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strawb3rry_moon's review
2.0
2.5
Me siento muy decepcionada con este libro,
me esperaba algo mucho más impactante u
oscuro. Fue súper difícil para mi mantener un
interés por la historia y los personajes. El
final también fue apresurado y confuso, me
hubiera gustado que se centrara más en el
juicio.
Me siento muy decepcionada con este libro,
me esperaba algo mucho más impactante u
oscuro. Fue súper difícil para mi mantener un
interés por la historia y los personajes. El
final también fue apresurado y confuso, me
hubiera gustado que se centrara más en el
juicio.
kellylover86's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I feel like the author really had to make up a lot of ground in his final chapter to try to pull it all together. There were a few too many story threads to try to tie up and they don't seem necessary to make his ultimate point.
ominousspectre's review against another edition
3.0
Huh...this is one of those where I have no idea how I feel.
This was well written, if a bit heavy handed at times (the confrontation with Jaidee and Bryan's friends especially felt a bit buzzwordy. ).
I think where this was a question mark for me is that it's completely misrepresented in its marketing. This isn't a horror novel, it's a literary, character driven thriller. Not a bad thing, but very different expectations. Social horror requires certain aspects that this doesn't have. The full contact haunted house is barely a part of the story, to the point where it felt as though you could sub any situation in and still get the point across. Honestly, seeing the description and date of publishing made me immediately think of McKamey Manor, so I was expecting a bit more shade toward that shit show.
Anyways, there were parts that were very poignant. Boonsri's scenes especially hit an emotional place for me, as well as Kendra's in different ways. Jaidee and Leonard's descent intowhite supremacy was well written enough that it made me feel really angry and exhausted. Which I think is what the author was going for, mutual feelings of anger and exhaustion.
Did I have a good time though? :/
This was well written, if a bit heavy handed at times (
I think where this was a question mark for me is that it's completely misrepresented in its marketing. This isn't a horror novel, it's a literary, character driven thriller. Not a bad thing, but very different expectations. Social horror requires certain aspects that this doesn't have. The full contact haunted house is barely a part of the story, to the point where it felt as though you could sub any situation in and still get the point across. Honestly, seeing the description and date of publishing made me immediately think of McKamey Manor, so I was expecting a bit more shade toward that shit show.
Anyways, there were parts that were very poignant. Boonsri's scenes especially hit an emotional place for me, as well as Kendra's in different ways. Jaidee and Leonard's descent into
Did I have a good time though? :/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Emotional abuse
geoblockreads's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I could feel the point this book was trying to make, but I felt as though the way it was explored and developed was inauthentic.
The concept is interesting, and I do think the author created some interesting and fleshed out characters. The recurring theme of horror and fear was well done, and I liked the critique that going through something like that is completely different from how the characters fetishise fear.
However, the race stuff was not done with dignity or delicacy. I felt as though it was shoe-horned in. There was a part at the start of the book where they critique horror movies for killing off black characters, then that is how they end the book? I don’t understand how Jaidee’s racism played an integral part in that ending, I don’t understand why Jaidee revered white Americans by insulting black Americans. I don’t understand where he picked it up from, and why he is so insistent on it?
I felt off and out of character, and he felt somewhat autistic-coded, which is a whole other can of worms if you’re making the only character on the spectrum racist.
I feel as though the racism should’ve centered on the white characters, like Leonard and John, as they were the ones benefitting in the narrative and the people that cause the most harm to POC in the book. But their racism is only explored peripherally and they are never punished for it. And maybe that is a reflection of the real world, but it didn’t make any sense. The narrative allowed the white men to avoid the ‘racist’ catalogue by making their motivations to kill Bryan based on other things. I think an exploration of the expendability of black lives from their view would’ve been far better done. Rather the story assigns blame on the non white characters for the minor harms they perpetuate under white supremacy.
I also don’t think American authors can authentically write about how non-Americans view America bc it’s giving propaganda.
I don’t know. I feel like this story was trying to be poignant but fell short and made its non white characters scapegoats. I don’t think it had the tact to pull off the subject matter it was trying to tackle. And it was weirdly fatphobic????
Also the prose was a little dry.
The concept is interesting, and I do think the author created some interesting and fleshed out characters. The recurring theme of horror and fear was well done, and I liked the critique that going through something like that is completely different from how the characters fetishise fear.
However, the race stuff was not done with dignity or delicacy. I felt as though it was shoe-horned in. There was a part at the start of the book where they critique horror movies for killing off black characters, then that is how they end the book? I don’t understand how Jaidee’s racism played an integral part in that ending, I don’t understand why Jaidee revered white Americans by insulting black Americans. I don’t understand where he picked it up from, and why he is so insistent on it?
I felt off and out of character, and he felt somewhat autistic-coded, which is a whole other can of worms if you’re making the only character on the spectrum racist.
I feel as though the racism should’ve centered on the white characters, like Leonard and John, as they were the ones benefitting in the narrative and the people that cause the most harm to POC in the book. But their racism is only explored peripherally and they are never punished for it. And maybe that is a reflection of the real world, but it didn’t make any sense. The narrative allowed the white men to avoid the ‘racist’ catalogue by making their motivations to kill Bryan based on other things. I think an exploration of the expendability of black lives from their view would’ve been far better done. Rather the story assigns blame on the non white characters for the minor harms they perpetuate under white supremacy.
I also don’t think American authors can authentically write about how non-Americans view America bc it’s giving propaganda.
I don’t know. I feel like this story was trying to be poignant but fell short and made its non white characters scapegoats. I don’t think it had the tact to pull off the subject matter it was trying to tackle. And it was weirdly fatphobic????
Also the prose was a little dry.
suericker's review
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bradbury's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Just incredible; the exact measure of intense character work a good thriller needs. Actually fuck these negative reviews tbh. I YEARN for character-driven thrillers like these that give us a drip of plot in the beginning but prove how the real story lies in how these characters' backgrounds and power imbalances lead to violence under the chokehold of whiteness, in the Quigley house and in the real world. This book narrated the descent of Leonard's character and his white American obsession with American whiteness so articulately and grossly, and the way he objectified and misrepresented his relationship with Boonsri was excellent writing. The cultural criticism enmeshed seamlessly in the dialogue and character work was the highlight of this book for me. The parallels between America and a full-contact haunted house that this book creates where the risk of death is more palpable for some players than others is so real and intelligent. Overall I would suggest a read: reviews suggesting the alternating POVs and disjointed plot is confusing make no sense to me as the characters were gripping.
emilyctrigg's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5