Reviews tagging 'Murder'

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

15 reviews

lillygabriella's review

dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I do love a book where it is very clear the author knows the setting. Set in North Carolina, it's Southern Gothic in the manner of small out of the way towns rather than crumbling antebellum mansions. Personally I feel this makes it much more relatable. In a tiny decades old subdivision, Sam is visiting her mom, partly due to work reasons and partly because her brother was worried and asked her to check in. When she gets there is is clear that things are *not alright*. The rest of the book is Sam and her scientific mind trying to figure out what's going on while things get stranger and stranger. For details, go read the book. Seriously! It is so good! I cannot recommend this highly enough!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

rorikae's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

'A House With Good Bones' by T. Kingfisher is a creepy horror about familial expectations. 
When Sam comes to stay with her mother in her grandmother's old house, she senses something is off. Her mother is a kind woman but suddenly she is starting to mimic Sam's grandmother, an overbearing woman with high expectations for her family. As more and more strange things start to happen around the house, Sam suspects that something more is going on. 
Kingfisher does a great job of creating a creeping sense of unease that slowly permeates the story. We quickly come to understand Sam as a person as well as her mother and her grandmother. It's clear that their relationship with the grandmother was fraught and that same energy is returning to the house. The unease continues to increase throughout the book until we reach some more startlingly revelations. Ultimately, I think Kingfisher does a great job of exploring familial expectations and trauma through a horror lens but without getting too gory. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Fatphobia

Moderate: Body horror and Racism

Minor: Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

yappuccino's review

challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

A fun, creepy read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Blood

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Bugs, teeth

magikorbert's review

dark funny informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

altogether good and quite sweet actually; but i'll be honest this kinda dragged for me. not even a slow burn really, mostly just nothing and then EVERYTHING BAM. newfound love for vultures activated.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Racism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Grief and Alcohol

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Murder

otterforce's review

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-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

It’s a solid read with an interesting cast and an ending that while mostly telegraphed is worth sticking around for.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cannibalism and Murder

cranshrooms's review

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I love T Kingfisher's books! I have to admit, this one went a very different direction than I expected, and it contained a few more mystical elements than I expected in a souther Gothic. That being said, it was a delight and an easy read. As I said to a friend, it was almost like listening to a Tumblr mutual tell a story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer, Death, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

eni_iilorak's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use, Racism, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

leeghlee's review

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Cursing

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Medical content, Dementia, and Stalking

wandering_recorder's review

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.75

After thoroughly enjoying What Moves The Dead, I was ecstatic to hear that Kingfisher was coming out with another horror novel. Now having finished it, I am glad to say that it delivered on all my expectations in the best way possible. Set in the south with all its traditions and culture, it subliminally soothes the reader into a false sense of security only to disturb them with suggestions of what horrors and evils may lie underneath. As they solve the mystery of what is really going on in this strange house on Lammergeier Lane the reader can expect to be delighted with its macabre atmosphere and shocked with the supernatural.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Racism, Dementia, and Murder

julesadventurezone's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

I liked the creepy and mysterious beginning more than the action packed end. The narrator is very funny and relatable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Classism