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weirdmoth's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.5
capnlinnius's review
5.0
I received an eARC from the publisher, through NetGalley.
Rated just shy of a 5! 4.5/5 but rounded up, because wow did I love the second half of this.
This was A Ride.
In short: Samantha grew up with her older sister Elizabeth and their mother in a haunted manor by a great swamp, living alongside the memories of those who lived there before them. As adults, both sisters find themselves moving back in temporarily for two different reasons. Elizabeth is eight months pregnant and is separating from her husband, and Samantha starts to see a new ghost in the house more and more frequently; that of a faceless boy committing cruel acts on animals, threatening the other residents, and entering into the room that has always, always remained locked.
Content warnings:
Although I admit that I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story, once I hit about 35% into it, the plot twist that grabbed me made it near impossible to put the book down after that. This felt far more like a strangely existential horror than a haunted house one, and it had some amazing House of Leaves-esque vibes, with house dimensions changing, unstable tears in the fabric of reality, and the suggestion of reality being not the shadow of what is true, but the shadow of the shadow of the shadow times infinity, and how inevitability seems to be the only constant.
In the end, I enjoyed this immensely, and the only reason it didn't hit a full 5 for me was that it felt a little unbalanced, with too much time spent on setting up the premise for my tastes. I will definitely keep an eye out for future releases from this author!
Rated just shy of a 5! 4.5/5 but rounded up, because wow did I love the second half of this.
This was A Ride.
In short: Samantha grew up with her older sister Elizabeth and their mother in a haunted manor by a great swamp, living alongside the memories of those who lived there before them. As adults, both sisters find themselves moving back in temporarily for two different reasons. Elizabeth is eight months pregnant and is separating from her husband, and Samantha starts to see a new ghost in the house more and more frequently; that of a faceless boy committing cruel acts on animals, threatening the other residents, and entering into the room that has always, always remained locked.
Content warnings:
Spoiler
Graphic depictions: A bird is tortured and killed, a suicide takes place, alcoholism (parent), domestic abuse. Alluded to: abuse of former slaves, sexual assault.Although I admit that I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story, once I hit about 35% into it, the plot twist that grabbed me made it near impossible to put the book down after that. This felt far more like a strangely existential horror than a haunted house one, and it had some amazing House of Leaves-esque vibes, with house dimensions changing, unstable tears in the fabric of reality, and the suggestion of reality being not the shadow of what is true, but the shadow of the shadow of the shadow times infinity, and how inevitability seems to be the only constant.
In the end, I enjoyed this immensely, and the only reason it didn't hit a full 5 for me was that it felt a little unbalanced, with too much time spent on setting up the premise for my tastes. I will definitely keep an eye out for future releases from this author!
tricapra's review
4.0
When the very-pregnant Elizabeth returns to her rotting ancestral home on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp, she upends the lives of her reclusive, alcoholic mother and unstable sister, who herself moved back home after a vicious mugging that left her struggling with PTSD.
I went into this very blind, I liked the cover on Netgalley so I went ahead and requested it. By the time it arrived, I had completely forgotten any blurb that may have been included. This was absolutely for the best. A compelling gothic horror, Jo Kaplan had me uncomfortable and uneasy with where the story was heading. All the trappings of a gothic classic are here, the (very literally haunted) House as character, a woman on the brink of madness, engrossing prose. Definitely a page-turner, I'd recommend this not just for fans of gothics, but for general horror readers as well.
I went into this very blind, I liked the cover on Netgalley so I went ahead and requested it. By the time it arrived, I had completely forgotten any blurb that may have been included. This was absolutely for the best. A compelling gothic horror, Jo Kaplan had me uncomfortable and uneasy with where the story was heading. All the trappings of a gothic classic are here, the (very literally haunted) House as character, a woman on the brink of madness, engrossing prose. Definitely a page-turner, I'd recommend this not just for fans of gothics, but for general horror readers as well.
knittyreader's review
5.0
My excuses for the short review. Oh the joy of a broken arm! So much more time to read, so difficult to type when you can use only one hand ...
I know I repeat others by saying this book reminds me of The Haunting of Hill House, but it does. It gives the same heebie jeebies, by both the whole atmosphere and it being about so much more than ghosts. This book shines an eery light on family, home, grief and past, present and future. It is woven together into a magnificent story that gets under your skin.
I received a free copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I know I repeat others by saying this book reminds me of The Haunting of Hill House, but it does. It gives the same heebie jeebies, by both the whole atmosphere and it being about so much more than ghosts. This book shines an eery light on family, home, grief and past, present and future. It is woven together into a magnificent story that gets under your skin.
I received a free copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
books_unraveling's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.5
I’m not going to knock this book because it wasn’t my style. There were some really great things about this book, especially the descriptive writing and creepy elements. In the beginning, I was worried the writing style was just random ramblings, but toward the middle and end it shifted into better storytelling. I also liked the incredibly creepy haunted house that “replays” memories from the past. Also, how cool that it’s set in Virginia?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty
shhh_thisisalibrary's review
5.0
I liked this book a lot!
For me the vibe it gave off was if you’ve ever seen Crimson Peak basically the idea of that but an even more twisted story!
It was the perfect amount of creepy for me!
And what the heck man! What an ending!
I’m not going to say anything else about it other than you should definitely pick this one up!
But if you wanna know more swipe for the synopsis.
This was just a great quick read if you are in a pinch to finish a goal it’s less than 300 pages and I finished it in 2 days! (Would have been 1 of the first night I didn’t start it so late haha)
Man nothing gets my adrenaline going like a good thriller horror!
⚠️I would highly recommend looking up TW for this one though.
For me the vibe it gave off was if you’ve ever seen Crimson Peak basically the idea of that but an even more twisted story!
It was the perfect amount of creepy for me!
And what the heck man! What an ending!
I’m not going to say anything else about it other than you should definitely pick this one up!
But if you wanna know more swipe for the synopsis.
This was just a great quick read if you are in a pinch to finish a goal it’s less than 300 pages and I finished it in 2 days! (Would have been 1 of the first night I didn’t start it so late haha)
Man nothing gets my adrenaline going like a good thriller horror!
⚠️I would highly recommend looking up TW for this one though.
winter_witch's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
4.0
A mix of American Horror Murder House, The Haunting of Hill House and Winchester. Victorian mansion full of all the Wakefield family’s ancestors. Two sisters move back in with their mother and the ghosts of all the people before them including their father who killed himself in the one room that will not open. Then Sam starts to see ghosts from the future and things take an even more horrific turn.
This book must be turned into a movie. The formula is perfect. It took me longer than it should have to finish because I would not read it if I was home alone. “There was always something familiar about the old woman with the X for eyes” 😳
This book must be turned into a movie. The formula is perfect. It took me longer than it should have to finish because I would not read it if I was home alone. “There was always something familiar about the old woman with the X for eyes” 😳
owlyreadsalot's review
3.0
This story was bizarre, creepy, a bit of a mind-bender, and all sorts of weird. But, it worked, and I liked it. Now, why not a higher rating? Because, sometimes it just went right over, changed directions drastically, distorted the mind, then took a bit longer than needed to get me right back on track. Even so, that's also what kept me reading, wanting me to figure out who everyone was in this story, and why they all fit in this oddly shaped jigsaw puzzle.
That swamp was the main creepiest thing about all of this. It's definitely a place I would avoid at all costs. Not catching me there, not at all... well, unless you count this story. Every time I thought it couldn't get more spine-tingling, I was proven wrong by all that ensued. Again, like previously mentioned, sometimes it did take me in a different direction, or felt like it didn't cohesively change pace, but then it did a turnaround and left me watching my back for days.
I haven't forgotten the house either, because that place was just as darkishly hair-raising, with lots of emotional filled moments, resilience to survive, even when life wasn't always in play, and so much more. A family that just wants to be, to have a chance, to love, and to know that it's all going to be alright, even when the truth tells them, and the reader, that it's not going to be okay. It continues that way 'til the end.
I do wish though, that some of the overly extended chapters were shortened a bit, or not as chaotic as some of the events turned out to be. But, I can do with them, because the story here was still pretty good. It was enough horror and intensity to keep my interest, as well as that emotional connection to the main characters I wanted more of. And those last chapters were a real doozy, leaving me reeling from the madness of it all. Giving the reader much of what was promised.
***I received this copy from Crooked Lane Books, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
That swamp was the main creepiest thing about all of this. It's definitely a place I would avoid at all costs. Not catching me there, not at all... well, unless you count this story. Every time I thought it couldn't get more spine-tingling, I was proven wrong by all that ensued. Again, like previously mentioned, sometimes it did take me in a different direction, or felt like it didn't cohesively change pace, but then it did a turnaround and left me watching my back for days.
I haven't forgotten the house either, because that place was just as darkishly hair-raising, with lots of emotional filled moments, resilience to survive, even when life wasn't always in play, and so much more. A family that just wants to be, to have a chance, to love, and to know that it's all going to be alright, even when the truth tells them, and the reader, that it's not going to be okay. It continues that way 'til the end.
I do wish though, that some of the overly extended chapters were shortened a bit, or not as chaotic as some of the events turned out to be. But, I can do with them, because the story here was still pretty good. It was enough horror and intensity to keep my interest, as well as that emotional connection to the main characters I wanted more of. And those last chapters were a real doozy, leaving me reeling from the madness of it all. Giving the reader much of what was promised.
***I received this copy from Crooked Lane Books, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
greyreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0