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soobooksalot's review
- 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? Yes
5.0
I've had my eye on The September House for awhile and was thrilled when it arrived in a recent book box.
What a unique book. I was hooked by the writing style from the very first pages, and totally taken in throughout.
Margaret and husband Hal purchased an 1800s-era house that happened to come with more chattels than expected. Ones that scream, bite, and make the walls bleed every September. A basement from hell.
There's a whole host of "pranksters" in the old Vale house, with visible evidence of how they met their ends.
Oh it's a dark scenario, and at times gorey and spooky. Yet author Carissa Orlando tells us the story with touches of humour and humanity that make the scary nearly charming.
I loved the whole experience and even more impressive that it's a debut.
Recommended!
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
bookwyrm_kate's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Dementia, and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness and Gaslighting
sarah984's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Minor: Confinement, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Cannibalism
Insect/bug contentdevalabra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Vomit, and Dementia
minimicropup's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
πΊπΈ Set mostly at a Victorian home in Ohio (I think), USA.
π Set in autumn with all the vibes.
πΊπ Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags:
𫨠I usually don't like action/fight scenes in books because I imagine them in weird slo-mo. The scenes here worked...creepy, descriptive, but (without spoiling anything) read fast-paced without having to be imagined as fast-paced...
π₯° I loved the exploration of unconditional love and why people stay in abusive relationships, without victim blaming.
π₯Ή Even the bond between Margaret and the house was giving me feels. I bonded with my home and feel protective of it, I can almost relate with Margaret's stance on just letting your home bleed and be creepy for a month!
π The suspense comes from the poltergeist and haunted elements, but also from the characters themselves. There was a bit of a yo-yo effect for me, where I would side with one character and get so frustrated with another, then flip as I found out more about what let to that dynamic, then flip back as we get more reveals.
π― Some of the mysteries are predictable, even obvious, but as mysteries are solved new ones are generated and that continues throughout the book. It reads snappy and well-paced because we aren't relying on villain monologues for reveals - we get answers through story telling, evidence, and interactions of different characters without it feeling long-winded or rushed.
π¨ The body horror is descriptive, on-page, and involves children in the past. However, despite the tough subject matter, it didn't feel too heavy or dismissive.
π€ The humour in this story is quick-witted without breaking the scares, and not overdone or cringey. I think it would make a unique horror movie if done right (so the depth of the story isn't lost in the dark comedy aspect).
Mood Reading Match Up:
- Grown up Goosebumps dark cozy horror + dark comedy
- Body horror and historical paranormal/poltergeist horror with fight-for-your-life elements
- Clever, witty, slightly unhinged, possibly unreliable narrators
- House-like-a-character with symbolism and themes about resilience, perfectionism, surviving, and thriving through trauma
Content Heads-Up: Murder. LGBTQ rep (good). Emotional and physical abuse (on page; relationship, domestic). Alcoholism. Mental health (anger, rage). Body horror (dismembering, injury, vomit, blood). Child abuse (kidnapping, violence). Forced institutionalization (threatened). Dementia. Suicide (off page, mentioned). Animal death (wild).
Format: Library Digital via LIbby
π₯° This was one of my Favourite Books of 2023
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, and Dementia
mtnest'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? No
3.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicide, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
amaranth_wytch's review
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm and Suicide