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michelles_book_nook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
⚠️ TW: gambling addiction, murder, rape, brief mentions of child murders ⚠️ If you're looking for a classic feeling haunted house read then this one is definitely for you! This book follows the story of the Russell family and their childhood home of All Hallows Hall, a rambling Tudor mansion on the edge of the bleak and misty Dartmoor. It is not a place where many would choose to live, yet the former governor of Dartmoor Prison did just that. Then upon his demise his children, who are long estranged, were set to inherit his estate. But when the family come to stay after the old man's death, the atmosphere of the moors seems to drift into every room. Floorboards creak, secret passageways echo and the wind whistles in the house's famous priest hole. And then in the morning when the family decide to leave and never come back, their young son Timmy disappears. This book was a good gothic spooky season read that had the opportunity to be great but unfortunately it did disappoint a little. It immediately grabbed my attention from the very beginning and I was so gripped. However, in the middle it started to really slow down and later on in the book there was a lot of waffling explanations relating to myths, priest exorcisms and witch craft which while interesting to hear it did break up the flow even more and then left me feeling like the ending was rushed. My biggest issue with this book is that there is a rape scene roughly two thirds of the way into the book that is completely unnecessary to the plot and felt very pointless and it definitely ruined it quite a bit for me unfortunately. Overall, other than the things I've mentioned I did like this spooky read and do recommend it if you're wanting a haunted house/exorcism-esque read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Rape
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Child death
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