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hannanni41's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's no Hollow Places or What Moves The Dead, but it's still pretty good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Racism, and Death of parent
Minor: Dementia and Gaslighting
daredeviling's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book is pretty much everything I wanted Mexican Gothic to be, but wasn't. We get the gothic vibes (even though this was just a house and not a mansion), the creepy happenings, the secrets, and the hauntings. tbh, I actually liked that it was a house and not a mansion like in Mexican Gothic or Rebecca - it flipped the concept of a gothic book around, since we normally expect dark mansions with secrets. But this was just in a chill suburbian neighborhood.
Also the main character was *chefs kiss*. She was perfect for the story, so snarky and with a distinct, individual voice. I loved that her career ended up being really helpful for her in the situation, and it was just like ~character flavor text. It was super relevant. Have I mentioned that I love T Kingfisher's characters? Both in Nettle & Bone and in this book, they jump off the page. I want to be friends with all of them and just crack jokes and make sarcastic comments. And of course, just like in Nettle and Bones, the side characters were awesome. They were all such interesting people and I wish they (especially Phil and Gail) could go on further adventures with the main character.
The magic stuff was a little bit confusing, but I didn't even really mind that because the rest of the book was so good. I just sort of hand-waved it and went with what I could gather from the situation. Loved the creepiness of the underground children and the vultures. There's just such an ~atmosphere that the author is able to evoke that complements the gothic vibes within the house itself so well.
T. Kingfisher is definitely quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! I can't wait to read more of her books! :)
Also the main character was *chefs kiss*. She was perfect for the story, so snarky and with a distinct, individual voice. I loved that her career ended up being really helpful for her in the situation, and it was just like ~character flavor text. It was super relevant. Have I mentioned that I love T Kingfisher's characters? Both in Nettle & Bone and in this book, they jump off the page. I want to be friends with all of them and just crack jokes and make sarcastic comments. And of course, just like in Nettle and Bones, the side characters were awesome. They were all such interesting people and I wish they (especially Phil and Gail) could go on further adventures with the main character.
The magic stuff was a little bit confusing, but I didn't even really mind that because the rest of the book was so good. I just sort of hand-waved it and went with what I could gather from the situation. Loved the creepiness of the underground children and the vultures. There's just such an ~atmosphere that the author is able to evoke that complements the gothic vibes within the house itself so well.
T. Kingfisher is definitely quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! I can't wait to read more of her books! :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming and Emotional abuse
Minor: Dementia
btrz7's review against another edition
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, and Alcohol
naomidanae's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Violence, and Blood
ohhthehorrors's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Blood, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury
archaicrobin's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
This is probably one of my favorite Kingfisher books so far! She has a way of mixing humor and terror so well, you’re chuckling one minute and cringing the next.
Sam is staying at home with her mother in their childhood home after her archaeology dig was postponed. Unfortunately, the house seems to have changed and the dead are not at rest.
This novel is fast paced, humorous, and filled with magical realism giving it a cozy feel. I don’t usually like humor
mixed with horror, but the way Kingfisher writes, I find myself greatly enjoying her stories. This novel is part haunted house, part ancient magic, and part comedy with the overarching theme of familial trauma underneath all the roses.
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for something a little lighthearted but that still packs a punch with horror.
Sam is staying at home with her mother in their childhood home after her archaeology dig was postponed. Unfortunately, the house seems to have changed and the dead are not at rest.
This novel is fast paced, humorous, and filled with magical realism giving it a cozy feel. I don’t usually like humor
mixed with horror, but the way Kingfisher writes, I find myself greatly enjoying her stories. This novel is part haunted house, part ancient magic, and part comedy with the overarching theme of familial trauma underneath all the roses.
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for something a little lighthearted but that still packs a punch with horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Racism, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
rachelunabridged's review
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, and Racism
kaycie51782's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
She's done it again! She just absolutely excels at creeping horror. I will say that this one was WAY less terrifying than The Hollow Places. But this one had better and funnier parts.
What do you do when you move back home and think your Mom is going crazy? What if no one else thinks she's crazy? It's so easy to find the simple, logical explanation for small strange things. Especially when you're living in your grandmother's old home, and she was kind of awful.
Another short novel that packs an absolute wallop and punches way over its weight class. Superb!
Content warning: this book talks about emotional abuse and neglect by a parent and grandparent.
What do you do when you move back home and think your Mom is going crazy? What if no one else thinks she's crazy? It's so easy to find the simple, logical explanation for small strange things. Especially when you're living in your grandmother's old home, and she was kind of awful.
Another short novel that packs an absolute wallop and punches way over its weight class. Superb!
Content warning: this book talks about emotional abuse and neglect by a parent and grandparent.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, and Cannibalism
kaitieg97's review
challenging
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
4.0
T. Kingfisher is such a good visual writer, I've read "What Moves the Dead" as well, and they are both incredibly immersing, which is why I'm so sad to give this book such a low rating. The ending felt weird with Gran Mae the Rose Monster, The Underground Children, Gail and Hermes being angel/vulture/witches , too many twists that I felt were unnecessary. I don't think Kingfisher knows how to write endings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Blood
Moderate: Body shaming, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Child abuse, Dementia, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
sarahmiller98's review
dark
funny
tense
4.0
It's funny that I read this book so close to How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix, because the two books share a number of themes: family, trauma, inheritance, child abandonment. This book though is pure T. Kingfisher, which means a very specific type of comfort read for me. When I read this author, I know I'm getting warmth, humour, practicality, and kindness. Sometimes that comes with a side of romance, or fantasy, or - in this case - horror. Often it contains a mix of all three. It takes a special writer to balance those elements - to make you smile one minute and genuinely creep you out the next - while still leaving you with an overall feeling of steady hope and goodwill.
In other words, I've read and loved the author's other horror novels, and this book is no exception to the trend. The protagonist is typically smart, level-headed, funny and relatable. Her relationship with her mother, which is central to the story, is likewise funny and endearing. As with all T. Kingfisher books, I cared instantly about the characters, which made me deeply invested in their situation as the horror gradually unfolded. Although the plot is a slow burn compared to some of the author's books, it never feels like the pacing drags. Structurally, it's a very well-balanced, well-crafted story that comes to a satisfying conclusion without sacrificing any of the little details of character and setting that make the author's books such a pleasure to read. Highly recommend, as usual.
In other words, I've read and loved the author's other horror novels, and this book is no exception to the trend. The protagonist is typically smart, level-headed, funny and relatable. Her relationship with her mother, which is central to the story, is likewise funny and endearing. As with all T. Kingfisher books, I cared instantly about the characters, which made me deeply invested in their situation as the horror gradually unfolded. Although the plot is a slow burn compared to some of the author's books, it never feels like the pacing drags. Structurally, it's a very well-balanced, well-crafted story that comes to a satisfying conclusion without sacrificing any of the little details of character and setting that make the author's books such a pleasure to read. Highly recommend, as usual.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Violence