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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
This was such a dark and emotional read, I loved the demonic monster and haunted house but it was the family drama and generational trauma that were the real monsters in this book.
This was full of secrets brushed under the rug until they clawed their way out. It made me uncomfortable in the best way. Everyone is awful, and Clio is one of the most annoying characters I've ever read - in the most dysfunctional way that I ate up.
If you don't enjoy an unlikable MFC, this one might not be for you, but if you like all of the drama of an unreliable narrator plus a haunted house, then this read is for you.
I struggled a little with the pacing of this one, but over all, fantastic. This is on the light side of horror, but it gets under your skin and makes you an uncomfortable bystander for this train wreck.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.
This was full of secrets brushed under the rug until they clawed their way out. It made me uncomfortable in the best way. Everyone is awful, and Clio is one of the most annoying characters I've ever read - in the most dysfunctional way that I ate up.
If you don't enjoy an unlikable MFC, this one might not be for you, but if you like all of the drama of an unreliable narrator plus a haunted house, then this read is for you.
I struggled a little with the pacing of this one, but over all, fantastic. This is on the light side of horror, but it gets under your skin and makes you an uncomfortable bystander for this train wreck.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.
adventurous
dark
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
Play Nice is my second Rachel Harrison book, the first being Black sheep, which I read last year. Honestly I know almost nothing about this going in, though I am a fan of the haunted house/exorcism trope so I was keen to me impressed. I was not disappointed.
The central narrative voice of the main character grabs and does not let go. She is irritating and charming in that unique youngest sister way (for real as the eldest of three girls it was borderline triggering). I found her point of view so fascinatingly real, and there were moments where I could have genuinely punched the air in satisfaction. I enjoyed the sisterly dynamic a lot.
I could, and perhaps should have struggled with the central premise. Its was handled so carefully when needed and completely without sympathy when not. Just like life. In retrospect my critique of Black Sheep was that the tropes were slightly cartoonish. Everything in Play Nice felt real, and hard, and loving and hateful. It was also actually scary, especially towards the end, really great building of tension (importantly for a horror I feel and sadly missing in a lot of modern horror that seeks to shock or disgust rather than introduce actual tension). Sometimes you need a feminist horror allegory that reads like it could have been published in vogue and this is definitely it.
Really unlikeable FMC.
Read very much like a YA, maybe it is and I didn’t realise
Read very much like a YA, maybe it is and I didn’t realise
I lost all sense of time and other priorities while reading Play Nice--could not put it down!
All the way through, it was obvious that we were dealing with one or more demons. The question was whether they were metaphorical ones belonging to the Barnes family--sisters Clio, Daphne, and Leda; their father and stepmother, Amy; their recently deceased and estranged mother, Alex--or some external force residing in Alex's post-divorce home that she briefly shared with the girls before losing custody. The truth is a slippery thing throughout the book, and where lies, exaggerations, gaslighting, and mistruths abound, it's no wonder that Clio (our narrator) begins to doubt everything she sees and everyone around her. As a reader, I loved not knowing who to trust or whether Clio's family and friends' reactions were justified. Even the book within the book, Alex's published account of her haunted house, must be taken with a grain of salt, as Alex notes her own embellishments in the annotated copy she leaves for Clio.
Make no mistake: this book is creepy and may be best read with all the lights on. But it also does a fantastic job of exploring the facades average people put up and maintain for power, influence, or even just to keep the peace. It's hard not to be judgmental about some of these (there's at least one irredeemable villain in my mind), but all the characters are so layered that they can be both their best selves and demons at the same time.
And as with her other books (my faves being Such Sharp Teeth and So Thirsty), Rachel Harrison has written a sharp, complex female protagonist. Clio's often unlikeable, but because we don't get relief from her perspective, we get to see how she's not only unlikeable.
Can't-look-away dysfunctional family drama meets haunted house horrors. What's not to love here?
I received an advance reader copy from Berkley for an honest review.
All the way through, it was obvious that we were dealing with one or more demons. The question was whether they were metaphorical ones belonging to the Barnes family--sisters Clio, Daphne, and Leda; their father and stepmother, Amy; their recently deceased and estranged mother, Alex--or some external force residing in Alex's post-divorce home that she briefly shared with the girls before losing custody. The truth is a slippery thing throughout the book, and where lies, exaggerations, gaslighting, and mistruths abound, it's no wonder that Clio (our narrator) begins to doubt everything she sees and everyone around her. As a reader, I loved not knowing who to trust or whether Clio's family and friends' reactions were justified. Even the book within the book, Alex's published account of her haunted house, must be taken with a grain of salt, as Alex notes her own embellishments in the annotated copy she leaves for Clio.
Make no mistake: this book is creepy and may be best read with all the lights on. But it also does a fantastic job of exploring the facades average people put up and maintain for power, influence, or even just to keep the peace. It's hard not to be judgmental about some of these (there's at least one irredeemable villain in my mind), but all the characters are so layered that they can be both their best selves and demons at the same time.
And as with her other books (my faves being Such Sharp Teeth and So Thirsty), Rachel Harrison has written a sharp, complex female protagonist. Clio's often unlikeable, but because we don't get relief from her perspective, we get to see how she's not only unlikeable.
Can't-look-away dysfunctional family drama meets haunted house horrors. What's not to love here?
I received an advance reader copy from Berkley for an honest review.
Play Nice is a horror novel about a possessed house as a fashion influencer attempts to flip the house where her and her sisters were plagued by their mother's insistence a demon was living there. Clio is a stylist and influencer with a devil-may-care attitude, unlike her sisters Leda and Daphne. When they find out that their estranged mother is dead, they convene at their father and stepmother's house, but there Clio finds out that her sisters don't want anything to do with their mother, not her funeral and not the house that has been left to them. Clio is determined to get the house ready to sell, but as she starts to learn more about what happened there in her childhood, the process isn't as simple as it seemed.
I like Rachel Harrison's style of high concept horror with modern day female protagonists, and Play Nice fits with her usual formula. The book is told from Clio's perspective, so all of the family drama is filtered through her viewpoint. It is purposefully difficult to know what really happened, as the book explores the line between seeming crazy and trying to be believed about demonic possession. There's not a simple answer to who you should sympathise with or what should be believed, but instead there's plenty of classic haunted house 'what is really going on' moments. There's also some commentary on how women are believed or not and the complexities of family dynamics and what matters when someone says they acted out of love.
The plot itself is pretty simple, with plenty of tension and an expected but fitting ending. There are some details or plot points that seemed like they might become relevant again but didn't, and generally I think the influencer side of things could've had a bit more of a role in the book as it felt like there could have been more to say. Overall, Play Nice is another fun horror novel, one that isn't particularly scary but which offers a family drama-centric take on the haunted house subgenre.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Horror books written by women just hit different!! I really liked this one a lot from the jump and felt connected to Clio pretty quickly.
The family drama in this one was SENDING me I was in a rage but like in a good way. I also found myself creeped out more than I thought I would be.
The way this one was written was just so well done it was like watching a movie in my head with no effort. It was kind of giving me Haunting of Hill House (tv show) vibes and I love that show so I found this book super engaging.
I also love how the cover looks much more cutie than the contents within. That definitely drew in me!!
Thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group, the author, and NetGalley for the arc
The family drama in this one was SENDING me I was in a rage but like in a good way. I also found myself creeped out more than I thought I would be.
The way this one was written was just so well done it was like watching a movie in my head with no effort. It was kind of giving me Haunting of Hill House (tv show) vibes and I love that show so I found this book super engaging.
I also love how the cover looks much more cutie than the contents within. That definitely drew in me!!
Thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group, the author, and NetGalley for the arc
“Remembering is not always a light shone into darkness. Sometimes it’s a claw reaching out and dragging you back”
Play Nice scared the crap out of me, because familial trauma and skewed memories can do that to you. Clio is an influencer/ stylist living in NYC living quite a life. No significant others, just hook ups which is just fine with her. After a night of partying her sisters Leda and Daphne (which side note, how does Rachel always nail something that’s so my life in every book? The relationship is frighteningly similar to my own with my sisters!) call her to let her know their mother has passed. The house they grew up in (according to their mother) is possessed, so Clio decides to take on the renovations herself! What happens after is nothing short of nightmare fuel.
Rachel Harrison is so good at the feminine psyche and pointing out how men often will make women think they’re crazy, the easier to manipulate them and the situation to the man’s betterment. And I will always be here for that. But she also touches on toxic mothers and how they can also change memories. Let’s not forget though how absolutely frightening this book was! I was scared to turn off my lights the whole time when I was reading this!! Once again Rachel has nailed female relationships and the hold and power men have to ruin our lives and our memories. Of course, I was in tears at the end and throughout because it’s not a Rachel Harrison book without a therapeutic cry by the end! She is a force to reckon with and damnit gets better with every book! I love being here for her progression and look forward to whatever comes next! Thank you to Berkley for the earc on Edelweiss!
Play Nice scared the crap out of me, because familial trauma and skewed memories can do that to you. Clio is an influencer/ stylist living in NYC living quite a life. No significant others, just hook ups which is just fine with her. After a night of partying her sisters Leda and Daphne (which side note, how does Rachel always nail something that’s so my life in every book? The relationship is frighteningly similar to my own with my sisters!) call her to let her know their mother has passed. The house they grew up in (according to their mother) is possessed, so Clio decides to take on the renovations herself! What happens after is nothing short of nightmare fuel.
Rachel Harrison is so good at the feminine psyche and pointing out how men often will make women think they’re crazy, the easier to manipulate them and the situation to the man’s betterment. And I will always be here for that. But she also touches on toxic mothers and how they can also change memories. Let’s not forget though how absolutely frightening this book was! I was scared to turn off my lights the whole time when I was reading this!! Once again Rachel has nailed female relationships and the hold and power men have to ruin our lives and our memories. Of course, I was in tears at the end and throughout because it’s not a Rachel Harrison book without a therapeutic cry by the end! She is a force to reckon with and damnit gets better with every book! I love being here for her progression and look forward to whatever comes next! Thank you to Berkley for the earc on Edelweiss!
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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:
Yes
I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is the best haunted house/ demon possession book I’ve ever read. I was immediately sucked in to Clio’s family’s dynamics & twisted history and I stayed gripped through to the end. Everyone in Clio’s family is a different flavor of messy (except sweet, innocent, perfect Tommy, of course) and I could not get enough of them.
Harrison is so skilled at creating tension and building anxiety in her writing. My heart rate actually went up the more time Clio spent in her mother’s home. I do not get really, truly scared by horror, ever; but this one is the closest I’ve come. I say it over and over again, but horror having some logic and understanding the “why?” is what makes it scary. Harrison not only understood that, but she made the “why?” quite possibly the scariest thing it could be - “Why not?”
I loved every page of this and I look forward to reading more from Harrison!
Harrison is so skilled at creating tension and building anxiety in her writing. My heart rate actually went up the more time Clio spent in her mother’s home. I do not get really, truly scared by horror, ever; but this one is the closest I’ve come. I say it over and over again, but horror having some logic and understanding the “why?” is what makes it scary. Harrison not only understood that, but she made the “why?” quite possibly the scariest thing it could be - “Why not?”
I loved every page of this and I look forward to reading more from Harrison!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley & Titan Books for the advanced copy of this book to read and review.
This book was so good!!!! I enjoyed reading it so much, it was one of those ones where you wanted to finish reading to see how it ended but I didn't want it to end.
The premise of a haunted house, being left to a trio of girls who seemingly have picture perfect lives grabbed my attention from the start.
The whole book was brilliant, but the writing was top notch, I felt genuine fear and anxiety while I was reading. I was on edge for the entire time.
Coupled with the book being written from Clio's POV, with the added snippets for Alex's book, it set the tone and atmosphere perfectly.
And the story itself???? EXCELLENT. I don't want to give anything away but it was so well done.
My only minor issue (and why I rated 4 stars) was that the ending felt kind of rushed, I felt like the rest of the book was so tense and drawn out (in a good way!!!!) and then the ending felt too quick, which was a shame.
On the whole though this was such a good book!
This book was so good!!!! I enjoyed reading it so much, it was one of those ones where you wanted to finish reading to see how it ended but I didn't want it to end.
The premise of a haunted house, being left to a trio of girls who seemingly have picture perfect lives grabbed my attention from the start.
The whole book was brilliant, but the writing was top notch, I felt genuine fear and anxiety while I was reading. I was on edge for the entire time.
Coupled with the book being written from Clio's POV, with the added snippets for Alex's book, it set the tone and atmosphere perfectly.
And the story itself???? EXCELLENT. I don't want to give anything away but it was so well done.
My only minor issue (and why I rated 4 stars) was that the ending felt kind of rushed, I felt like the rest of the book was so tense and drawn out (in a good way!!!!) and then the ending felt too quick, which was a shame.
On the whole though this was such a good book!
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What a fun read! Clio inherits her mother's house and decides to flip it, haunted house stories be damned. After all, her mother was a little kooky...and definitely drank too much. Besides, it'd show her older sisters that yes, she contributes, and yes, she's reliable. But the more time she spends in the house and reading her mother's self-published haunted house family history, the more she comes to realize that she's not alone. There's something taunting her.
Of course, we have family drama, a cute boy next door, and strange happenings all as she tries to manage her online influencer persona. I both loved and hated her family, in all the ways that make you love and hate your own. They all have their secrets, all trying to hold everything together--especially when Clio looks like she's going down a paranoid path...
This was just so good and entertaining, and I loved how meta it was with a book within a book. Definitely a fun read, especially as we creep up onto October!
Of course, we have family drama, a cute boy next door, and strange happenings all as she tries to manage her online influencer persona. I both loved and hated her family, in all the ways that make you love and hate your own. They all have their secrets, all trying to hold everything together--especially when Clio looks like she's going down a paranoid path...
This was just so good and entertaining, and I loved how meta it was with a book within a book. Definitely a fun read, especially as we creep up onto October!