Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The September House by Carissa Orlando

227 reviews

misscassylee's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, and Vomit

mmccombs's review against another edition

dark funny reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

I really loved this! The tone was both goofy and pretty dark at the same time, which can be challenging to balance but was done well in this instance. I listened to this via audio and I think the narrator (at 2.25x speed) perfectly captured Margaret’s voice, like foolishly stubborn, very compassionate, and yearning for a place to call her own. Margaret’s characterization was just very strong, she was so well rounded and made me wish this book kept going to spend more time with her (bleeding walls notwithstanding).

The allegory here for domestic violence and the cycles of abuse that feels impossible to disrupt was perhaps a bit on the nose, but mostly I thought it was wonderfully layered. A haunted house story is never just about the haunted house (at least in a good one) and that shone through here.

I was about to be very upset about the “twist,” I really dislike horror that ends up just being psychosis or a dream, but trusted that Orlando knew what she was doing. The fake-out twist actually makes a lot of sense given the allegory here, like of course she would be gaslit and then we’d get the pleasure of the house murdering a bunch of cops who didn’t believe her. acab

I think this will be my top recommendation for books to read for Halloween (and just generally), it was scary, thematically rich, and just very well crafted. I had such a good time reading this!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting

_verenice's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, and Blood

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Murder

megw27's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Domestic abuse

moonwitch's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Mental illness, and Vomit

gem114's review

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I’m not usually a horror fan, but I couldn’t put this down.

I loved how the author explored the parallels of staying in an abuse relationship to staying in the haunted house. Of course Hal couldn’t adapt. As the abuser, he wasn’t nearly as practiced as Margaret at “making a heaven out of a hell.”

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

mrsmishler's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror and Mental illness

michellefre's review against another edition

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

rubberrosebooks's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

tuckertl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Blood, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse