lack of characterization, there were a couple instances where I had to raise an eyebrow at what I was reading. The first is mentioned in the above linked review: one of the characters has a secretary who is objectified in an incredibly misogynistic and racist manner. The second is another character thinking about how a daycare on a houseboat could only appeal to men with autism. First of all, what??? Second of all, relevance??? I didn't want to stick around to see what strike 3 would be, so I cut my losses there. Hopefully this went through some serious editing before publishing, but as the ARC stands this isn't a book I'd recommend reading.
deckeramm's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
It was slower paced than I was expecting but once I settled in it was like watching a train wreck in slow motion, you can't look away even t ough you know how it ends. It was fun hate the characters and contemplate their possible demise, even if I was left slightly unsatisfied.
eamwilliams504's review
2.0
If the Overlook Hotel had an Alexa, you’d have The Mansion. Giant old hotel isolated in a snowy setting? Check. Recovering substance abuser caretaker? Check. Creepy twins, kids with some sort of psychic ability? Check and check. After pages of flashbacks and what will quickly become dated references there is a love triangle that takes over the story, waving goodbye to any element of horror or suspense that the author was building at the beginning of this book.
I was given an advance copy of this book for review
I was given an advance copy of this book for review
amn028's review
4.0
This book is exactly what I expect from an Ezekeil Boone novel. A well written story with developed characters that kept my interest. He does a great job of giving the heebie-jeebies without gore. Around 400 pages, it feels like a quick read as it’s hard to put the book down once you’re into the story.