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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
dark
slow-paced
-1,000 points for pet death. That's 500 points per pet.
I was past my 100-page rule when I suddenly thought, I don't think I'm enjoying this book. Then I saw that I only had 1/3 of it left to go and kept going. Then near the end I thought, This book is really dark. I don't think I'm going to like this ending.
I like my horror but I like my redeemable characters and I just was not in the mood for something this dark and characters this irredeemable.
I was past my 100-page rule when I suddenly thought, I don't think I'm enjoying this book. Then I saw that I only had 1/3 of it left to go and kept going. Then near the end I thought, This book is really dark. I don't think I'm going to like this ending.
I like my horror but I like my redeemable characters and I just was not in the mood for something this dark and characters this irredeemable.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
the writing and vibes alone give this a 3.5 star rating for me. I really like how ania tells stories - as someone who is addicted to horror films I find nothing really scares me these days but there's something about books like this that dip into demons and possession that give me the heebie-jeebies. I found myself constantly looking behind me when taking my dog out at night to make sure I wasn't being watched by a demonic shadow creature 😂
but what I want you to know going in is this is a very typical possession plot. there really isn't anything special about it and it's very predictable. if you are looking for something groundbreaking this isn't the book for you.
I also found myself so incredibly frustrated with Aimee. I honestly wanted her dead within the first few chapters praying the demon got to her immediately 😂 idk man... if that was my wife I would beg for demonic possession just to get out of the shit hole marriage.
Jack was also incredibly frustrating in his own way. you could see he cared for and loved his family but his actions contradicted that. I know the demon has some control over the family but the fact he couldn't come clean to Aimee about his past and what he was seeing happening to their family was actually quite annoying. and honestly, stereotypical of a plot about possession.
the pacing worked in my opinion. I do feel every page was earned even if I didn't like the overall outcomes or how the characters were acting/their decisions. that could have very well been done on purpose as I do feel like there's a lot of rage bait in this that will get ya if you don't just let it go and enjoy the ride. and, I will say I did like how this ended. usually that's the most frustrating part about horror movies and books is how they end. this one, I think wrapped up nicely.
although the book got the job done in the spooky vibes department, there are just better options out there in my opinion:
-> if you want to read ania, skip this and read brother. I still think about that book and I read it 2 years ago.
-> if you want a good demonic possession story involving family and kids, I would go with incidents around the house by malerman.
otherwise, read this if you enjoy the typical demonic possession and family secrets plot, you are strictly a ✨ vibes ✨ reader, or if you just like to consume horror content in general.
but what I want you to know going in is this is a very typical possession plot. there really isn't anything special about it and it's very predictable. if you are looking for something groundbreaking this isn't the book for you.
I also found myself so incredibly frustrated with Aimee. I honestly wanted her dead within the first few chapters praying the demon got to her immediately 😂 idk man... if that was my wife I would beg for demonic possession just to get out of the shit hole marriage.
Jack was also incredibly frustrating in his own way. you could see he cared for and loved his family but his actions contradicted that. I know the demon has some control over the family but the fact he couldn't come clean to Aimee about his past and what he was seeing happening to their family was actually quite annoying. and honestly, stereotypical of a plot about possession.
the pacing worked in my opinion. I do feel every page was earned even if I didn't like the overall outcomes or how the characters were acting/their decisions. that could have very well been done on purpose as I do feel like there's a lot of rage bait in this that will get ya if you don't just let it go and enjoy the ride. and, I will say I did like how this ended. usually that's the most frustrating part about horror movies and books is how they end. this one, I think wrapped up nicely.
although the book got the job done in the spooky vibes department, there are just better options out there in my opinion:
-> if you want to read ania, skip this and read brother. I still think about that book and I read it 2 years ago.
-> if you want a good demonic possession story involving family and kids, I would go with incidents around the house by malerman.
otherwise, read this if you enjoy the typical demonic possession and family secrets plot, you are strictly a ✨ vibes ✨ reader, or if you just like to consume horror content in general.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Mr. Scratch? Sounds like it was stolen from Alan Wake.
dark
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Was a fun, fast read. I’m not sure if the author intended the “twist” at the end to be one, but I saw it coming pretty early on. Even with that, it was a nice horror read to break up my other books on my to read list.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Car accident