Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

A Guest in the House by E.M. Carroll

18 reviews

tabby2920's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse

jesshindes's review

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

Ok! I'm catching up on my reviews so it's been a couple of weeks since I read this one but I really enjoyed it. I think graphic novels are the perfect way to tell horror stories because it's basically like you can create your own horror film, story and visuals and everything, all by yourself without the enormous army of people necessary on an actual movie. Anyway, Emily Carroll does this in 'A Guest in the House' to great effect. Abby (mousy, self-effacing) is recently married to a (fairly inscrutable, luxuriantly moustached) new guy, recently moved to a new lakeside house with him and his also fairly inscrutable child, still a little destablised by the loss of her mother, basically in a weird place already and then starts seeing things. In some resects this story leans into a lot of classic tropes (to the extent of having most of the story in black and white but then these dreams/visions/hallucinations/whatever they are in colour) but I thought there were other ways that it was quite fresh and unexpected; the nature of Abby's relationship with the apparition, for example, felt original and compelling to me. The balance of creepiness/suspense was just right (the husband just feels *off* but you're not quite sure exactly how for a long time) and Carroll does really effective things with the format (she makes great use of the page layout so that you're often turning the page in suspense to see... something). And I thought the ending was great, although it's also maddeningly ambiguous so if anybody wants to discuss it Let Me Know!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Suicide

popsicleplease's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Suicide

shadowdra126's review

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Beautiful art throughout. Haunting story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Blood, and Murder

whatisjordyreading's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse and Pregnancy

ma_bster's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Emily Carroll's style is so distinctive and gorgeous - there are some pages that I could stare at for hours and keep finding something new.

The ending is so abrupt at first I felt cheated, but after sitting with it, I love that it's ambiguous. Who's to know who's telling the truth? Does it really matter by the end? What IS truth? This graphic novel is going to leave me thinking for a long time

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Pregnancy

dananana's review

dark emotional mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

fellas.... is it gay to start seeing the ghost of your husband's dead wife????

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder

jamieleepilk's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

"A haunting is like anything else in life. Impossible to prepare for. So it's better not to have expectations." I've been a fan of Emily Carroll for a while ever since reading 'Through the Woods' a few years ago. 'A Guest in the House' is a brand new horror graphic novel that is breathtaking. With some of the most hauntingly beautiful spreads & panels I've seen in a Graphic Novel in ages! 
A Haunted House novel that deals with trauma, loss & loneliness. Emily is very much in a league of her own. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder