Scan barcode
tew_11's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
arkwen452's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It's told in first person and Margaret's nonchalant approach and perspective for her time in this odd, creepy and clearly haunted house filled with "pranksters" as she likes to call them is clearly not of a person who scares easily. Readers get to know Margret and learn about a lot of the hard times she's endured. But we also learn about the previous souls who lived there. And as described through her eyes, the "pranksters" actually really aren't all that bad.
And the manor of which the author humanizes them led me to believe the intention of the book was meant to be on the dark humor more than horror.
I think that the pacing of the book is done very well, and each chapter ties into Margaret, and Hal's marriage and their relationship with the new house really came together well. Made it an enjoyable read.
A lot of the time in each chapter I I found myself questioning Margaret's sanity and her control over reality. She said that Hal also noticed things in the house BUT since the POV is in first person I can't fully trust her interpretation of everything; there were also moments when it felt like the events of the house with the pranksters of the house that, as Margret calls them, made everything seem like it was actually happening.
Like the actions/events were concrete. Therefore the author will keep the readers questioning until the very end of the book whether it is real or the September house is just a figment of Margaret's imagination.
I don't think the horror element really kicks in until the last fourth of the book and I think that , there are more creepy elements that happen in the book overall. Especially with the use of the phrases "he's down there" in reference to Master Vale and how Margaret saw notions of that outside of the house.
Again, with it being in first person, readers cannot trust if what Margret's seeing is actually reality or just figment of her imagination. Without giving spoilers, I will say that I was very pleased with the way the ending is tied up because , it got to a point in the narrative where the word "crazy" was being tossed around and signs were pointing to Margret being commItted. I didn't like the angle of it being a psychosis issue rather than something factual. Not only because this is a red flag trope for me and it is never really done well when it comes to individual having some sort of psychosis leading to them having erratic behavior.
But
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
archaicrobin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Filled with real and supernatural terrors, this book was addictive and hard to out down. Highly recommend especially if you love haunted house horror.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
linora's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
shantuck13's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Suicide, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
hauntedantiqueshop's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
purstiltski's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
izypup's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
rachelunabridged's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide
queersubtext's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism