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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Very fun and enjoyable. Evie is the gothic lesbian Elsa representation that Disney was too afraid to give us, and for that I love her.
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was a really good book. It very much followed the formula for a gothic horror but it did it very well. It’s a good easy read, I imagine it would be better if you weren’t already very familiar with the genre. But it still is a well done book and the Queer representation is always a plus!
Mulling over the star rating for this book.
There were elements of this book that could have made it great, and even creepier, but the way the author told this story left it lackluster. Much of this book comes off as a Bly Manor knockoff. Many of the main characters were underwhelming and just scratched the surface. The groundskeeper character could have been taken out and the story would've kept on churning without him.
The short chapters were a blessing for this book as it read fast, despite the poor pacing. All the Dead Lie Down comes in hot with the creepy vibes of the Lovelace House, and then goes into a barrage of terrible pranks pulled by the two girls Marin is tasked to watch and switches gears to the romance subplot with Evie, the older sister who quits school and comes home early. I felt like I could see the tire marks of the author's thoughts on how to set up the novel rather than feel like I was enraptured by the story and the characters. Because I didn't connect with the characters, the romantic subplot between Marin and Evie fell flat. I think Evie was the only saving grace for this book, and that one seen with the teeth.
TLDR; Just watch The Haunting of Bly Manor.
There were elements of this book that could have made it great, and even creepier, but the way the author told this story left it lackluster. Much of this book comes off as a Bly Manor knockoff.
Spoiler
Even certain aspects of Evie's powers gave me remnants of Frozen, but if Elsa had necromancer powers instead of ice.The short chapters were a blessing for this book as it read fast, despite the poor pacing. All the Dead Lie Down comes in hot with the creepy vibes of the Lovelace House, and then goes into a barrage of terrible pranks pulled by the two girls Marin is tasked to watch and switches gears to the romance subplot with Evie, the older sister who quits school and comes home early. I felt like I could see the tire marks of the author's thoughts on how to set up the novel rather than feel like I was enraptured by the story and the characters. Because I didn't connect with the characters, the romantic subplot between Marin and Evie fell flat. I think Evie was the only saving grace for this book, and that one seen with the teeth.
TLDR; Just watch The Haunting of Bly Manor.
I loved how this book gave me all the spooks and mystery I asked for as well as managing to break my heart and make me feel genuine joy at the same time. A beautiful way to explain how grief changes and effects us all in maddening and unpredictable ways.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Vomit
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
From what little I’ve seen of The Haunting of Bly Manor, I read into the similarities. However, it didn’t ruin the reading experience for me. I loved the setting and how it was used to create a gothic atmosphere. There were times of eloquent writing; there were times of cliche writing. My biggest dislike with the book, though, is the length of the book feels unnecessary. I feel like there is some fluff when this is a book with so much packed into it already. I do think this would make a great movie some day though!
**I’m a HarperCollins employee with access to this ARC
**I’m a HarperCollins employee with access to this ARC