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3.2 AVERAGE
3.2 AVERAGE
2.5- the themes (our obsession with true crime, torture porn horror movies, the 24hr news cycle) are current, but the writing felt like something from the early 2000s; a kind of edgy, Palahnniuk, "dude lit" story. There's a point to be made, but I don't think it comes through. Also, there were a lot of typos and continuity errors that made this even more confusing.
I would give this a 3 1/2, I really did like it but there were some typos which i’m not sure if we’re intentional which did bother me. I also did get confused at sometimes who the narrator was, but overall a wild ride!!
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
tense
“What is your motivation?”
Anybody Home? is about a home invasion told by the point of view of a seasoned invader who is training and directing a new generation of ambitious home invaders.
First of all, let me just say that this book is TERRIFYING. I love horror books and I'm not one that is easily scared but my goodness this is the stuff of nightmares. I had to stop a few times because I was feeling literally sick (I'm not exaggerating). One could say it's part of the fun, though it's quite disturbing. Please check the trigger warnings before picking this one up!
Here's what I really enjoyed about Anybody Home?:
- the narrative is quite unique: the story is told in a second person perspective, which I usually do not like, but it worked perfectly in this setting. Also it's from the POV of the bad guys, which I found exciting, but also very shocking and unsettling;
- the tension, which is present since the very beginning, grows and grows without giving the reader a break. I thought it was well built and goes well with the fast pace of the story and the overall distress.
What didn't work for me:
- the invaders and the family members don't have names, there's invader #1, invader #2... and victim #1, victim #2 etc. While I understand the reason behind this choice, it was a bit confusing at times;
- at some point (like 60% in), the story starts becoming repetitive, especially the constant questions asked to the reader which, ironically enough, made me disconnect from the book.
Overall I'd say that Anybody Home? is a pretty unique horror experience. It's dark, disturbing and truly scary: will you feel safe in your own home after reading this book? If home invaders don't scare you, then this book is definitely for you, and if they do scare you... maybe don't read this when you're home alone.
4 stars.
* I'd like to thank Michael J. Seidlinger, CLASH Books and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Anybody Home? is about a home invasion told by the point of view of a seasoned invader who is training and directing a new generation of ambitious home invaders.
First of all, let me just say that this book is TERRIFYING. I love horror books and I'm not one that is easily scared but my goodness this is the stuff of nightmares. I had to stop a few times because I was feeling literally sick (I'm not exaggerating). One could say it's part of the fun, though it's quite disturbing. Please check the trigger warnings before picking this one up!
Here's what I really enjoyed about Anybody Home?:
- the narrative is quite unique: the story is told in a second person perspective, which I usually do not like, but it worked perfectly in this setting. Also it's from the POV of the bad guys, which I found exciting, but also very shocking and unsettling;
- the tension, which is present since the very beginning, grows and grows without giving the reader a break. I thought it was well built and goes well with the fast pace of the story and the overall distress.
What didn't work for me:
- the invaders and the family members don't have names, there's invader #1, invader #2... and victim #1, victim #2 etc. While I understand the reason behind this choice, it was a bit confusing at times;
- at some point (like 60% in), the story starts becoming repetitive, especially the constant questions asked to the reader which, ironically enough, made me disconnect from the book.
Overall I'd say that Anybody Home? is a pretty unique horror experience. It's dark, disturbing and truly scary: will you feel safe in your own home after reading this book? If home invaders don't scare you, then this book is definitely for you, and if they do scare you... maybe don't read this when you're home alone.
4 stars.
* I'd like to thank Michael J. Seidlinger, CLASH Books and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I’ve been wanting to read this book for a long time now. The premise is so scary, how the invasions are “performances for the cult”. Gross! The story was definitely disturbing and gory but not over the top. I did wish this was executed differently by giving the victims names instead of numbers, it was hard to follow on the audiobook. I know that was probably intentional to make the intruders seem more callous but it took me out of the story trying to remember who was who. There were bits that were also a little repetitive. All and all, I’m glad I read it. It’s a short lil guy so it only took me a couple of days to get through.
I really liked the first half or so of this book, but it started to fade in the third quarter and by the end I was pretty unsatisfied. Without giving away any spoilers, I really didn't like the more meta aspects of the story, I wish that it had just been a straight narrative.
If you are a fan of the movie “Funny Games,” you would probably enjoy this.
The writing style takes a bit to get used to as it is second person present tense, but it is done very well. This book is from the “bad guys” point of view. It was a very effective way to tell a story and I’m glad I read it during the day because I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep very well if I read it before bed.
The writing style takes a bit to get used to as it is second person present tense, but it is done very well. This book is from the “bad guys” point of view. It was a very effective way to tell a story and I’m glad I read it during the day because I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep very well if I read it before bed.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This seems to be a fairly divisive book. It's written in the present tense, with a narrator, and not all of the action is "seen" on screen. (And that might be a good thing for some, because there are some heavy triggers here.) I found the whole thing fascinating, and the narration made the book even more tense and frantic. I found the entire concept of the book unique and interesting. 4.25 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal death, Rape
