Reviews

The Haunting by Natasha Preston

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lavendcr's review against another edition

4.0

★★★.5 rounded up!

I was eager to dive back into Natasha Preston's writing, and "The Haunting" seemed like the perfect choice. Having devoured "The Cabin" a few years ago, I knew her thrillers rarely disappoint.

The initial chapters had me completely hooked, drawing me into the story's suspenseful world. However, as I approached the three-quarter mark, I found myself growing increasingly impatient to uncover the identity of the killer. I had already made several predictions in my notes when I was only halfway through, and it was satisfying to see many of them pan out. It made me feel quite accomplished!

Yet, there were a few aspects that bothered me. Firstly,

Spoiler

some of the characters, especially Penny, seemed a bit too reckless given the circumstances. Like you would think that discovering 2 bodies would deter her from going outside at all bUT SHE JUST KEPT PUTTING HERSELF IN HARMS WAY??? GIRL PUT YOURSELF FIRST!

Towards the end, the story took on a slightly "Scooby-Doo" vibe.

Spoiler

Nash, Zayn, and Penny went all Nancy Drew on me.

I am very genuinely mad about the ending. Because wtf?! WHO ENDS A BOOK LIKE THAT? LIKE AT LEAST GIVE ME SOME CLOSURE, MAYBE EVEN AN EPILOGUE. While I'm not sure if a sequel is necessary, Natasha Preston has a knack for surprising her readers, so I'm sure she'll find a way to keep us engaged.

Nonetheless, "The Haunting" was a fitting start to my October reading list. I'm now moving on to my next spooky book.

cgbmartin's review against another edition

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fast-paced

2.5

nbarendt's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.5

Super tense and a quick read

what was that ending tho??? I get that could be a unique way to go about it but it just felt lazy.

Content Warnings

katbookish's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

professor_kei's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

3.0

The storyline was exciting, and the characters were interesting - but the writing had a choppy flow to it. The ending was disappointing and frustrating.