Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The September House by Carissa Orlando

25 reviews

caitmal's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was entirely not the book I was expecting to read. I was thinking it would be a millennial type adventure of “I finally can afford a house, no way are ghosts scaring me off”. It ended up being a lot darker but also a lot more layered than I was expecting. I really appreciated how the

author paralleled the staying in an obviously haunted and dangerous house with staying in an abusive relationship. The author did a great job of showing the mindset and thought process and how people often make excuses or blame themselves. I found the DV scenes challenging to read at times so I do wish I had read a content warning beforehand

I also appreciated how the ending had a twist within a twist. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Self harm

alicevoyager's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Being in a haunted house is the least difficult thing this woman has been through. I love that we come in 4 years into her living in this house. She's frustrating at times, but she's a whole ass character.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child death, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Gaslighting and Suicide

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Self harm

chainsawheartbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book might have taken a while to get in to, but my god once it did it took off!
There were certainly really dark elements wrapped up at the heart of this story, but it handled things in such a good, honest and raw way. 
It’s a haunted house tale that is sure to stay with me for a long time, having planted its roots deep in my brain, as the house has with Margaret. 
A trigger warning of child abuse, alcoholism, as well as domestic and emotional abuse is something that’s important to share, but, in my personal opinion (and personal experience with emotional abuse), it’s handled with the upmost care. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Child abuse, Child death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, and Animal death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Self harm, Vomit, and Cursing

jessicafiu's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Holy shit. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Dementia, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Vomit, Gore, Suicide, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Torture

lindseyrenee's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death, Gore, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Body horror, Animal death, Murder, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Torture

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Suicide, Vomit, and Self harm

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

keenanmaree's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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? No

5.0

What a roller coaster! Funny, sad, and genuinely scary. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Torture, Body horror, Death, Blood, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Dementia, Alcohol, and Cannibalism

Minor: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Animal death

amyalwaysbooked's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.0

The premise of The September House was interesting. Margaret and her husband Hal buy their dream house in their middle age. When things prove to be a bit more haunted than expected, Margaret refuses to let go of the house and learns to deal with the spectral residents. However, when Hal goes missing Margaret has to keep her daughter from snooping around and finding out about the "pranksters" in her home.

I had expected this to be a horror-comedy when I went in, and to an extent, I think that's what Orlando was going for. I didn't find it all that funny or endearing. Margaret comes off as absent-minded and accommodating to the ghosts in the house which I found annoying more than charming. When you add Margaret and Hal's daughter Katherine to the mix it's even worse. She's an angry, short-tempered character that never grew on me. 

I gave the book three stars because I can see what Orlando is trying to do with this book. Margaret's willingness to follow the "rules" of the house and its ghosts is clearly a metaphor for

being the victim in an abusive relationship

but it's all so on the nose that I rolled my eyes more often than not. If I had felt more attached to Margaret and the other characters this could have worked better, but it all fell flat for me. 

The last twenty percent or so really ramped up the action, horror, and gore which I appreciated. However, after the climax, it all peters out into a lackluster resolution that leans back into the book's attempt at horror/comedy which doesn't hold up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Vomit, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol

Moderate: Gaslighting, Police brutality, and Mental illness

Minor: Self harm

killmoore_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Let me start by saying that I was SO excited to get my hands on this book. So many rave reviews, so much hype, I was READY for the spooky haunted house story of the year...

... and for me, this one fell a bit flat. 

Despite being full of gore, this read like a PG13 horror movie - perhaps its the narration style, but it was severly lacking in the fear and anxiety I always seek out in a good haunted house novel. That is what caused this to be a 4 star read for me.

I still very much enjoyed it. The story is fun, the characters are perfectly atrocious, and I truly loved both of the plot twists. It was well written, and the ending was a trip. I would LOVE to see a movie made out of this honestly, it would translate beautifully, and will definitely pick up more books by this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Alcoholism, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Alcohol, Child death, Blood, Bullying, Cannibalism, Cursing, Vomit, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, and Torture

shelleys_shelf's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Murder, Child death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Alcoholism

Minor: Self harm and Suicide