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ineffable_bowtie's review against another edition
2.0
My first Josh Malerman read. I decided to check out a couple of his books because he was a featured review on the cover of [b:Come with Me|56029579|Come with Me|Ronald Malfi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1606214615l/56029579._SY75_.jpg|87269767] by [a:Ronald Malfi|3512996|Ronald Malfi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1283295839p2/3512996.jpg]. This was not an awful book, but it was not the horror I was expecting. It was a love story between two 17 year olds who found a house underwater and suddenly become expert divers? I also didn't understand the ending, but that isn't the author's problem. I'm reading [b:Pearl|56749656|Pearl|Josh Malerman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1623664691l/56749656._SY75_.jpg|63300300] next and I hope it is better. Or at least more fitting of the "horror" genre.
johanna_st_john's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Fourth and final book in my 24-hour readathon 😴
justinkhchen's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars
Ripe for discussion, A House at the Bottom of a Lake is an allegorical novella about the loss of innocence through the lens of horror. The surrealist approach might turn off some readers who are expecting a conventional narrative with a tangible villain or explanation, but if you're open to it, you'll be greeted with two relatable protagonists and an out-of-this-world imagination.
This is definitely a situation where the less you know going in, the more rewarding the reading experience will be. The premise follows two teenagers, Amelia and James, as they discover a sunken house at the bottom of a deserted lake. They are drawn to it with unknown fascination, at the same time as their relationship begins to blossom.
Josh Malerman's stream of consciousness writing style works beautifully here, immediately brings to life the youthful, contradicting persona of 17-year-olds. In addition, he constructs scenes vividly, in a fluid, dream-like manner; the happenings inside the sunken house have some of the most memorable moments I've ever read on paper. A novella really is the perfect carrier for this story—long enough to conjure a presence, but still concise without being bogged down by the specifics.
Comparing to cinema, if you are a fan of films such as Darren Aronofsky's Mother! or Ari Aster's Midsommar, that utilize horror tropes to evoke grander story about emotion and human nature, then A House at the Bottom of a Lake should be right up your alley.
***This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!***
Ripe for discussion, A House at the Bottom of a Lake is an allegorical novella about the loss of innocence through the lens of horror. The surrealist approach might turn off some readers who are expecting a conventional narrative with a tangible villain or explanation, but if you're open to it, you'll be greeted with two relatable protagonists and an out-of-this-world imagination.
This is definitely a situation where the less you know going in, the more rewarding the reading experience will be. The premise follows two teenagers, Amelia and James, as they discover a sunken house at the bottom of a deserted lake. They are drawn to it with unknown fascination, at the same time as their relationship begins to blossom.
Josh Malerman's stream of consciousness writing style works beautifully here, immediately brings to life the youthful, contradicting persona of 17-year-olds. In addition, he constructs scenes vividly, in a fluid, dream-like manner; the happenings inside the sunken house have some of the most memorable moments I've ever read on paper. A novella really is the perfect carrier for this story—long enough to conjure a presence, but still concise without being bogged down by the specifics.
Comparing to cinema, if you are a fan of films such as Darren Aronofsky's Mother! or Ari Aster's Midsommar, that utilize horror tropes to evoke grander story about emotion and human nature, then A House at the Bottom of a Lake should be right up your alley.
***This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!***
royalwaves's review against another edition
3.0
I honestly don’t even know what to think of this book. I was enjoying it and then that ending… well let’s just say I was thinking I was going to give this book 4 stars and now I’m unsure if I want to give it a 2.5 or 3.
cranberry__sauce's review against another edition
1.0
it's so bad, i wanna give you a zero, but that's not possible, so i give you a one
confused_reader's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know what i just read.All i know is that i don't hate it...but i don't love it either. It's actually somewhere in between and a bit weird but I liked it. It definitely gave me the chills i was hoping for.
ajoh47's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
scy11a's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0