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kivt's review against another edition
3.0
i shoulda noticed & been warned off this book by it being a goodreads award nominee. it wasn’t terrible, and some of the creepy bits were quite good. its themes and metaphors got real confused, which made it way less enjoyable than it could have been.
-hereditary mental illness like depression is like a monster that’s stalked your family for generations. no one wants to speak openly about it for fear of making it more real, which builds up years of lies that make it more powerful. everyone has to find the strength to be honest with each other in order to share information & process their trauma, which is the first step down the only path to defeat the monster for good. cool & excellent
-maybe depression is also a literal monster, tho? and your family deals with the unspoken but undeniable knowledge that you’re prey to something uncanny by obsessing over the haunted house you run as your main source of income. ok, cool
-every member of your family is obsessed with lovecraft enough to quote from his work extensively and leave his books around every setting of the story, to the point this book could serve as a library catalog. ehhhhhhh
-the depression monster is a sexy lady and you can fuck it
Spoiler
-hereditary mental illness like depression is like a monster that’s stalked your family for generations. no one wants to speak openly about it for fear of making it more real, which builds up years of lies that make it more powerful. everyone has to find the strength to be honest with each other in order to share information & process their trauma, which is the first step down the only path to defeat the monster for good. cool & excellent
-maybe depression is also a literal monster, tho? and your family deals with the unspoken but undeniable knowledge that you’re prey to something uncanny by obsessing over the haunted house you run as your main source of income. ok, cool
-every member of your family is obsessed with lovecraft enough to quote from his work extensively and leave his books around every setting of the story, to the point this book could serve as a library catalog. ehhhhhhh
-the depression monster is a sexy lady and you can fuck it
alwroteabook's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
It was okay. Could have been shorter and better. In a bizarre twist of fate, I liked the narrator more than the story. How often does that happen?
plantainicus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Homophobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
jmrupp01's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ghostriver's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Homophobia and Suicide
blackheartbella's review
5.0
I loved loved loved this book!! I felt so connected to the characters and the story was so unique. Eunice’s “last” suicide note had me bawling. Other parts probably would have made me cry if my family didn’t keep interrupting my reading grrrrrr. I will cherish this book for the rest of my days and it will now be a comfort book I shall read again and again….
skepticcurmudgeon's review
5.0
Wow. This book hits everything I look for:
1) engaging characters who evolve over the course of the story
2) an intriguing mystery
3) a sense of dread, excitement and real horror
4) a satisfying ending that logically follows and resolves loose threads, plus a reveal that doesn’t feel contrived or hollow
Highly recommend
1) engaging characters who evolve over the course of the story
2) an intriguing mystery
3) a sense of dread, excitement and real horror
4) a satisfying ending that logically follows and resolves loose threads, plus a reveal that doesn’t feel contrived or hollow
Highly recommend