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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Okay, I really enjoyed this!! It was a YA horror that I could totally get behind; it was well written, actually creepy, and didn't necessarily read as YA (not dissing YA, I love a good YA read). I was captivated by the story and the dark, gothic atmosphere Marshall was able to convey.
That said, I was not really convinced of the description of "Haunting of Hill House meets Knives Out". I was hoping for the cheeky cleverness that was in Knives Out and got none of that... my expectations? Maybe, but a bit misleading in myyy opinion. This also wasn't a 5 star read for me because the revelation/twist/discovery of what the fuck was actually going on became muddled a tad. Like it felt as if it was too much at once and unconvincing. I ended up figuring it out, but I had to backtrack and reread earlier passages to put everything together.
Still impressed overall. A nice, sturdy 4 from me.
That said, I was not really convinced of the description of "Haunting of Hill House meets Knives Out". I was hoping for the cheeky cleverness that was in Knives Out and got none of that... my expectations? Maybe, but a bit misleading in myyy opinion. This also wasn't a 5 star read for me because the revelation/twist/discovery of what the fuck was actually going on became muddled a tad. Like it felt as if it was too much at once and unconvincing. I ended up figuring it out, but I had to backtrack and reread earlier passages to put everything together.
Still impressed overall. A nice, sturdy 4 from me.
adventurous
dark
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
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Who among us doesn't enjoy a book that enjoys a weird house and a charming sapphic romance? This is a YA book but I found it very easy to forget it... especially considering I had no idea our main character, Helen, and several others were only 17 for a good portion of it.
This may be in part to the narrator giving them all fairly mature voices - not even a slight, Bryony's voice in particular was lovely! Thought I may be biased at this point because Bryony easily became my favorite character, but like Helen, I'm also a sucker for a forest witch.
There were some cheesy moments that remind you it's YA, but ultimately the story and twist at the end was solid, and there was a scene that had me in tears.
This may be in part to the narrator giving them all fairly mature voices - not even a slight, Bryony's voice in particular was lovely! Thought I may be biased at this point because Bryony easily became my favorite character, but like Helen, I'm also a sucker for a forest witch.
There were some cheesy moments that remind you it's YA, but ultimately the story and twist at the end was solid, and there was a scene that had me in tears.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
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:
Yes