Reviews tagging 'Death'

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

48 reviews

booksthatburn's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

In A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES, Sam is visiting her mother in the home they once shared with her now-deceased grandmother. However, most of the ways Sam's mother had decorated to make the place her own have been undone, and she doesn’t seem to understand or acknowledge why this would be disturbing. Little things start to add up, eventually going beyond what’s merely bizarre - transforming into something downright creepy. 

Because as a reader this is my introduction to Sam’s mother, it’s harder to immediately know how she ought to be acting, but Sam’s thoughts provide that context in a way that feels natural. It feels like Sam working through it in her own mind, and not just for the benefit of me as a spectator. This is one of those cases where the things that I like best about the book are the ways that my understanding of of what's going on suddenly shifted as new information became available. It's short enough that to discuss most of what I loved in the latter half of the book would spoil many of the best parts of the experience. In general, I like the way that this played with my expectations of what a horror novel could or should be. There were several layers of revelations that didn't really feel like plot twists, as much as they involved realizing the meaning of information that had been said previously, but was transformed by new events. 

I love the ending, that ramps up the pace and the stakes to be suddenly exciting just as everything looked like it was going to wrap up more calmly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Vomit, Dementia, and Alcohol

dokushoka's review

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, and Blood

Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death, Gore, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail

cathuluu's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Fire/Fire injury

huntress's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Dementia

itsalina's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious 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? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Fatphobia, Violence, Blood, and Cannibalism

Minor: Body horror, Death, Racism, and Murder

caseythereader's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Thanks to Tor Books for the free advance copy of this book.

 - A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES is pitched as a modern Southern gothic, and it's exactly that, mixed with Kingfisher's signature offbeat humor and deeply unsettling imagery.
- I feel like I was primed to love and/or be extra affected by this book, given that I grew up with grandparents who kept an immaculately tended rose garden, just like Sam's family. Even if that's not your history, though, there's still plenty to be horrified by here.
- The book takes awhile to wind up. But even with some off kilter pacing, I'm still happy to be inside T. Kingfisher's mind. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Dementia

runlaurarun's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Fatphobia and Racism

Minor: Death

acwhite's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

I simply could not put this book down. I read the back 1/2 in a single sitting. Very little I can say except that it was engrossing, expertly woven, and extremely fun to read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Death of parent

Minor: Racism, Terminal illness, Medical content, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury