Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The September House by Carissa Orlando

46 reviews

talesoftheraven's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Child death, Mental illness, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism

rachelunabridged's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Gore, Alcoholism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Death, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body horror, and Death of parent

Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Suicide

tarfishy's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Vomit, Animal death, Blood, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Torture, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Gore, Physical abuse, Child death, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Death

rorikae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

'The September House' by Carissa Orlando is a thoughtful look at one woman holding her own in a haunted house. 
After Margaret and her husband move into their dream house, they discover that it is haunted every September. The house becomes too much for Margaret's husband and he decides to leave. Margaret, on the other hand, learns how to deal with the house's eccentricities, like blood pouring down the walls and ghosts that bite when you get too close. But when Margaret's daughter Katherine discovers that her father has gone missing, she shows up at the house to search for him and discovers that her mother is not living a normal, happy life. 
'The September House' is a fascinating story that delves into one woman learning how to live in a haunted house and what this says about her life. The house is very much a metaphor for her larger life situation but delving into that further would be a bit of a spoiler. I appreciate when an author uses a speculative element to discuss something nonspeculative and Orlando does that quite well in this novel. Margaret's situation and what she has been going through is slowly revealed throughout the book and there were a few points that could be considered twists as the story veered into unexpected territory. I really got on with the writing style and the humor of the book. The story veers from more satirical at the beginning to more straight horror toward the middle and end. If you are looking for a thought provoking book that delves into one woman's situation using a speculative element, then definitely check out 'The September House.'

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, Mental illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Grief, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Blood, Body horror, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Child abuse and Child death

caustin2511's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

mondovertigo's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Child death, Physical abuse, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Mental illness

Minor: Dementia

blueowl2ivy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Alcoholism, Murder, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Child death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Dementia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

heartofhorrors's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Murder, Animal death, Death of parent, Blood, Physical abuse, Vomit, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Forced institutionalization, Torture, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse

cburns13's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Gore, Child death, Death, Murder, and Vomit

Moderate: Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Alcoholism

mamawantsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

One sentence review: A wonderful haunted house story that shows us ghosts aren’t always the dead entities we think them as and the horrors can be in the every day lives we live. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Medical trauma, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Child death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Animal death, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Vomit