Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

A Guest in the House by E.M. Carroll

40 reviews

contem0604's review

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challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

For anyone who wants something visually stunning, with a breathtaking story that will keep you on edge until the very last page, you should definitely read this book. 
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antimony's review

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dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

 the end of this was SOO CRAZY. really really good. gorgeous art as always w Emily Carroll. i don't know if I'll ever be over the end 
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tabby2920's review

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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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jesshindes's review

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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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trailmixraisins's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.0

I, like many others, found the ending to be a little confusing, and I had to reread it multiple times. But, as others have also said, the art is beautiful, and it's an amazing vehicle for the storytelling. 
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popsicleplease's review

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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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dave_ex_machina's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Absolutely georgious art, very surreal telling of a haunted house and the relationship between a step mom and her daughter also the step mom and herself.
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shadowdra126's review

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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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whatisjordyreading's review

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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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ma_bster's review

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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 my thinking for a long time
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