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the_books_music_life's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I think I hyped this book up a little too much and was left disappointed. I didn’t care for any of the characters and while Jane is a very complex character, she reads like an unreliable narrator and I don’t particularly enjoy that trope.
The story follows Jane as she struggles with the recent loss of her father and being forced to leave everything she knew and move to her mother’s hometown, which she knows next to nothing about.
Jane is a very complex character and throughout the book she goes through so much. And a lot of it could have been avoided if people around her actually talked and told the truth about things.
I thought the story would/could go in 1 to 2 ways and it went in neither. The direction it took was confusing and unclear and it didn’t help anything that the ending was very rushed.
If I had to describe this book in one sentence it would be “Gaslighting at it finest.”
The whole ‘mystery’ of the book is dragged on forever and the pay off wasn’t that great in my opinion. The only thing I did enjoy was the depiction of grief that we get to see. Grief is never one emotion, it’s many little emotions that mix and mingle into an even biggest emotion and this book did a great job showing that and the ways Jane dealt with her grief was realistic to me.
I did not care for the haunted house/ghost story element as it was very poorly done and just plain confusing.
The ending of the book is done in an open ending kind of way and it didn’t work for this story.
Most of the ‘side characters’ didn’t even have a point in the story, they were just there as someone for Jane to talk to or as conflict. No one had depth or meaning other than being someone Jane talked to.
Overall I found this book confusing, rushed, and the ending very disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gaslighting, Cursing, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, and Suicide
Graphic depictions of pica, loss of a sibling, intense depictions of anger issues, underage drinking, forced pregnancy,elliesberrie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Mental illness
annajoybooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Bullying, Mental illness, Murder, and Death
grimmarray's review against another edition
2.5
I'm not entirely sure if this book is good or just not really my taste,
but it felt a little too much like mental illness and less like ghosts.
I will admit the twist was a good one, so it gets points for that.
I will admit the twist was a good one, so it gets points for that.
Bold
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child death, Death, and Mental illness
winterdevil's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A YA horror that was spooky vibes and sketchy shit from start to finish. It felt like I was watching The Conjuring again with the anticipation, the tension, being alone in a dark hall, lights turning off, shadows of footsteps under the door of an empty room... I love horror, I love haunted houses and ghost stories, and this is a well-done blend of horror, grief, mental illness, and intergenerational trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Bullying, Murder, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Confinement
luinthezu's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Death, Mental illness, and Suicide
nniikkaa's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Violence and Child death
Minor: Suicide
kes_kat's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This books is SLOW. And like some Horror's the beginning wasn't very spooky. But I read the last 100 pages in one sitting. I couldn't put that part down.
I really liked the main characters friends, but the parts at school dragged a bit. I wish we got more scary moments at the house in the beginning and middle of the book.
But the end was perfect, and everything I want in a haunted house book. The main character is slightly unreliable,she blacks out when she's mad and you don't always know what is her doing and what is not
I also predicted the twist, in the beginning of the book. But I was hoping I'd be right, so I'm glad I predicted it.
I really liked the main characters friends, but the parts at school dragged a bit. I wish we got more scary moments at the house in the beginning and middle of the book.
But the end was perfect, and everything I want in a haunted house book. The main character is slightly unreliable,
I also predicted the twist, in the beginning of the book. But I was hoping I'd be right, so I'm glad I predicted it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, and Bullying
Minor: Mental illness
_thelitlibrarian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, Mental illness, and Suicide
After the unexpected death of her father, Jane and her mother Ruth pack up their entire life in sunny California to move back to Ruth's family home in Maine. Jane seems to adapt fairly well (thanks to the numbness she feels after her father's death), finds comfort in a group of friends, and even secures a job at a local bookstore. It doesn't take long for the readers to realize things aren't what they seem. The town holds a secret; the thing everyone knows but no one will talk about, that is, everyone except Jane. As strange things start happening around her and inside her home, Jane begins to investigate what happened years ago in the very same house she lives in. My heart broke for Jane, everyone knew what had happened except for her, and no matter how hard she tried, no one seemed to want to even talk about the traumatic events that took place in the home. This book was eerie, I often found myself getting chills and looking around my surroundings to ensure I was alone. I always love a dark story with heavy family drama so as I read this, I had high hopes. The novel had a lot of buildup for an average ending, there was a lot of focus on backstory and things that were happening in Jane's day-to-day life that could have been edited down to allow for a longer ending. I will say, if you're a fan of open-ended endings, this might just be the book for you! I prefer endings that are neatly wrapped up and kept on wondering what was to happen next! Overall this was such a creepy read, it just left me wanting more.howlinglibraries's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adored this. Katrina Leno has become an auto-read author for me, especially if she keeps writing these bizarre, terrifying stories with messed up characters. Jane is such an interesting protagonist and I found her incredibly easy to empathize with, which made the stakes in this story feel so much higher. I can safely say Horrid was the first YA horror novel to ever give me legitimate chills, and it did so several times! Leno has this way with creating such a thick atmosphere that I felt like I had been transported right into the middle of everything going on, and it was genuinely horrifying.
The mystery element to this story is also immensely enjoyable, but more than anything else, I enjoyed the incredibly gothic atmosphere and the depictions of anger management. I don't see a lot of protagonists with serious anger management issues, and while Jane's actions definitely aren't always positive or reasonable, they feel authentic and it was refreshing to read a story that touched upon those issues. I'm also a fan of the way Katrina Leno tackles generational trauma, which plays a prominent role throughout this story from start to finish.
All in all, Horrid was an unsettling, captivating read that I'm so grateful to have read, and I can't wait to pick up more stories from this brilliant author.
Buddy read with the incredible Malli! ♥
I read a final copy I borrowed from the library, but for the sake of disclosure, I was also sent an early review copy by the publisher. Thank you, Little, Brown!
✨ Representation: BIPOC side characters
The mystery element to this story is also immensely enjoyable, but more than anything else, I enjoyed the incredibly gothic atmosphere and the depictions of anger management. I don't see a lot of protagonists with serious anger management issues, and while Jane's actions definitely aren't always positive or reasonable, they feel authentic and it was refreshing to read a story that touched upon those issues. I'm also a fan of the way Katrina Leno tackles generational trauma, which plays a prominent role throughout this story from start to finish.
All in all, Horrid was an unsettling, captivating read that I'm so grateful to have read, and I can't wait to pick up more stories from this brilliant author.
Buddy read with the incredible Malli! ♥
I read a final copy I borrowed from the library, but for the sake of disclosure, I was also sent an early review copy by the publisher. Thank you, Little, Brown!
✨ Representation: BIPOC side characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Child death, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Child abuse