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2.88 AVERAGE
2.88 AVERAGE
This is how I like my horror!! It’s like the hallmark version of spooks and I’m here for it!
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I started very optimistic with this read. The writing style is enjoyable and the plot seemed like an interesting concept. About 1/2-3/4 or the way through the book, I ended up getting pretty annoyed with the main characters and the actions they take. The disappointment from the second half is why I rated this as a 2.5
I had the pleasure of reading this book a few months ago, and now I get to review the audiobook version.
Audiobook specific feedback: : I think I enjoyed this more than the actual book. The male narrator gave an excellent, if not somewhat goofy, performance that injected a lot of fun and energy into the story.
Full review: What a delightful marriage of genres!
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. So glad that I gave it a chance. It was by turns funny, romantic, and poignant.
I somehow always struggle to accurately describe the central relationship in romances without saying something incredibly boring and uninformative like ‘I thought they were good together’ or ‘They had good chemistry’, both of which are true in this case. But I think what I liked best about Neil and Pen is that they help each other find and recognize their strengths. Neil helps Pen see the strength she already possesses, and Pen helps Neil find the strength to stand for what he believes in.
While Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House gets named dropped in the book, the storyline actually more closely resembles another of his works, The Haunting of Bly Manor. Not to the extent that this work feels derivative - more like a nice little nod to the series, with shades of Henry James showing through.
The scope of this book is fairly ambitious. It’s an enemies-to-lovers romance. It’s a gothic horror. It’s a statement about the very narrow sliver of the publishing industry allotted to Native authors. I feel like it accomplishes all of these things reasonably well, but I would have appreciated a little more time being spent on Georgina and Archie’s story, as well as a slower transition from enemies to lovers for Neil and Pen.
Audiobook specific feedback: : I think I enjoyed this more than the actual book. The male narrator gave an excellent, if not somewhat goofy, performance that injected a lot of fun and energy into the story.
Full review: What a delightful marriage of genres!
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. So glad that I gave it a chance. It was by turns funny, romantic, and poignant.
I somehow always struggle to accurately describe the central relationship in romances without saying something incredibly boring and uninformative like ‘I thought they were good together’ or ‘They had good chemistry’, both of which are true in this case. But I think what I liked best about Neil and Pen is that they help each other find and recognize their strengths. Neil helps Pen see the strength she already possesses, and Pen helps Neil find the strength to stand for what he believes in.
While Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House gets named dropped in the book, the storyline actually more closely resembles another of his works, The Haunting of Bly Manor. Not to the extent that this work feels derivative - more like a nice little nod to the series, with shades of Henry James showing through.
The scope of this book is fairly ambitious. It’s an enemies-to-lovers romance. It’s a gothic horror. It’s a statement about the very narrow sliver of the publishing industry allotted to Native authors. I feel like it accomplishes all of these things reasonably well, but I would have appreciated a little more time being spent on Georgina and Archie’s story, as well as a slower transition from enemies to lovers for Neil and Pen.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail
The main character is so unlikeable, and after learning about the controversy surrounding the author I just couldn’t keep going with the book.
EDITED: learned about the author lying that she’s indigenous. How disgusting. Will no longer be reading any of these
A lot of fun. I wish the characters had a bit more background and we got to know them a bit more - they were a bit flat. But the horror aspects were great, really creepy at times
A lot of fun. I wish the characters had a bit more background and we got to know them a bit more - they were a bit flat. But the horror aspects were great, really creepy at times
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I REALLY wanted to love this book, but neither the love story or the ghost story were compelling or well developed. Had the author focused on one or the other … it might have made a difference.