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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This one is a short horror novella about a house that is haunted by its past. There is death, murder, and grief in this one. It is a good story just wish it was a little longer. The house starts showing the owner things that happened in it a long time ago. It gets very creepy. Maybe I am weird, but I was confused by the ending. Overall, it is a good short novella.
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is psychological horror well executed.
We have a house hunted by the memories of the murder committed in there, but also, by the pain of guilt, of grief.
I've read books of houses whose ultimate act it's either to take the people it is tormenting with it, or that has been destroyed by the end of the book, but it this book, it's refreshing to see a character whose ultimate motivation is to liberate it from the trauma it was given, and by doing that, Yanna also works on her own pain and grief.
Thank you J.J. Walker, for giving me a chance at reading your book.
We have a house hunted by the memories of the murder committed in there, but also, by the pain of guilt, of grief.
I've read books of houses whose ultimate act it's either to take the people it is tormenting with it, or that has been destroyed by the end of the book, but it this book, it's refreshing to see a character whose ultimate motivation is to liberate it from the trauma it was given, and by doing that, Yanna also works on her own pain and grief.
Thank you J.J. Walker, for giving me a chance at reading your book.
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley.
A short novella about a haunted house and the dangers of a past that will not stay buried. Seth is a recent arrival in the small town in Stillwater, having moved there with his mother to take better care of her since her dementia has been causing her to behave erratically. But the small town is not a big fan of newcomers, especially not those who can be found wandering the streets at night… naked. The only person who does not seem to hate him is Yanna, a woman who also lives in town and the only person he can call when he begins to see and smell the strange things that haunt his mother.
The story moves fast and I found the connection between Seth and Yanna sweet, despite how little time they have to develop it. I think finding similarities in one’s experiences amidst grief can certainly lead to deeper and faster connection than otherwise possible, so that was something I enjoyed.
I also quite enjoyed the way the story was told in short sequences, the way frailty of memory was explored and how trauma and grief affected all characters in the story, including the house. I enjoy haunted house stories where the house has character and despite how short the story was that was something that was well done here!
I unfortunately did not much care for Gina, Yanna’s sister, or Yanna’s relationships with other people in town. There were a few scenes that I think could have been removed to instead focus more on Yanna’s relationship with the house and with Seth. As these scenes were very short, they did not really add that much to Yanna’s character and with a story that is so short it can sometimes be better to really dig into the main relationships instead. In general, some parts of this novella could have been more fun if they had been explored in more detail. I also wish the mother's dementia had played a bit more of a role, since I feel that it was advertised as playing a much bigger role than it ended up doing.
All in all however I found this to be an intriguing short read with some great imagery, an interesting weaving together of a few timelines and an interesting exploration of how sometimes solving an older haunting can help you deal with your own pain.
TW: ableism, death, grief, gore, gun violence, murder, violence
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a pretty well-built story. The narrative was haunting, and the mystery surrounding the house was horrorific (complementary) in some parts.
I found the characters compelling and key to compliment this story.
I fear that this had a lot of underdeveloped potential. Some parts of this novella felt a bit rushed and left some things unsaid that left me wanting more, especially towards the end.
I will check out more of this author because they have a gripping voice.
Melancholy. That’s how I felt reading this. A good twist on a haunted house book. I read in one sitting. I’ll read more from this author.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Whilst reading this book, I truly thought I’d read it before. I had the most intense sense of deja vu I’ve ever experienced. That being said, I quite enjoyed it. It was creepy and atmospheric. I loved the premise of the “haunting” and I loved the ending - I love it when a character turns from “normal” to a spooky person that the town is wary of.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Short story about the memory of evil deeds and what is sanity. Lots of big issues (mental health, dementia, kidnapping, death of a parent). It is an engaging read to keep you guessing. The ending fell a little flat.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoyed this! I couldnt help but read it all in one sitting even though there were other things I desperately needed to be doing 😭 I had to read it on my ipad (which I absolutely hate doing) because I was having issues with my kobo, but I was having such a good time with the book that I barely even noticed lol
The writing is compulsively readable and easy to immerse yourself in, it kept me entertained the whole time only minimal moments of boredom. The story moves through a few different timelines, and I honestly enjoyed all of them equally, which is rare for me. They each brought tension, intrigue, and added to the story in a necessary way.
The book is short so it’s hard to explain the plot without giving too much away, just know that even though the synopsis mentions dementia it isnt actually brought up all that much. Personally that didn’t bother me at all and I liked what the book ended up being about, I just wish it was longer 😭
Definitely recommend if you’re after a quick horror novella (with extra short chapters) I'm interested to see what this author comes out with next <3
The writing is compulsively readable and easy to immerse yourself in, it kept me entertained the whole time only minimal moments of boredom. The story moves through a few different timelines, and I honestly enjoyed all of them equally, which is rare for me. They each brought tension, intrigue, and added to the story in a necessary way.
The book is short so it’s hard to explain the plot without giving too much away, just know that even though the synopsis mentions dementia it isnt actually brought up all that much. Personally that didn’t bother me at all and I liked what the book ended up being about, I just wish it was longer 😭
Definitely recommend if you’re after a quick horror novella (with extra short chapters) I'm interested to see what this author comes out with next <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Gun violence
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I've got this vook through Netgalley's ARC. Thanks to netgalley for offering me this book.
The book was short and it was a good horror and used of haunted house trope. The plot was not complex and dialogues were simple but still engaging. However, I do feel that the revelation and unpacking of the twist was a little cliche and underwhelmed.
Overall just a good book for horror lovers.
The book was short and it was a good horror and used of haunted house trope. The plot was not complex and dialogues were simple but still engaging. However, I do feel that the revelation and unpacking of the twist was a little cliche and underwhelmed.
Overall just a good book for horror lovers.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
This was a quick and twisty read. I liked this take on a haunted house story!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, All opinions are my own.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, All opinions are my own.