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gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.5
A thoroughly haunting and captivating story, that delivered peak eery atmosphere through the entity of the tale. I was genuinely frightened multiple times and had to stop reading, especially at night time.
The story was much more complex than I expected, but for the most part I think it carrier through it's themes and general plot exploration really well. Where it falls down for me was the ending; the plot twist was shocking and left me with so many questions, but then the ending just confused me. I didn't really understand what had happened. I feel like this is how I felt back in the day when I had read Carroll's Through the woods short story collection, but generally speaking, A guest in the house had a more satisfying layout.
Abby was a very non-assuming protagonist but her inner world was rich and whimsical. I loved the scenes of her imaginary knight and how she wanted to be in spirit, but it was interwoven with this dark and sinister entity and environment that I began to wonder if that was coming from Abby herself.
Carroll really had me second guessing characters and although I'm left perplexed by those last few pages, I enjoyed the beauty of the details of the art and the story overall.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Violence, Death, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Suicide, Body horror, Blood, Murder, and Grief
jordanwilde's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
An emotional, challenging story. It delves deep into the woman's feelings of insecurity, fear, and longing. The illustrations are brilliant and do a much better job of telling the story than any words could ever do. I even went back and soaked up the images because they are that good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Suicidal thoughts
catspajamas15's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Emily Carroll can do no wrong. Her art is unparalleled and hauntingly beautiful. Her story may not make sense to some, but you can still get lost in the illustrations and come to your own conclusions. I will always support this author.
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Murder, Self harm, Grief, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Death, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, and Death of parent
maryellen's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Blood, Suicide, Body horror, Gore, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death of parent
otterno11's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
“A haunting is like anything else in life. Impossible to prepare for. So it’s better not to have expectations.”
Emily Carroll’s latest affecting, eerie graphic novel A Guest in the House is her most chilling yet. I’ve rarely felt literal chills while reading a comic, but Carroll certainly builds them up here. Grounding her phantasmagorical ghostly tale in the familiar mundanity of a quiet northern lake town sometime in the ‘90s makes the horrors that fill the pages all the more startling. Carroll is an expert at evoking visceral human emotions and imbuing them with an ominous power, and A Guest in the House accentuates this.
Abigail, an emotionally subdued, self effacing young woman newly married to an older widowed dentist, is struggling to adjust to her new life, especially engaging with her new stepdaughter Crystal. Under the surface of her placid, passive exterior, her personality surges with a vibrant, if unsettling fantasy life. Despite the prosaic appearance of her life, it is a house of secrets and the presence of Sheila, her husband’s first wife and Crystal’s mother, looms large over the lakehouse Abby spends so much time alone in. Soon, Abby comes to interact and build a relationship with Sheila's presence in the house, a relationship by turns enticing and menacing
and the boundaries between the real and the other begin to blur, for both Abby and the reader.
Carroll illustrates the mundane details of Abby’s daily life - the grocery store, the wall harp, the dock - in a static black and white, while her dream experiences are shown in lurid reds and blues, a striking and effective way to convey this disquieting atmosphere, especially as the ambiguity of Abby’s understanding becomes more evident. Full of strange and surreal touches that accentuate this uncertainty, as the tension mounts, we find ourselves unsure where Abby’s dreamworld ends and its reality begins.
All in all, there is a lot going on under the surface of this story, from Abby’s anxieties and sexuality to the stifling nature of her small town at the end of the conformist 20th century, that makes it all very open to interpretation in a provocative and rewarding way, especially its shocking and sudden ending. An intricate and terrifying puzzle, Carroll’s lush artwork and pacing make A Guest in the House a gripping story that is best read during the day.
Emily Carroll’s latest affecting, eerie graphic novel A Guest in the House is her most chilling yet. I’ve rarely felt literal chills while reading a comic, but Carroll certainly builds them up here. Grounding her phantasmagorical ghostly tale in the familiar mundanity of a quiet northern lake town sometime in the ‘90s makes the horrors that fill the pages all the more startling. Carroll is an expert at evoking visceral human emotions and imbuing them with an ominous power, and A Guest in the House accentuates this.
Abigail, an emotionally subdued, self effacing young woman newly married to an older widowed dentist, is struggling to adjust to her new life, especially engaging with her new stepdaughter Crystal. Under the surface of her placid, passive exterior, her personality surges with a vibrant, if unsettling fantasy life. Despite the prosaic appearance of her life, it is a house of secrets and the presence of Sheila, her husband’s first wife and Crystal’s mother, looms large over the lakehouse Abby spends so much time alone in. Soon, Abby comes to interact and build a relationship with Sheila's presence in the house, a relationship by turns enticing and menacing
and the boundaries between the real and the other begin to blur, for both Abby and the reader.
Carroll illustrates the mundane details of Abby’s daily life - the grocery store, the wall harp, the dock - in a static black and white, while her dream experiences are shown in lurid reds and blues, a striking and effective way to convey this disquieting atmosphere, especially as the ambiguity of Abby’s understanding becomes more evident. Full of strange and surreal touches that accentuate this uncertainty, as the tension mounts, we find ourselves unsure where Abby’s dreamworld ends and its reality begins.
All in all, there is a lot going on under the surface of this story, from Abby’s anxieties and sexuality to the stifling nature of her small town at the end of the conformist 20th century, that makes it all very open to interpretation in a provocative and rewarding way, especially its shocking and sudden ending. An intricate and terrifying puzzle, Carroll’s lush artwork and pacing make A Guest in the House a gripping story that is best read during the day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Domestic abuse
tussenlettersin's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I feel like Emily Carroll is well versed in writing these kinds of endings which are infuriatingly confusing. Infuriatingly, because they fit the feeling of estrangement, yearning and sad fear so damn well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Death, and Mental illness
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gore, and Self harm
Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Domestic abuse and Pregnancy
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