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adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow this book was amazing. It’s very creepy, but I could still tolerate it enough to finish the book. The descriptions and the writing style are perfect for this type of story. I could definitely see this being turned into a movie. I think that the emotional abuse from her family was a part of the horror. Also, omg idk who’s worse her sister or brother.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Abortion, Murder
Minor: Self harm
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Abortion
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am very torn on how I feel about this book. While it was definitely not boring, it did feel like it dragged in parts and could have been a bit shorter. The beginning with the arrival to the villa gave me such creepy vibes and the family tension added to it but beyond that it seemed to be JUST family drama and little else. It became very repetitive (we get it..her family treats her like crap). Sometimes the book made ME feel like I was losing time (this will be more understood once read). I loved the idea of this book but wish some things could have been tightened up a bit more. It definitely set the mood for spooky season though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder
Minor: Abortion
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Abortion, Gaslighting
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not the usual horror story, although it covers everything you expect from a good ghost story. But it is also a story about a very dysfunctional family and the kind of ghosts you carry with you, if you are considered to be the 'black sheep' amongst an awful bunch of people.
It took me a while to get into the second part of the book, after the story takes an unexpected turn. Although it was still interesting, for me it was the weaker part of the novel and made the end more forseeable, than I was hoping for it to be, after the first part.
Still an enjoyable, entertaining, well written story, which let me easily overlook some small plot holes and less convincing situations in some parts, because I had enough fun reading it overall.
It took me a while to get into the second part of the book, after the story takes an unexpected turn. Although it was still interesting, for me it was the weaker part of the novel and made the end more forseeable, than I was hoping for it to be, after the first part.
Still an enjoyable, entertaining, well written story, which let me easily overlook some small plot holes and less convincing situations in some parts, because I had enough fun reading it overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Suicide, Car accident, Abortion
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
And I thought my family reunions were bad! Dread oozes from every page, the pacing is impeccable and I couldn't predict a single plot turn but it all made perfect sense for where the story needed to go. The best horror novel I've ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.8 (cause I was expect a horror but got a drama with horror elements)
I found myself rooting for Anna, it feels like the haunted nature of the book is a direct reflection on the main character. - I honestly didn’t get that till the last 20% of the book which I thought was super neat.
I felt for Anna, being stuck with these ppl as family would drive anyone to be an emotional unavailable person. If you are told you are the problem your whole life it does something to you.
This book will not be for everyone, especially people that are very close to their families.
I found myself rooting for Anna, it feels like the haunted nature of the book is a direct reflection on the main character. - I honestly didn’t get that till the last 20% of the book which I thought was super neat.
I felt for Anna, being stuck with these ppl as family would drive anyone to be an emotional unavailable person. If you are told you are the problem your whole life it does something to you.
This book will not be for everyone, especially people that are very close to their families.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Abortion
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
2⭐️ The plot had such promise—family drama and haunted houses? Hell yeah, I’m in. It was the execution that fell flat for me
The pacing was the most glaring problem. It felt way off. By the second page, we’re told the house is creepy. There’s no build up, unsettled feelings, or feeling of dread that I think makes a great horror book. It reads fast in some places and incredibly slow in others. The ending (which I actually loved) felt rushedand I wish we had been told what all happened to her family. There’s just one throw away sentence that their lives were all messy. I know Anna doesn’t know, but bc it’s written in third-person, Thorne could have told us
I also felt like Thorne wrote like, “and this thing was super creepy” rather than just letting the reader feel creeped out. Like, don’t TELL me it’s creepy, SHOW me it’s creepy through ~*fEeLiNgS*~. It reads like she isn’t confident in her ability to set the tone…or maybe she is just bad at that, I haven’t read anything else by her to compare
I don’t have this much family drama (even though I am for sure the black sheep) so maybe I’m just lucky that I don’t get it, but the animosity Anna’s family felt towards her felt very unrealistic. Like, they unnecessarily blamed things on her that anyone with a clear head could see were in no way her fault…?And the brother’s boyfriend was VERY unnecessarily aggressive towards her. For what? Is this really a thing that happens in families? I think it was an attempt to add to the drama, but it all just felt ridiculous
This is just a stylistic preference, not a fault of Thorne’s writing, but I don’t think I like books written in third person
I also found it very unnecessary for her to fuck La Dama Bianca. Or, at the very least, write the ghost sex better…?
Overall, it wasn’t BAD—I don’t regret reading it, but I had very high hopes for this and I am left disappointed
The pacing was the most glaring problem. It felt way off. By the second page, we’re told the house is creepy. There’s no build up, unsettled feelings, or feeling of dread that I think makes a great horror book. It reads fast in some places and incredibly slow in others. The ending (which I actually loved) felt rushed
I also felt like Thorne wrote like, “and this thing was super creepy” rather than just letting the reader feel creeped out. Like, don’t TELL me it’s creepy, SHOW me it’s creepy through ~*fEeLiNgS*~. It reads like she isn’t confident in her ability to set the tone…or maybe she is just bad at that, I haven’t read anything else by her to compare
I don’t have this much family drama (even though I am for sure the black sheep) so maybe I’m just lucky that I don’t get it, but the animosity Anna’s family felt towards her felt very unrealistic. Like, they unnecessarily blamed things on her that anyone with a clear head could see were in no way her fault…?
This is just a stylistic preference, not a fault of Thorne’s writing, but I don’t think I like books written in third person
Overall, it wasn’t BAD—I don’t regret reading it, but I had very high hopes for this and I am left disappointed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Moderate: Self harm, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Pregnancy