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3.08 AVERAGE
3.08 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this book pretty cheesy at the beginning, and I wasn’t really on board with the premise, but then I got into it and ended up enjoying it.
John lives in what he thinks of as the Gray House: a sterile, empty place on a cliff by the ocean. He sees no one and talks to no one. But one day, he is forcibly removed from his house, and he appears in LA. It quickly becomes apparent that he’s a ghost, and it isn’t long before he gets discovered and paraded around as a novelty. But all he really wants is to get back home somehow. And of course, that’s not so easy.
This book is elegant and simple in its message of finding meaning in life and redefining what your dreams are. Some of the coincidences are a bit overwrought, but overall the characters are well written and the plot didn’t go where I thought it would. It’s also an interesting exploration of celebrity culture and the commodification of anything special. John is a really interesting character and his relationships are complicated in a way I enjoyed. This isn’t a particularly revolutionary story, but I liked reading it!
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Racism, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m not sure how to describe what I read. I was definitely not the audience for this book. I think there is some creative/stylistic writing like a story within a story at the end of some chapters. I will say the writing was okay but the storyline fell flat for me at the end. I was intrigued enough to keep going although there were times I wanted to DNF. Needless to say this was an interesting reac.
The story is not pulling me in. I like the premise but the execution isn't they're for me.
challenging
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The mysterious Grey Man appears and wants to take the Grey House from John, but he’s not going for it and is accidentally(?) ousted out into the real world. With no memories, he needs the public’s help to find his past identity and hopefully a path home. And all the publicity spins—including a fake gf—is where the book went off the rails for me. He couldn’t be further from home, but we were burning daylight by focusing on side stories. It isn’t a ghost story but didn’t even feel like John’s story, even when it all came full circle.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNF: I saw this one on the library new books display and this cover!! sooooo good but I just could not get into this plot ): and I have too many books checked out from the library already
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm not usually good at it, so the fact that even I could guess the plot twist early on is probably indicative that the plot could have been revised a bit. I think the raw materials were there but the writing didn't quite come together in the best way.
In my humble opinion, this could have done with more editing. I think the author tried to include too much so that the book wasn't boring, and didn't quite execute in the cleanest or clearest way. Even taking away one of the supporting characters (the publicist could go, honestly-- she could have been a hand of god type, and even Mabel OR the House) to better develop the others would have been better. In the end, I only feel ambivalence towards them all, including John :( . The main plot and side quests were fine, but the handling of some of the side characters was messy and confusing.
On top of the character profiles, I think the handling of the main quest to find this House and what the House means could also have been handled better. Mabel was kind of a cop out, and I had no problem with her role in the story, but I actually think it could have been her OR the House, given their history. It didn't need to be both, and choosing only one and developing the story that way may even have been more interesting.
All in all, I'm happy to read [author:Amerie|15218531]'s debut novel. It's inspirational to be able to chase multiple dreams/have multiple careers. I'm sure future novels will be better.
In my humble opinion, this could have done with more editing. I think the author tried to include too much so that the book wasn't boring, and didn't quite execute in the cleanest or clearest way. Even taking away one of the supporting characters (the publicist could go, honestly-- she could have been a hand of god type, and even Mabel OR the House) to better develop the others would have been better. In the end, I only feel ambivalence towards them all, including John :( . The main plot and side quests were fine, but the handling of some of the side characters was messy and confusing.
On top of the character profiles, I think the handling of the main quest to find this House and what the House means could also have been handled better. Mabel was kind of a cop out, and I had no problem with her role in the story, but I actually think it could have been her OR the House, given their history. It didn't need to be both, and choosing only one and developing the story that way may even have been more interesting.
All in all, I'm happy to read [author:Amerie|15218531]'s debut novel. It's inspirational to be able to chase multiple dreams/have multiple careers. I'm sure future novels will be better.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The story of John, a ghost, and his journey to find his house. This journey is both dynamic and symbolic, with relationships made and revealed along the way. I loved shifting tones in this book, going from a very relatable setting where John is interacting with people to a description of an eerie, shadowed region that clings to the unknown and mysterious entity. I wish the book was longer because some parts felt slightly rushed and left me wanting more. But overall, this was a unique and interesting story. Thank you NetGalley!