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melharomy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
kylecamelot's review against another edition
2.0
A woman, Julie, appears after having been missing for a year, and, despite obvious trauma, can't recall what happened during the missing time. Her best friends, who had scattered across the country in the mean time, come together at a multi-themed hotel in order to reunite and catch up. While Julie is clearly Julie, her behaviors and personality have changed so much that the friends begin to wonder who, or what, Julie really is.
This book is a standard metaphor for loss and letting go told by the standard body snatcher type horror beats. Uninspired, but otherwise competent, The Return is enjoyable, but nothing amazing. Rating: **
This book is a standard metaphor for loss and letting go told by the standard body snatcher type horror beats. Uninspired, but otherwise competent, The Return is enjoyable, but nothing amazing. Rating: **
loureadz's review against another edition
1.0
i will never get back the 6 hours it took me to read this. the chapters were so long and it got so boring bc they were so long. the story was confusing and couldn't keep me entertained.
jill_holly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rereader33's review
4.0
This was creepy, fun romp!
I didn't have a lot of expectations when I started this because I saw how polarizing it was on Goodreads, but I was too intrigued by the underlying potential fae plot point that I felt the need to give it a try. And while that plot point turned out to be a) not what I was expecting and b) mildly disappointing, I still had a lot of fun reading this that I didn't really care.
The first thing I want to praise is the setting. I LOVE horror stories taking place in eclectic places, like in The Animals of Lockwood Manor, and the Red Honey Inn did NOT disappoint. From the rooms designed around different art periods to the bizarre yet whimsical staircases, this is inn would probably give me nightmares for decades no matter how benign the room looked. It really set the mood and atmosphere for the story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The other major thing I liked was the group dynamic, as dysfunctional as it as, of Mae, Molly, Julie, and Elise. While each had their own stereotypical trope to carry, I honestly felt like this was a group of women that, despite their flaws and poor decisions, would still be friends and close friends at that. No, they aren't the most nuanced group of friends I've ever read and sometimes their dialogue got repetitive, but I really did like the this little group of misfits. And I also REALLY enjoyed the conversations that sprang from them.
Even though this is billed as a horror novel, don't expect this to be purely guts, gore, and suspicious shadows. This story deals with a lot of topics that separately seem random, but make sense when put in the perspective of a friend group. Elise is stuck at a dead-end job, barely scraping by, and nursing the wounds of her past fuck-ups. Mae is the most privileged of the bunch and isn't self-aware about it, while Molly is brash and brutally honest and while her no-bullshit personality can be entertaining, it can also be just as harmful. And Julie's just a self-centered mess who doesn't no what the fuck she wants in life. Yes, these are common character traits, but these traits bring up discussions about how finances can impact friendships, how friends can use their closeness as a way to avoid talking about difficult topics, and how difficult it can be to be honest with close friends. These and more were presented well and I really appreciated seeing them played out over the course of a stressful and nightmare-fueled weekend.
If there was one thing I didn't like and what I felt brought down the story was the rushed/half-assed explanation towards the end. Anyone who has read supernatural horror knows that either towards the end or preferably at the half-way mark is when the author doles out an explanation about the weird happenings. Unfortunately, it felt like Harrison was so invested in the friendship aspect that when it came time for the big reveal it felt...underwhelming. Granted, it works for the story and makes sense, but it was so rushed and the build up was so good leading up to it that it was clear not enough time or thought was given to actually EXPLAINING what was going on. I won't spoil it because I actually liked Elise's takeaway of the entire situation, but as someone who was expecting something grand, I was kind of let down.
That being said, I wouldn't say this was a waste of time. I really did love the characters and their group dynamic and the creepy elements really were creepy as fuck. I still highly recommend this title, just don't go in expecting this expecting a Shirley Jackson novel.
I didn't have a lot of expectations when I started this because I saw how polarizing it was on Goodreads, but I was too intrigued by the underlying potential fae plot point that I felt the need to give it a try. And while that plot point turned out to be a) not what I was expecting and b) mildly disappointing, I still had a lot of fun reading this that I didn't really care.
The first thing I want to praise is the setting. I LOVE horror stories taking place in eclectic places, like in The Animals of Lockwood Manor, and the Red Honey Inn did NOT disappoint. From the rooms designed around different art periods to the bizarre yet whimsical staircases, this is inn would probably give me nightmares for decades no matter how benign the room looked. It really set the mood and atmosphere for the story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The other major thing I liked was the group dynamic, as dysfunctional as it as, of Mae, Molly, Julie, and Elise. While each had their own stereotypical trope to carry, I honestly felt like this was a group of women that, despite their flaws and poor decisions, would still be friends and close friends at that. No, they aren't the most nuanced group of friends I've ever read and sometimes their dialogue got repetitive, but I really did like the this little group of misfits. And I also REALLY enjoyed the conversations that sprang from them.
Even though this is billed as a horror novel, don't expect this to be purely guts, gore, and suspicious shadows. This story deals with a lot of topics that separately seem random, but make sense when put in the perspective of a friend group. Elise is stuck at a dead-end job, barely scraping by, and nursing the wounds of her past fuck-ups. Mae is the most privileged of the bunch and isn't self-aware about it, while Molly is brash and brutally honest and while her no-bullshit personality can be entertaining, it can also be just as harmful. And Julie's just a self-centered mess who doesn't no what the fuck she wants in life. Yes, these are common character traits, but these traits bring up discussions about how finances can impact friendships, how friends can use their closeness as a way to avoid talking about difficult topics, and how difficult it can be to be honest with close friends. These and more were presented well and I really appreciated seeing them played out over the course of a stressful and nightmare-fueled weekend.
If there was one thing I didn't like and what I felt brought down the story was the rushed/half-assed explanation towards the end. Anyone who has read supernatural horror knows that either towards the end or preferably at the half-way mark is when the author doles out an explanation about the weird happenings. Unfortunately, it felt like Harrison was so invested in the friendship aspect that when it came time for the big reveal it felt...underwhelming. Granted, it works for the story and makes sense, but it was so rushed and the build up was so good leading up to it that it was clear not enough time or thought was given to actually EXPLAINING what was going on. I won't spoil it because I actually liked Elise's takeaway of the entire situation, but as someone who was expecting something grand, I was kind of let down.
That being said, I wouldn't say this was a waste of time. I really did love the characters and their group dynamic and the creepy elements really were creepy as fuck. I still highly recommend this title, just don't go in expecting this expecting a Shirley Jackson novel.
lavenderwitch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.5
jen_jacob's review against another edition
5.0
Much creepier than Cackle, I had an idea of what happened to Julie but it was still a quick read. While Cackle was cute, this was equal parts murder, zombie-esque and creepy hotel.
aeblair's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t read a lot of thriller and I don’t read horror at all. This was recommended to me by a friend. It did a great job of giving me an unsettling feeling. Jumping at a little noise outside my window was I read it. But I think the ending left something to be desired.
michaelbereading's review against another edition
1.0
When Julie goes missing her friends and family eventually hold a funeral for her in order to attempt to heal and move on. But after two years her disappearance she returns, but is in no way the same as she once was. Her best friends, Elise, Mae, and Molly, decide to do a girl's trip with her to the Catskills in order to try and connect with the new Julie.
I really hated this and it probably should have been a DNF, but I'm so bad at doing that because like.... what if it gets better?!?! It makes me sad that I didn't like this because I don't like to write harsh reviews and I thought Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison was fantastic, but this just wasn't good. It was so boring. I am not kidding when I say that the first 80%ish was just dialogue that did not move the plot forward at all. Just a lot of "friends" who didn't really like each other, whispering about the return of their weird friend, but never talking to her about it. This just went nowhere..... And the ending gave me nothing.
I really hated this and it probably should have been a DNF, but I'm so bad at doing that because like.... what if it gets better?!?! It makes me sad that I didn't like this because I don't like to write harsh reviews and I thought Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison was fantastic, but this just wasn't good. It was so boring. I am not kidding when I say that the first 80%ish was just dialogue that did not move the plot forward at all. Just a lot of "friends" who didn't really like each other, whispering about the return of their weird friend, but never talking to her about it. This just went nowhere..... And the ending gave me nothing.