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orlagal's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Dysphoria, Grief, Body horror, Murder, Torture, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Infertility, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Miscarriage
samanthaleereads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Medical content, Blood, Infidelity, and Miscarriage
Minor: Sexual content
gellyreads's review
- 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? Yes
4.0
The Houseguest 5/5. I love women killing! This is a story that should be taught! Really gave me Jackson Hitchcock vibes.
Fragment of a Diary 3/5. Men are gross. I know that's the point, and that should make me like it more, but I struggled to connect to it.
The Cell 3/5. Huh? I struggled to connect to this one.
Musique Concrete 5/5. Holy moly! This made me say "OMG" out loud as I was reading. My favorite in this collection!
Haute Cuisine 3/5. I am dumb and it was creepy. What are they eating? I had to make my partner read it to tell me it was lobster. But it haunted me.
Oscar 4/5. Creepy, but good ending. Less memorable than others in this collection, but a bit more fun.
End of a Struggle 5/5. Again, felt like this one was a bit less memorable than others, but it was really well written. It was chaotic and def Vertigo inspired.
Tina Reyes 5/5. This is the perfect portrayal of female terror. My second favorite in this collection.
The Breakfast 5/5. The ending got me. I love the tension and the setting. You also can sense the family dynamics pretty well from this glimpse of their life.
The Last Summer 2/5. I struggled to follow and care about the characters in this one. My least favorite of this collection.
The Funeral 4/5. This was kind of beautiful and kind of predictable, and a little bit reminiscent of "Struggle" to me, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Violence, and Stalking
savvylit's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Each story in The Houseguest is a perfect example of psychological horror. Where Dávila shines the brightest, though, is in her ability to capture a very specific female fear of male obsession and violence. In several stories in this collection, the true domestic terror isn't mysterious but rather all too familiar: a former lover, an obsessed friend, a stranger on a bus. The latter story featuring the stranger on a bus is one I won't soon forget. That character's fear was so palpable that I instantly adopted it as my own.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Stalking, Violence, Murder, Infidelity, and Child abuse
readsbyak's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Stalking, Self harm, and Murder
Minor: Violence and Suicidal thoughts
einaudikat's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Grief, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence