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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
Not sure how to feel about this one but I think my favorite character was the house. Loved how awful Sarah/Lizzie/Emily's character was.
First, I did enjoy it and binged it in a night but the ending brought up other issues. Spooky, eerie vibes but execution was touch and go along with pacing issues and not enough development of characters to care.
Like a 3.5. I don't usually read thrillers but why not? I enjoyed it though
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
A tense, atmospheric read! This book had many strengths, including a great portrayal of a mental health crisis, an eerie setting, and a multitude of side characters that couldn’t be trusted. If I have any complaints, it’s that the main character deteriorated so quickly, there wasn’t time for a sense of dread to actually build. That’s corrected in the back half of the story, with a variety of well-executed twists that lead the reader to race to the eventual conclusion. All in all, an effective thriller!
Riddled with suspense!
The story started off strong, hooking me with its dark premise and unique voice. I was immediately drawn in by the protagonist, Sarah, who buys an infamous ‘murder house’ with her husband, Joe, after which they quickly move into despite the tragedy that occurred inside years prior. It’s clear from the start they’re having marital issues and at one point, she even admits her suspicion that he’s having an affair. Then the notes start appearing.
The setting did a great job at creating an underlying tension and at one point it left me wondering if there was a supernatural element to the story. The pace slowed down in the middle as Sarah’s drinking increased and she forgot to take her medication, but it picked back up again in the last quarter of the book. The characters were believable but very unlikable, except for Emily, which made the ending all the more difficult to read. The theme of mental illness was very clear and woven throughout the story in clever ways, but in the end I felt confused about the specific condition Sarah suffered from. Her slippery mental state was palpable to read, including the scene when she collapsed at work and had to be sent home. The twist was interesting and somewhat logical, although I felt it a little too coincidental that the effects would play out in the exact same way with the previous owners.
3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️
For readers who enjoy dark topics, creepy settings, and unreliable female narrators.
The story started off strong, hooking me with its dark premise and unique voice. I was immediately drawn in by the protagonist, Sarah, who buys an infamous ‘murder house’ with her husband, Joe, after which they quickly move into despite the tragedy that occurred inside years prior. It’s clear from the start they’re having marital issues and at one point, she even admits her suspicion that he’s having an affair. Then the notes start appearing.
The setting did a great job at creating an underlying tension and at one point it left me wondering if there was a supernatural element to the story. The pace slowed down in the middle as Sarah’s drinking increased and she forgot to take her medication, but it picked back up again in the last quarter of the book. The characters were believable but very unlikable, except for Emily, which made the ending all the more difficult to read. The theme of mental illness was very clear and woven throughout the story in clever ways, but in the end I felt confused about the specific condition Sarah suffered from. Her slippery mental state was palpable to read, including the scene when she collapsed at work and had to be sent home. The twist was interesting and somewhat logical, although I felt it a little too coincidental that the effects would play out in the exact same way with the previous owners.
3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️
For readers who enjoy dark topics, creepy settings, and unreliable female narrators.
if you need to like the characters you’re reading about this book is not for you. Sarah Slade is a deeply unlikeable instaphonie whose only redeemable quality may be her love for her devil cat. That being said I still really enjoyed this book. The plot was different and interesting and I enjoyed not knowing where it was going to end up. If you want a slightly different type of haunted house and don’t mind a dumpster fire of a main character give this one a try! Slight spoiler alert - devil cat aka Reaper lives in case anyone was worried!