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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: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse
kris386's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-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
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide and Pregnancy
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
All the spooky vibes just in time for Halloween! The structure of the book overall was clever, with different lines of a nursey rhyme for each chapter/section. While I wanted a bit more character development, it definitely worked well for this time of year. Leno is great at writing description, really pulling you into this spooky house.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Suicide
fancassticfiction's review against another edition
It's dull and the writing doesn't get interesting even when the plot supposedly thickens. If you love aesthetic horror, yeah, it might work, but I really wanted a little more for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Murder
frantic_vampire's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
What the fuck did I just read 😵💫??!? I can honestly say that Horrid is one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read. And if you know me, you know that horror and scary books really aren’t my thing. I don’t think I would have picked this one for myself if I hadn’t gotten it in a subscription box last year. Horrid is definitely a perfect read for Halloween and spooky season….Just, maybe don’t read it right before going to bed. Unless you want nightmares.
Leno’s work is something that I’ve come to really enjoy and even though this one scared the pants off of me, it’s something that I just couldn’t put down. It’s compulsively readable, and Jane is such an interesting main character. She knew that something wasn’t right with that house. And boy was she right…but nobody would listen.
I honestly don’t know what to say about this book, other then that it’s really fucking scary and really good. Oh! And fact that it ends abruptly! I think that’s probably one of the scariest parts of this book, that it just cuts to black before we get to see the aftermath. Horrid such a great read and I’m giving it solid four stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
anna_23's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, and Mental illness
halopink's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This cover is gorgeous. The writing and dialogue were 👌🏻👌🏻
Unfortunately the story itself was pretty forgettable. I was really digging this book but wasn’t a big fan of the ending.
Unfortunately the story itself was pretty forgettable. I was really digging this book but wasn’t a big fan of the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Self harm and Pregnancy
mapscitiesandsongs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicide, and Pregnancy
michleea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Child death and Self harm
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
michaela999's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I had devoured this book.
It tasted bitter and left an unsettling feeling.
It was delicious. It was bizzare. It was horrid. And i love it from the first bite.
There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
And when she was good
She was very, very good
But when she was bad
She was horrid
She couldn’t remember the first book she had eaten.
What it had tasted like, how it had felt—the scratch of it as it slid down her throat.
She couldn’t remember why she’d done it. She must have been a baby, a toddler, ripping pages out of a picture book about a talking stuffed animal.
Had the smell of books calmed her down then, as it did now?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Pregnancy