Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The September House by Carissa Orlando

13 reviews

judassilver's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Violence, Vomit, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, Suicide, Dementia, Cannibalism, and Grief

Minor: Self harm, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury

aparker89's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Cannibalism, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

dev921's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Grief

throwback682's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-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

3.5

This would’ve been a 5 star for me except for the stigmatizing of mental illness/painting mentally ill people as violent. There’s even a passing remark that mentally ill people aren’t typically violent but it rings hollow given the context. I find it really upsetting and tired. So, minus 1.5 stars for that oppressive nonsense. 

As someone said on Reddit, “I think that it’s an entertaining ghost story that is better as a deconstruction of abusive relationships.” and I couldn’t put it better myself. If you’re not reading this book as allegory then you’re fucking up. Part of me thinks the comparisons were laid on a bit thick, but given the amount of people who didn’t seem to read it this way, maybe not. I also thought it was very funny, especially the early chapters, but again many folks don’t seem to see the humor. 

Yes I guessed a twist way ahead of time but it was also sort of not the point - a slight red herring for a bigger twist. 

In short: it was a funny, spooky book, that dealt with very heavy and potentially triggering subject matter in a novel way. 

I think everything people complained about in other reviews (the annoying, infuriating daughter; the repetitiveness) all served a purpose. I think it worked really well. 

I just wish it hadn’t relied on ableist stereotypes/stigmas against mentally ill folks, is truly my only real complaint. 

Read with caution if you’ve been a victim of intimate partner violence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Ableism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcoholism

Moderate: Child abuse and Confinement

Minor: Forced institutionalization

Tons of body horror and blood throughout, including involving children. The entire book is an allegory for an abusive relationship involving alcoholism. Mentally ill people are stigmatized as violent.

linora's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book made me laugh out loud and made me cry. It was written beautifully and I have a feeling that I will be thinking about it for a long time. 

I'm debated between giving it 4.75 and 5 stars, and decided to upgrade it to 5 stars because of a few scenes that were written with such care and understanding while still maintaining their humor. I do think the metaphor weakened towards the end as the plot transitioned into more traditional horror, but I loved it anyway

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Self harm, Death of parent, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Stalking, Torture, Vomit, Chronic illness, Confinement, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

shantuck13's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Body horror, Alcoholism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Dementia, Confinement, Suicide, and Gaslighting

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

This was a great read with a satisfying ending. So many scary moments and I loved the author’s delivery of those scenes, totally matter of fact, which combined funny with freaky. What a fantastic debut from Carissa Orlando, I’ll definitely be reading more of her books in the future.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Alcoholism, Gore, Body horror, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, Blood, Physical abuse, and Murder

izypup's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

5.0

I love when women 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Blood, Gore, Murder, Child death, Body horror, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Addiction, Confinement, Death of parent, Cannibalism, Animal death, Torture, Vomit, and Alcohol

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

mamawantsbooks's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

One sentence review: A wonderful haunted house story that shows us ghosts aren’t always the dead entities we think them as and the horrors can be in the every day lives we live. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Medical trauma, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Child death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Animal death, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Vomit

samburkhouse's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Vomit, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Cannibalism, Confinement, and Self harm