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ireadinbed's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
I loved the entire experience of reading this book.
It gave me the same feelings I often had reading books as a child. I cannot remember the last time I felt so well immersed. It did a good job of dropping red herrings do I couldn't quite figure things out whilst also giving me enough crumbs that my fairy story loving brain was a buzzing!
I found parts of it quite dread inducing but in a fun way. Like it was surprisingly scary, I didn't expect it!
I connected a lot with the characters and some over arching themes about what desperation and bad luck can do to us.
Just genuinely very well done.
It gave me the same feelings I often had reading books as a child. I cannot remember the last time I felt so well immersed. It did a good job of dropping red herrings do I couldn't quite figure things out whilst also giving me enough crumbs that my fairy story loving brain was a buzzing!
I found parts of it quite dread inducing but in a fun way. Like it was surprisingly scary, I didn't expect it!
I connected a lot with the characters and some over arching themes about what desperation and bad luck can do to us.
Just genuinely very well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Body horror
Moderate: Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
elderflower's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I was expecting a sweet, historical romance, but got a horror novel instead. Horror novels are not my thing and this one was definitely creepy. It wasn’t necessarily a bad horror novel, but the advertising did not communicate the fact that it was a horror novel. It was a bit predictable and cliché though.
Songs:
Songs:
- Chelsea by Phoebe Bridgers- this one doesn’t fit very well, but I got the same vibes from this song and this book
- august by Taylor Swift- for Rebecca and Sam
- Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson- for Ellerie
Similar reads:
- The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson- if you want a younger, cleaner, and more christian version of this book then The Monster in the Hollows is the book for you!
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. R**ling (god I hate to write her name)- I was reminded of Ginny’s storyline while reading this book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Minor: Suicide, Ableism, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Gun violence
more content warnings: ableist language, cheatingj_emerson18's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love everything about this book. This author has outdone herself once again and I sit in awe at the world I've just left. The story is fantastic, the characters compelling, and the plot twists jaw dropping. I will fully rank this in my top 10 books ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Read this book. It's a necessity and honestly no regrets in reading it.livlamentloathe's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
the_caffeinated_book_dragon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I really didn't know what to expect with this book when I began. It quickly piqued my inner Nancy Drew as the mysteries and intrigue began popping up. It gave me the vibes of the movie The Village by M. Night Shyamalan and The book The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers. The book hooked me pretty much from the begining. There are many interesting twists and turns. I will say I was unhappy with how the book ended but overall, I really enjoyed the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
britni_library's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Murder, and Religious bigotry
grasonwood's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I absolutely adore this book! Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. I would have given it 5 stars however the cast was not very diverse and I if that was included the book would be even better than it already is. Over all loved the characters and I was really invested in their growth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and Violence
annacaldwell333's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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
2.5
When I finished a House of Salt and Sorrows, I was angry. After finishing Small Favors, I’m just sad. Because this book had so much potential, but just with Craig’s last book, it tries to be too many things at once while not really excelling at any one of them.
I don’t mind a slow moving plot, but there better be a point to it. The creatures were built up to be more threatening than they really were. Honestly I think I would have enjoyed the story more if the supernatural was taken out of it and this was just about a village full of people turning against each other.
The main character had no personality. I’m told that characters are a certain way. “He tells me everything, she’s my best friend”, but I see no evidence of this at all? Kind of hard to believe Sam’s a good person and brother when he’s a dick right from the beginning.
The love interest. Sigh. I feel like I could replace him with Cassius from HoSaS and there would be absolutely no difference at all. And come on. He was one part of the mystery that wasn’t a mystery at all. No personality, insta love by the gallon, main character swooning over him literally from the first moment. In a book this slow, there was time to build a relationship between Ellerie and Whitaker. But no. We couldn’t possible have that.
The ending was anticlimactic and even more boring than the last novel. Craig’s writing style is beautiful and I was really hoping Small Favors would win me over after the disaster ending of HoSaS. But I think this will be the last book I read from her.
I don’t mind a slow moving plot, but there better be a point to it. The creatures were built up to be more threatening than they really were. Honestly I think I would have enjoyed the story more if the supernatural was taken out of it and this was just about a village full of people turning against each other.
The main character had no personality. I’m told that characters are a certain way. “He tells me everything, she’s my best friend”, but I see no evidence of this at all? Kind of hard to believe Sam’s a good person and brother when he’s a dick right from the beginning.
The love interest. Sigh. I feel like I could replace him with Cassius from HoSaS and there would be absolutely no difference at all. And come on. He was one part of the mystery that wasn’t a mystery at all. No personality, insta love by the gallon, main character swooning over him literally from the first moment. In a book this slow, there was time to build a relationship between Ellerie and Whitaker. But no. We couldn’t possible have that.
The ending was anticlimactic and even more boring than the last novel. Craig’s writing style is beautiful and I was really hoping Small Favors would win me over after the disaster ending of HoSaS. But I think this will be the last book I read from her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, and Gore
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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 wasn't a man. My place in the world was nebulous, a malleable concept only given definition by the space I occupied. When I was in the classroom, I was a schoolgirl. At home, I was a daughter. When someone eventually courted me, I'd be a wife, a mother. But until then, what was I? Who was I?"
Again, Erin A. Craig slays me with her immersive world-building and atmosphere-- homey and creepy by turn, veering steadily towards the latter as the story slinks onwards. As the bizarre, catastrophic events striking the town of Amity Falls multiply and worsen, hysteria creeps in, neighbor turning on neighbor, friend betraying friend. Everything is covered in a film of suspicion. There's that ominous teeling that you don't have all the puzzle pieces to understand the horrific events unfolding, and you're just as mystified and nervous as the characters. It's DARK on all kinds of fronts: psychological, gore, social critique. I found myself eating it up.
Our protagonist, Ellerie, is a stalwart guide through all the dark chaos. She's a dutiful, big-hearted, tough-as-nails heroine who cares for everyone around her, especially her family. She carries the weight of others' needs and wants on her back while holding their secrets safely locked away. Ellerie wants recognition from her father and her community, but she is in the awkward position of being a girl, leaving her with limited opportunity. On the flipside, I wasn't sure for most of the book if her twin brother was actually evil or just a terrible, obnoxious person, but he fueled my hate fire singlehandedly.
God, this book was good. It defies a single genre with historical homesteader elements, creepy thriller vibes, a dash of fairy tale inspiration, and lurking supernatural presence. It's a slow, consuming build and I highly recommend it.
Again, Erin A. Craig slays me with her immersive world-building and atmosphere-- homey and creepy by turn, veering steadily towards the latter as the story slinks onwards. As the bizarre, catastrophic events striking the town of Amity Falls multiply and worsen, hysteria creeps in, neighbor turning on neighbor, friend betraying friend. Everything is covered in a film of suspicion. There's that ominous teeling that you don't have all the puzzle pieces to understand the horrific events unfolding, and you're just as mystified and nervous as the characters. It's DARK on all kinds of fronts: psychological, gore, social critique. I found myself eating it up.
Our protagonist, Ellerie, is a stalwart guide through all the dark chaos. She's a dutiful, big-hearted, tough-as-nails heroine who cares for everyone around her, especially her family. She carries the weight of others' needs and wants on her back while holding their secrets safely locked away. Ellerie wants recognition from her father and her community, but she is in the awkward position of being a girl, leaving her with limited opportunity. On the flipside, I wasn't sure for most of the book if her twin brother was actually evil or just a terrible, obnoxious person, but he fueled my hate fire singlehandedly.
God, this book was good. It defies a single genre with historical homesteader elements, creepy thriller vibes, a dash of fairy tale inspiration, and lurking supernatural presence. It's a slow, consuming build and I highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Death, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny and Pregnancy
offictionandfantasy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism