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ladilira's review against another edition
4.0
Always excited to read anything by Kozeniewski, I picked this up in a flash. And I was rather surprised.
Maybe it's because this is co--written with Young, or maybe because it was a different kind of genre from the usual—but there was a different voice in this story than what I am used to reading from Kozeniewski. This was neither a bad thing or a good thing, just unexpected.
As far as the storyline goes, I never knew what to expect and the story was never predictable. It was a paranormal mystery with loveable and flawed characters. My only gripe being that sometimes the relationships felt forced and magnified when the storyline wasn't ready for them. And sometimes, I felt confused by several of the events lacking clarity.
Overall, it was an entertaining read that kept me engaged and curious. Every story Kozeniewski is part of is always original and imaginative. Young is a new author for me, so I have nothing to compare it to, maybe that will change now.
Maybe it's because this is co--written with Young, or maybe because it was a different kind of genre from the usual—but there was a different voice in this story than what I am used to reading from Kozeniewski. This was neither a bad thing or a good thing, just unexpected.
As far as the storyline goes, I never knew what to expect and the story was never predictable. It was a paranormal mystery with loveable and flawed characters. My only gripe being that sometimes the relationships felt forced and magnified when the storyline wasn't ready for them. And sometimes, I felt confused by several of the events lacking clarity.
Overall, it was an entertaining read that kept me engaged and curious. Every story Kozeniewski is part of is always original and imaginative. Young is a new author for me, so I have nothing to compare it to, maybe that will change now.
erinxmegan's review against another edition
More of a comedy take on haunted house stories, not really for me. Kinda boring.
ania_star's review against another edition
5.0
Such a unique story!
Death doesn't mean the end. Ghosts are everywhere, an integral part of everyday life, they have jobs, apartments, raise grandkids, and so on. It's a normal thing that after you die, you just keep on sticking around. :)
Donna runs a surrogacy agency with her absent ghost partner. If you fall in love with a ghost, you can go to her agency and hire a human, for the ghost to possess a human, so the couple can enjoy corporal parts of the relationships. :)
She is a workaholic, working literally all the time. When she is hospitalized with a panic attack, her long-dead twin insists she takes a break. Even though dying is no big deal when you know what comes next, the break might not be so bad.
He recommends a house, a little bit of the grid. It's a strange house, there are no ghosts there. In a world where ghosts are normal, that is a scary thought. It's getting weird, the ghost are acting funny coming close to the property and her brother can't even visit her. She decided to investigate, with the help of her hot exorcist friend and what they find out is not very hopeful. Their world is changing.
It's like a reverse haunted house story. I love the way the story takes the concept and puts it on its head. :)
The writing is great and I had so much time reading it! :)
Highly recommend it!
received from author
Death doesn't mean the end. Ghosts are everywhere, an integral part of everyday life, they have jobs, apartments, raise grandkids, and so on. It's a normal thing that after you die, you just keep on sticking around. :)
Donna runs a surrogacy agency with her absent ghost partner. If you fall in love with a ghost, you can go to her agency and hire a human, for the ghost to possess a human, so the couple can enjoy corporal parts of the relationships. :)
She is a workaholic, working literally all the time. When she is hospitalized with a panic attack, her long-dead twin insists she takes a break. Even though dying is no big deal when you know what comes next, the break might not be so bad.
He recommends a house, a little bit of the grid. It's a strange house, there are no ghosts there. In a world where ghosts are normal, that is a scary thought. It's getting weird, the ghost are acting funny coming close to the property and her brother can't even visit her. She decided to investigate, with the help of her hot exorcist friend and what they find out is not very hopeful. Their world is changing.
It's like a reverse haunted house story. I love the way the story takes the concept and puts it on its head. :)
The writing is great and I had so much time reading it! :)
Highly recommend it!
received from author
5hadow_girl's review against another edition
5.0
A Perfectly Great Book!
I wish this could be the way things were IRL. Never really losing your loved ones, falling in love with someone who might have died centuries ago, and not fearing 'what comes next' all sound pretty good to me!
Then the 'phenomenon' crept up on everyone though, and things went from bad to worse PDQ!
I was sad when this ended. I can see a series of awesome stories taking place in this world (pre-phenom). Some good, some bad, and a couple of pretty horrific ones, too. Maybe it doesn't have to end...
I wish this could be the way things were IRL. Never really losing your loved ones, falling in love with someone who might have died centuries ago, and not fearing 'what comes next' all sound pretty good to me!
Then the 'phenomenon' crept up on everyone though, and things went from bad to worse PDQ!
I was sad when this ended. I can see a series of awesome stories taking place in this world (pre-phenom). Some good, some bad, and a couple of pretty horrific ones, too. Maybe it doesn't have to end...
labibliobecca's review against another edition
2.0
Imagine a world where the specter of your great-grandmother walks you home from school. A world where ghosts not only exist, but are elected as sheriffs and presidents. Where humans are called breathers and Christians are a fringe group called Crucians whose beliefs about resurrection befuddle the countless spirits moseying about. A world where a house that isn’t haunted, is far scarier than one that is. Why aren’t there any ghosts here? They’re everywhere else. What’s wrong with this house?
The premise of The Perfectly Fine House is so hilarious and delightful that its poor execution is especially aggravating. The worldbuilding makes sense. The initial source of conflict is intriguing. I think the main pitfall is poorly developed characters, especially women.
When a character feels fleshed out (dead or alive), you may not like them or agree with their decisions, but at least you know who they are. When characters feel flat, the plot falls flat, and you’re left with questions. Questions such as,
If you’re into other books authored by white dudes who don’t know how to sustain a cool premise, check out [b:The Humans|16130537|The Humans|Matt Haig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353739654l/16130537._SY75_.jpg|21955852] or [b:Reincarnation Blues|33571217|Reincarnation Blues|Michael Poore|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500555996l/33571217._SY75_.jpg|54372404].
The premise of The Perfectly Fine House is so hilarious and delightful that its poor execution is especially aggravating. The worldbuilding makes sense. The initial source of conflict is intriguing. I think the main pitfall is poorly developed characters, especially women.
When a character feels fleshed out (dead or alive), you may not like them or agree with their decisions, but at least you know who they are. When characters feel flat, the plot falls flat, and you’re left with questions. Questions such as,
Spoiler
why does everyone blame Kyle, a single being, for an all-consuming unpredictable evil no one in the world understands? Why do Kyle and Donna come at Buster Beats guns ablazin’ instead of just asking him how the modules work? Why do both Kyle and Donna fall hard into respective instaloves? How old is Eileen? More generally, why is pedophilia kind of spun as merely unconventional? What is going on with Donna and her rampant yet unwarranted body image issues? Why is everyone glaring all the time? Why wasn’t this horror book scary? Why was the ending just…destitution and that’s it?If you’re into other books authored by white dudes who don’t know how to sustain a cool premise, check out [b:The Humans|16130537|The Humans|Matt Haig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353739654l/16130537._SY75_.jpg|21955852] or [b:Reincarnation Blues|33571217|Reincarnation Blues|Michael Poore|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500555996l/33571217._SY75_.jpg|54372404].
willa_reads_books's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
perrywolfecastle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Often witty, charming, with just the right amount of horror and fantasy mixed in with a big mystery. A world that feels well built, full and vibrant, with enough familiarity with our own that it doesn’t feel like a stretch of the imagination to into the premise. The Perfectly Fine House is a splendid book, and I’m happy to recommend it to all.
For a full review, as well as other reviews and articles, visit https://perrywolfecastle.com
For a full review, as well as other reviews and articles, visit https://perrywolfecastle.com
tracyreads's review against another edition
DNF at 50%. The premise is great and the writing is good. I see plenty of other people that loved it. Probably a case of “it’s not you, it’s me” and that’s okay.
ericarobyn's review against another edition
5.0
The Perfectly Fine House by Stephen Kozeniewski & Wile E. Young is a wonderfully heartwarming (but also heartbreaking) tale about an alternate reality where the breathing and the ghosts live together in society.
Right from the very first page, I was hooked! This is another I highly recommend you pick up on a day off!
I had previously read and really enjoyed Skinwrapper by Stephen Kozeniewski, and while I hadn’t yet read anything from Wile E. Young, I could not wait to dive into this one based on the first paragraph of the premise. I mean…
In an alternate reality where ghosts are as commonplace as the weather, the most terrifying thing imaginable is a house not being haunted.
I was sold!
Very early on in this book, my husband asked me what I thought so far, and I shouted “I LOVE IT!” I’m so glad to say that my feeling didn’t change the further that I got into the book.
I was so excited to learn more about their world and how they lived together. I thought that whole premise was so interesting, and I loved all of the smaller elements that the two authors added in to really develop this world! (I’ll let you discover those fun bits for yourself though!)
I adored the main characters, Donna and Kyle, so much. I very quickly found myself feeling quite protective of them, especially with all of their quirks and struggles.
I also related a bit to one of the main characters, Donna, who was a major workaholic. Far too often, I let myself totally burn out because I have so much on my plate. Like Donna, I need to make more time for relaxing and doing the things that I enjoy!
The pacing was wonderful. I was hooked the entire time. When I had to put the book down briefly to do things around the house, I found myself rushing so I could get back to reading as soon as possible!
This is one of those books that I have such a hard time reviewing because I just want to gush about it, but I don’t want to spoil anything! So I will leave off here.
My Favorite Passage
I wrote down others, but they have spoilers in them! Instead, I will share just this one:
Kyle flashed a nonchalant grin as Donna gave him a look that would’ve made a corpse shiver.
My Final Thoughts
An amazing premise, a perfectly paced and thought-out plot, wonderful world-building and character development… This book was a slam dunk for me!
I absolutely cannot wait to read more from these two authors!
I highly recommend this book to you if you like lighter horror that is more heartwarming than anything else, with a heartbreaking and scary element that drives the plot.
Right from the very first page, I was hooked! This is another I highly recommend you pick up on a day off!
I had previously read and really enjoyed Skinwrapper by Stephen Kozeniewski, and while I hadn’t yet read anything from Wile E. Young, I could not wait to dive into this one based on the first paragraph of the premise. I mean…
In an alternate reality where ghosts are as commonplace as the weather, the most terrifying thing imaginable is a house not being haunted.
I was sold!
Very early on in this book, my husband asked me what I thought so far, and I shouted “I LOVE IT!” I’m so glad to say that my feeling didn’t change the further that I got into the book.
I was so excited to learn more about their world and how they lived together. I thought that whole premise was so interesting, and I loved all of the smaller elements that the two authors added in to really develop this world! (I’ll let you discover those fun bits for yourself though!)
I adored the main characters, Donna and Kyle, so much. I very quickly found myself feeling quite protective of them, especially with all of their quirks and struggles.
I also related a bit to one of the main characters, Donna, who was a major workaholic. Far too often, I let myself totally burn out because I have so much on my plate. Like Donna, I need to make more time for relaxing and doing the things that I enjoy!
The pacing was wonderful. I was hooked the entire time. When I had to put the book down briefly to do things around the house, I found myself rushing so I could get back to reading as soon as possible!
This is one of those books that I have such a hard time reviewing because I just want to gush about it, but I don’t want to spoil anything! So I will leave off here.
My Favorite Passage
I wrote down others, but they have spoilers in them! Instead, I will share just this one:
Kyle flashed a nonchalant grin as Donna gave him a look that would’ve made a corpse shiver.
My Final Thoughts
An amazing premise, a perfectly paced and thought-out plot, wonderful world-building and character development… This book was a slam dunk for me!
I absolutely cannot wait to read more from these two authors!
I highly recommend this book to you if you like lighter horror that is more heartwarming than anything else, with a heartbreaking and scary element that drives the plot.