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uraveragelesbianreader's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book did everything it was supposed to do. I dont read a lot of horror so I cannot speak to its quality relative to other books in the genre but I honestly enjoyed it. The twists and turns feel earned and I liked putting the pieces together. I will admit the ending felt quite a bit fast and although it did feel like putting together a puzzle, there werent that many pieces to put together. There were however many moments I audibly gasped when things were revealed as those few pieces did come together. I think if the book was a tad longer and the last 50 pages occurred across 100 pages it would help make the timing feel a little bit less janky and thats why it gets a lower rating from me. That being said, I think this writing was intentional. The whole end of the book kind of reads like a downwards spiral that starts going faster and faster and faster till its all over in a big bang. So if that style of writing is something you enjoy you will enjoy this book. It definitely does a good job building the horror slowly and the foreshadowing is obvious but relevant and not overwhelming. Side note here, if one of your reading pet peeves is authors who havent been or spoken to a teenager in 20 years trying to write teenagers and failing miserably, this book IS NOT for you. As a final note, if you like answers, you will hate this book. The one thing this book does have going for it is re-readability, I could see myself rereading this and finding new details each time, although I assume this is par for the course in the thriller genre. I would recommend grabbing this book from the library or in a discount
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Murder and Pregnancy
brookey8888's review
dark
mysterious
fast-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
3.5
I really enjoyed this. I just wish it was a tad spookier and I didn’t really like the ending it felt rushed. I also wish the rhyme played a bigger part.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Child death, and Animal cruelty
tajosima's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.25
Spent the time listening to this actually afraid of the ending because I was enjoying it so much I didn’t want the ending to be disappointing. And it wasn’t! Maybe it is not for everyone, but i didn’t even imagined it would end like this but loved it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Death, Bullying, and Car accident
luinthezu's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Death, Mental illness, and Suicide
kes_kat's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-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
This books is SLOW. And like some Horror's the beginning wasn't very spooky. But I read the last 100 pages in one sitting. I couldn't put that part down.
I really liked the main characters friends, but the parts at school dragged a bit. I wish we got more scary moments at the house in the beginning and middle of the book.
But the end was perfect, and everything I want in a haunted house book. The main character is slightly unreliable,she blacks out when she's mad and you don't always know what is her doing and what is not
I also predicted the twist, in the beginning of the book. But I was hoping I'd be right, so I'm glad I predicted it.
I really liked the main characters friends, but the parts at school dragged a bit. I wish we got more scary moments at the house in the beginning and middle of the book.
But the end was perfect, and everything I want in a haunted house book. The main character is slightly unreliable,
I also predicted the twist, in the beginning of the book. But I was hoping I'd be right, so I'm glad I predicted it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, and Bullying
Minor: Mental illness
_thelitlibrarian's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, Mental illness, and Suicide
After the unexpected death of her father, Jane and her mother Ruth pack up their entire life in sunny California to move back to Ruth's family home in Maine. Jane seems to adapt fairly well (thanks to the numbness she feels after her father's death), finds comfort in a group of friends, and even secures a job at a local bookstore. It doesn't take long for the readers to realize things aren't what they seem. The town holds a secret; the thing everyone knows but no one will talk about, that is, everyone except Jane. As strange things start happening around her and inside her home, Jane begins to investigate what happened years ago in the very same house she lives in. My heart broke for Jane, everyone knew what had happened except for her, and no matter how hard she tried, no one seemed to want to even talk about the traumatic events that took place in the home. This book was eerie, I often found myself getting chills and looking around my surroundings to ensure I was alone. I always love a dark story with heavy family drama so as I read this, I had high hopes. The novel had a lot of buildup for an average ending, there was a lot of focus on backstory and things that were happening in Jane's day-to-day life that could have been edited down to allow for a longer ending. I will say, if you're a fan of open-ended endings, this might just be the book for you! I prefer endings that are neatly wrapped up and kept on wondering what was to happen next! Overall this was such a creepy read, it just left me wanting more.howlinglibraries's review
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: Mental illness, Grief, Child death, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Child abuse
albireotales's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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: Child death and Death
betweentheshelves's review
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, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Suicide
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, Gaslighting, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence