Reviews with content warning for Suicide - What Moves the Dead

I love vivid, descriptive horror so this was perfect. Equal parts disgusting and spooky, I especially loved the intelligence behind the horror elements. I'm a fan of Kingfisher's writing and am always impressed at how quickly she develops the world building. I was unfamiliar with the original work this is based on but that probably helped me enjoy this more. My only drawback was that I thought the ending was a bit boring. All in all, definitely a new favourite from Kingfisher.

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saltyair_reads's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I have never read The Fall of the House of Usher, so have no real basis for judgement on the retelling aspect.

Taking it for what it is, I enjoyed this story. It was quick and entertaining. Atmospheric, gothic vibes abound. Creepy fungus and weird little hares? Sure.

I don't know if this will stick out to me in the future or whether I will continue with the series. I did pick up a book of Poe today for a more critical comparison.

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chainsawheartbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

“Was there enough disinfectant in the world to cleanse the house of Usher?”

Maybe this wasn’t the best book to read while dealing with a stomach bug, or maybe that just made it even better and much more visceral.

I’ll admit, I tend to stay clear of fungus related horror, it truly freaks me out, but after hearing about this book, a kind of re-telling of one of Poe’s classics, I put my fears aside…and my god were they just reinforced.

I think I might lay off mushrooms for a little while, but I’m already very excited to get into the sequel, What Feasts At Night, and to get to spend more time with the stupendous Alex Easton.

T. Kingfisher’s writing was gorgeous, and the research that went into the book is so noticeable, it really helps set the scene and lock you into this vibrantly dreadful world.

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magikorbert's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

this is such a great retelling of Usher and gives a lot more background and information about what is happening to the Ushers. amazing main character, love kan so much.

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highladybug's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

A great spooky book for autumn! Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I shuddered in disgust. I adored the narrator and their/van backstory. Looking forward to reading more Kingfisher :)

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