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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
3.5/5-I really wanted to like this book more. I’ve been searching for scary books to read and this was definitely creepy. My main issue is with the ending. I feel like it needed to be a bit more developed. It was a quick read and it definitely has its moments.
Horrid is the kind of horror book that doesn't outright scare you, but instead just deeply unsettles you. In small ways at first, only to build up near the end and then, finally hurl you off a cliff into the deep end without knowing where you'll land. It's a ghost story, yes, but also a story about grief and mental health. About small towns with big secrets. The writing is atmospheric and the kind of eerie that kind of just crawls over your skin slowly until it settles deep within your body.
I've always been a wuss when it comes to horror. I'm mostly alright at the time I watch or read horror, but it's afterwards that the fear comes in. With good horror, at least. And this one, as I put it down halfway through to go to sleep, kept me awake for a long while. I couldn't settle down until I'd gotten back up and did something differently to put my mind off this book. And that's how you know something is good horror. When it leaves you restless like that.
I don't want to say too much about this book as I feel you should just go in knowing as little as possible, so I'll leave you with this: Horrid is an unsettling story that I won't soon forget.
I've always been a wuss when it comes to horror. I'm mostly alright at the time I watch or read horror, but it's afterwards that the fear comes in. With good horror, at least. And this one, as I put it down halfway through to go to sleep, kept me awake for a long while. I couldn't settle down until I'd gotten back up and did something differently to put my mind off this book. And that's how you know something is good horror. When it leaves you restless like that.
I don't want to say too much about this book as I feel you should just go in knowing as little as possible, so I'll leave you with this: Horrid is an unsettling story that I won't soon forget.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Up close, the smell was thick and heavy and made Jane a little dizzy. She sat on a white bench and took the closest blossom in her hand. It was a deep, vibrant red. So bright she felt like she could eat it.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I can’t even begin to describe how happy I am to have read the perfect Halloween book for the year! I can’t really describe myself as a fan of horror or thrillers, but this book is so very close to changing my mind. I would be so happy to see this book adapted into a movie, honestly it’s perfect.
Jane North-Robinson is forced to move out to Maine with her mother following the death of her father and the debt left to them. It’s clear that her mother never wanted to move back to her hometown and the longer Jane lives in North Manor, it’s not hard to see why. But North Manor has more secrets than it can hold and both Jane and her mother wilt under its roof….
So like I said, not the biggest horror/slash mystery fan. Never read anything by Agatha Christie or Stephan King…However! I loved watching Crimson Peak, The Haunting of Hill House, and Rebecca so this book is definitely perfect for ghost-lovers or even just big creepy house lovers. I am both. I love a house with a name.
What I really ended up loving about this book beyond the fancy house (North Manor) or even the dark secrets in the house was the way the story was written. The narration that follows Jane will dramatically change based on where she physically is. The book does a lot to show how the house will effect her thinking and thus, trajectory of the book.
I also love the small town aspect of the story. I usually hate the old trope of “open secret to everyone, but the protagonist”, but this book really made it work for it. I really did love the many references to Agatha Christie novels, even though I haven’t read any. It added a layer of self-awareness to the book and made me really excited to pick one up.
Jane was also a really awesome character to follow. She was easy to sympathize with because of her past, but really complex. How does one character have so much patience in them and also so much uncontrollable rage? I really liked that she was a character who was constantly struggling with herself even before she moves into North Manor. I really really liked that everything that happens to her in North Manor is part of her story. It serves to help the culmination of who she’s always been.
But also! Poor mom! Honestly, I felt so bad for Ruth, Jane’s mom, she loses her husband, has to move back to a town she hates, everything is cold, her past has caught up with her and her daughter is acting super crazy. Yikes.
My biggest complaint about the book is the lack of resolution. I feel like I still had too many questions at the end to really be satisfied. The ending is very cool, don’t get me wrong. But I would have wanted an epilogue at least.
TL;DR: A perfectly creepy mystery to freak you out just a smidgen. The Gothic vibes here at excellent and the narration is so fun. I loved the aesthetic, the story, and with that cover? Who could resist?!
ARC provided by TheNovl in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected proof.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I can’t even begin to describe how happy I am to have read the perfect Halloween book for the year! I can’t really describe myself as a fan of horror or thrillers, but this book is so very close to changing my mind. I would be so happy to see this book adapted into a movie, honestly it’s perfect.
Jane North-Robinson is forced to move out to Maine with her mother following the death of her father and the debt left to them. It’s clear that her mother never wanted to move back to her hometown and the longer Jane lives in North Manor, it’s not hard to see why. But North Manor has more secrets than it can hold and both Jane and her mother wilt under its roof….
So like I said, not the biggest horror/slash mystery fan. Never read anything by Agatha Christie or Stephan King…However! I loved watching Crimson Peak, The Haunting of Hill House, and Rebecca so this book is definitely perfect for ghost-lovers or even just big creepy house lovers. I am both. I love a house with a name.
What I really ended up loving about this book beyond the fancy house (North Manor) or even the dark secrets in the house was the way the story was written. The narration that follows Jane will dramatically change based on where she physically is. The book does a lot to show how the house will effect her thinking and thus, trajectory of the book.
I also love the small town aspect of the story. I usually hate the old trope of “open secret to everyone, but the protagonist”, but this book really made it work for it. I really did love the many references to Agatha Christie novels, even though I haven’t read any. It added a layer of self-awareness to the book and made me really excited to pick one up.
Jane was also a really awesome character to follow. She was easy to sympathize with because of her past, but really complex. How does one character have so much patience in them and also so much uncontrollable rage? I really liked that she was a character who was constantly struggling with herself even before she moves into North Manor. I really really liked that everything that happens to her in North Manor is part of her story. It serves to help the culmination of who she’s always been.
But also! Poor mom! Honestly, I felt so bad for Ruth, Jane’s mom, she loses her husband, has to move back to a town she hates, everything is cold, her past has caught up with her and her daughter is acting super crazy. Yikes.
My biggest complaint about the book is the lack of resolution. I feel like I still had too many questions at the end to really be satisfied. The ending is very cool, don’t get me wrong. But I would have wanted an epilogue at least.
TL;DR: A perfectly creepy mystery to freak you out just a smidgen. The Gothic vibes here at excellent and the narration is so fun. I loved the aesthetic, the story, and with that cover? Who could resist?!
ARC provided by TheNovl in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected proof.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
I anticipated the secret de polichinelle BUT I didn't anticipate the ending. This book built up the suspense and the supernatural until the big reveal and I couldn't put it down the last twenty pages!
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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:
Yes
Sooooo, let's write a book about grief and try to justify murdering someone for it. I could put up with the bad dialogue and lackluster character personalities because this book had such potential to be a genuinely creepy story but the ending just ruined it for me. Such buildup, such suspense with a huge letdown.
- Autumnal Vibes - Check✔️
- Small New England Town - Check✔️
- Haunted Manor - Check✔️
- Bookstore/Cafe - Check✔️
What more do you need? Creepy vibes and a good twist - look no further. I had so much fun reading this one!
- Small New England Town - Check✔️
- Haunted Manor - Check✔️
- Bookstore/Cafe - Check✔️
What more do you need? Creepy vibes and a good twist - look no further. I had so much fun reading this one!
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Umm, I'm just not sure this was for me. At least it was not what I was expecting.
I think maybe it's mislabeled. It's a little slow and reads more like a thriller instead of horror.
Are there creepy elements? Yes.
Would I consider it horror? No.
Also, the story just kind of stops at the end. It just didn't really make sense to me.
I think maybe it's mislabeled. It's a little slow and reads more like a thriller instead of horror.
Are there creepy elements? Yes.
Would I consider it horror? No.
Also, the story just kind of stops at the end. It just didn't really make sense to me.