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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
taylizart's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
Horrifying and beautiful. Horrifyingly beautiful? Or maybe beautifully horrifying. Had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I really liked the creativity with text and actually utilizing the comic panel form to add to the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Body horror
kierank's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Amazing art, great suspense building. Ending was kinda sudden and meh to me— I liked the twist until I realized there were only like five pages left. Didn’t stick the landing to me. But god damn the art is worth it anyways, and Emily Carrol is so good at implying so much with just a wordless panel
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Body horror
ecallahan's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Toxic relationship
aus10england's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
AYO???????
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Body horror and Blood
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Murder, and Suicide
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Suicide, Body horror, and Domestic abuse
trailmixraisins's review
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Suicide
Moderate: Grief, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
dave_ex_machina's review
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.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Chronic illness
Honestly, the narrator is kinda unreliable so your not totally sure if any of these triggers actually happened...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