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sabrinz's review
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This book, just like Good Girls, is an obvious homage to horror movies and the people who like then and the people who make them. However, while Good Girls focuses on some genres (slasher, cosy mysteries, survival), this story of Harry focuses on the horror genre and its monsters - at the same time it also captures the horror of everyday life and the post-pandemic life.
Harry struggles as a single mom with her cleaning job at a big mansion in Chicago - her employer is the elusive horror director Javier Castillo who moved to Chicago to hide from the LA reporters who want to solve the case of his son's and wife's disappearance after his son was accused of murder.
As the story unfolds we get some background of both Harry and Mr. Castillo in short chapters, but we mainly focus on Harry's job and the not-so-normal going-ons with some of Mr. Castillo's collection of movie props.
To me, the big climax builds very, very slowly and the mystery is somehow intangible until quite late. Nevertheless, it is a great story that never feels boring and that keeps you reading - and I kept asking myself if the horror was the going-ons in the mansion or the struggles Harry had to face and overcome in her everyday life.
Harry struggles as a single mom with her cleaning job at a big mansion in Chicago - her employer is the elusive horror director Javier Castillo who moved to Chicago to hide from the LA reporters who want to solve the case of his son's and wife's disappearance after his son was accused of murder.
As the story unfolds we get some background of both Harry and Mr. Castillo in short chapters, but we mainly focus on Harry's job and the not-so-normal going-ons with some of Mr. Castillo's collection of movie props.
To me, the big climax builds very, very slowly and the mystery is somehow intangible until quite late. Nevertheless, it is a great story that never feels boring and that keeps you reading - and I kept asking myself if the horror was the going-ons in the mansion or the struggles Harry had to face and overcome in her everyday life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Child abuse and Violence
elysianbud's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Plot was decently engaging and spooky, but the ending a little flat. I expected a twist, hoping that maybe the obvious villain wasn't the villain after all, or at least not so cartoonishly evil. The ending went a little quick, I got to the last few pages and thought "really, we're resolving everything in so few pages?"
There are some preachy moments where the book seems to turn to the reader and is like "don't you agree this is a terrible thing?" This contributes to some stiff dialogue that doesn't sound like people talk.
I liked Gabe but he was a wildly unrealistic teenager, far too good. I was a good child, but this lad was a saint who knew therapy speak.
There was also the fact that they kept saying this horror director had a film win multiple Oscars. I kept dragging me out of the book. I suppose this was the writer trying to saying "that's just how much of a genius director he is, even the academy takes him seriously," but it more came across that it was just the fanciest film accolade they knew. Horror films are traditionally ignored at the Oscars, and they definitely don't win multiple for one film. If anything it would have made more sense if the author had pointed out that he'd never won an Oscar despite being brilliant because it would fit far better into the sprinkling of "horror films are the underdog" moments throughout the book, like when she talks about movie budgets. It would also be something for Javier to be bitter about, seeing as he's so convinced of his own genius. A tiny detail, but one that irritated me like a stone in my shoe.
There are some preachy moments where the book seems to turn to the reader and is like "don't you agree this is a terrible thing?" This contributes to some stiff dialogue that doesn't sound like people talk.
I liked Gabe but he was a wildly unrealistic teenager, far too good. I was a good child, but this lad was a saint who knew therapy speak.
There was also the fact that they kept saying this horror director had a film win multiple Oscars. I kept dragging me out of the book. I suppose this was the writer trying to saying "that's just how much of a genius director he is, even the academy takes him seriously," but it more came across that it was just the fanciest film accolade they knew. Horror films are traditionally ignored at the Oscars, and they definitely don't win multiple for one film. If anything it would have made more sense if the author had pointed out that he'd never won an Oscar despite being brilliant because it would fit far better into the sprinkling of "horror films are the underdog" moments throughout the book, like when she talks about movie budgets. It would also be something for Javier to be bitter about, seeing as he's so convinced of his own genius. A tiny detail, but one that irritated me like a stone in my shoe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Stalking, Violence, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic
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