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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
kept my interest. Lots of mood and a creeping sense of dread. Not many likeable people though, so tough to root/care what happens.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't believe it's fair to judge a book based on what I thought it was going to be. Rather, I try to focus on what the book actually is and judge it from that. I thought I was going to get a gothic-style horror novel where the main character slowly becomes more paranoid and delusional as the story progressed. Instead I got a main character who already had a bunch of mental illness problems before she stepped one foot in the house. And while she does become more paranoid and delusional, she also is a known alcoholic and is off her meds-- which makes her an unreliable narrator in a more normal, less creepy/scary sort of way.
But again, I'm judging this book based on what I got. For a debut, it's pretty decent, but I think the biggest negative is all the unanswered questions it left behind. I'm not a psychologist/psychiatrist so I could only guess at what was wrong with Sarah. Especially the weird thing where she felt like she had no arms. That was never explained and since we're stuck in her POV, we are never told if she was diagnosed with anything. She hints that she was, but that's it. In a similar vein, there is a reveal about her husband near the end of the book that left no impact since I had no idea why it was supposed to mean anything to the reader. I did get part of it, but the way it read made it seem like it was supposed to be this big stinger and it really wasn't. There was also a small detail that bugged me: people kept mistaking Sarah for a woman named Amanda. I don't know if the pay-off wasn't satisfying enough or it just fizzled out, because the physical similarities are remarked on once and then the book moves on.
Another issue I have is all of the lying and forgery Sarah gets away with. I don't pretend to know anything about how Australia works, but this is taking place in the twenty-first century. It can't be that hard to check into a person's credentials. I would have to ask native Australians if the treatment of Sarah's mental illness while she was in school seems accurate, because that too was a huge suspension of disbelief. Her being an unreliable narrator didn't help much, either.
And I think that's my biggest issue with the book: Sarah is an unreliable narrator from the start. The book establishes her as a liar, a thief, possibly narcissistic, an alcoholic, and I think she goes off her anti-depressant meds pretty early on in the book. If she had come off as more reliable from the start, her descent would've had a bigger impact. But the narrative ruins that by making it clear from the beginning she can't be trusted, so it was harder for me at least to follow along with her as things escalated. The final reveal didn't even feel necessary with all the other stuff that was going on with Sarah. I went away convinced that the climax would've been the same regardless of that last reveal.
If the author was trying to convince me the house was haunted or possessed or whatever, she failed. She did, however, craft a very messy protagonist. Reading about Sarah was like watching a train that was on fire about to barrel into a ravine. You already know it's bad and you know it's going to get worse, but you can't look away.
It was interesting to read and the author definitely has potential to do even more amazing things in the future. I wouldn't recommend it to people wanting a gothic horror novel, but I guess if you enjoy books like "The Woman in the Window" then you may like this.
But again, I'm judging this book based on what I got. For a debut, it's pretty decent, but I think the biggest negative is all the unanswered questions it left behind. I'm not a psychologist/psychiatrist so I could only guess at what was wrong with Sarah. Especially the weird thing where she felt like she had no arms. That was never explained and since we're stuck in her POV, we are never told if she was diagnosed with anything. She hints that she was, but that's it. In a similar vein, there is a reveal about her husband near the end of the book that left no impact since I had no idea why it was supposed to mean anything to the reader. I did get part of it, but the way it read made it seem like it was supposed to be this big stinger and it really wasn't. There was also a small detail that bugged me: people kept mistaking Sarah for a woman named Amanda. I don't know if the pay-off wasn't satisfying enough or it just fizzled out, because the physical similarities are remarked on once and then the book moves on.
Another issue I have is all of the lying and forgery Sarah gets away with. I don't pretend to know anything about how Australia works, but this is taking place in the twenty-first century. It can't be that hard to check into a person's credentials. I would have to ask native Australians if the treatment of Sarah's mental illness while she was in school seems accurate, because that too was a huge suspension of disbelief. Her being an unreliable narrator didn't help much, either.
And I think that's my biggest issue with the book: Sarah is an unreliable narrator from the start. The book establishes her as a liar, a thief, possibly narcissistic, an alcoholic, and I think she goes off her anti-depressant meds pretty early on in the book. If she had come off as more reliable from the start, her descent would've had a bigger impact. But the narrative ruins that by making it clear from the beginning she can't be trusted, so it was harder for me at least to follow along with her as things escalated. The final reveal didn't even feel necessary with all the other stuff that was going on with Sarah. I went away convinced that the climax would've been the same regardless of that last reveal.
If the author was trying to convince me the house was haunted or possessed or whatever, she failed. She did, however, craft a very messy protagonist. Reading about Sarah was like watching a train that was on fire about to barrel into a ravine. You already know it's bad and you know it's going to get worse, but you can't look away.
It was interesting to read and the author definitely has potential to do even more amazing things in the future. I wouldn't recommend it to people wanting a gothic horror novel, but I guess if you enjoy books like "The Woman in the Window" then you may like this.
This one kinda left me speechless. The ending completely took me by surprise.. Which I guess is a good thing as that so rarely happens. Not many suspense/thrillers get my heart rate up but this one definitely did! Was on hyper alert of all the sounds going on around me. Lol
I love that it wasn’t predictable. Really enjoyed this. Great debut!! And I really appreciated the honesty of the author at the end. Mental illness is something that so many people, including myself, struggle with. I love that she opened herself up on this very important topic. I applaud her for her courage. Thank you!
I love that it wasn’t predictable. Really enjoyed this. Great debut!! And I really appreciated the honesty of the author at the end. Mental illness is something that so many people, including myself, struggle with. I love that she opened herself up on this very important topic. I applaud her for her courage. Thank you!
This is one of those books, when you finish, you have to ask yourself, “What the heck did I just read?”
I’m still trying to figure out if it all lines up and makes sense.
Sarah and her reluctant husband, Joe, buy a house where a hideous murder took place. They want to flip it and make money. However, Sarah and Joe are hiding deep secrets about their pasts. And, their new neighbors would rather see the house destroyed and them along with it.
At first, I had a hard time getting into Sarah’s character. She’s not likable, and I don’t think she’s meant to be.
The atmosphere of Black Wood house is dark and extremely creepy, and is a perfect read for this time of year.
This is an impressive debut, and I’ll definitely be interested in what this author comes up with next.
4 stars
I’m still trying to figure out if it all lines up and makes sense.
Sarah and her reluctant husband, Joe, buy a house where a hideous murder took place. They want to flip it and make money. However, Sarah and Joe are hiding deep secrets about their pasts. And, their new neighbors would rather see the house destroyed and them along with it.
At first, I had a hard time getting into Sarah’s character. She’s not likable, and I don’t think she’s meant to be.
The atmosphere of Black Wood house is dark and extremely creepy, and is a perfect read for this time of year.
This is an impressive debut, and I’ll definitely be interested in what this author comes up with next.
4 stars
Main character was unlikeable. I thought I had this book figured out and some parts I did but the main concept I did not. Pleasantly surprised as it was something really different.
The story was fine, but I absolutely do NOT recommend the audiobook. The type of narrator who doesn't know how to level audio, going between whispering and absolutely screaming her head off. I would have enjoyed it more if not for the narration.
It didn’t hook me in, the story wasn’t intriguing to me, and the main character was unlikeable
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes