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bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
3.5
“I’ll come right out and say it,” Mercy told them. “Strange noises, bad vibes, your mom and dad recently passed— Your house is haunted and I’m not selling it until you deal with that.”
➽ How to Sell a Haunted House was my first Grady Hendrix book! It's about Louise who has to go back to her home town and sell her childhood home after her parents died in an accident. She's not thrilled to be working with her lazy, irresponsible brother Mark and is creeped out by all the dolls her mum kept. What I liked most about the book was the Horror element. There's something unsettling about the house, as it gives off such bad energy. The dolls and puppets are genuinely creepy. I'm not afraid of dolls, but the book did a great job of making them as sinister as possible. There's also a doll called Punkin who used to be the mother's favorite. The audiobook narrator had such a creepy voice for it!
➽ The reason this book didn't 100% work for me was Mark and the sibling dynamic. I have to admit that Mark's behavior drove me up a wall. Louise has her faults and can be a bit snobbish, but Mark isn't much better. He's very irresponsible and flighty, behaving more like a man-child than an actual adult. When he gets control over the house, he keeps bullying and gloating to Louise all the time. It was SO annoying. Their fights and arguments honestly made me glad that I don't have any siblings 🙈 I just found Mark incredibly unlikable and hated how much he enjoyed having power over Louise. We later get his POV but it was far too late and also didn't fit within the story at all.
Graphic: Vomit, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gore, Abandonment, Body horror, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Murder, and Violence
glutenfreemaggie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Medical trauma, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Vomit, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Confinement, Abandonment, Violence, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Pregnancy, Self harm, Torture, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
samburkhouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Vomit, Car accident, and Medical trauma
Minor: Self harm, Abandonment, Alcohol, Gun violence, and Mental illness
thatoneguyjm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Gaslighting, Violence, and Gore
faduma's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Drug use, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Alcohol, Gore, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Torture, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, and Forced institutionalization
mpswans1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Abandonment, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death of parent, Violence, Gore, Emotional abuse, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Murder
julieyael's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
This is a book that I took time to really appreciate.
The first half of it (that’s the first 200 pages!) were just ok. It’s a bit slow and I did not care too much for the characters.
For a moment, I even thought about not finishing the book, because I felt that this was not what I expected from the story.
But then it becomes more intriguing and you feel that there is more to it.
When you enter the last third of the book, it becomes hard to leave it.
I wished the slow part of the begining was not that long, because it’s all well written and you feel the creepy atmosphere building up.
In the end, the book kept its promises, it’s a fun and creepy horror novel, with a good dose of paranormal, and a light touch of gory details (very light, but I guess it can be triggering for some people)
So I would recommend it, if you are ready to spend some time on the first part which is less exciting and a bit long to my taste.
The second half of it really deserves a good 4 stars.
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Car accident, Physical abuse, Child death, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Gore
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Vomit
vercopaanir's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Car accident, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Child death, Cursing, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, and Gaslighting
archaicrobin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Louise and Mark are two siblings that absolutely hate each other but need to come together to handle their recently deceased parents’ estate which may or may not be haunted depending on who you ask. My main warning would be to not go into this one expecting it to be your traditional haunted house story. This is not about ghosts or evil puppets, this is about family and generational trauma. About how to move on after your whole life is turned upside down, and how to reconnect with someone you thought you hated.
If you’re up for complex characters, childhood trauma, grief, and dysfunctional families with a haunted puppet overlay then How to Sell a Haunted House could be for you!
Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, Grief, Self harm, Abandonment, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Violence, and Gore
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Abandonment