Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The September House by Carissa Orlando

60 reviews

archaicrobin's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The September House was absolutely gruesome in so many ways, I absolutely loved it. I am always on the search for the next great haunted house read and September House is now one of my top ten.  Margaret is living in a haunted house that acts up every September but she’s learned to live with it. According to Margaret everything is survivable, as long as you follow the rules….

Filled with real and supernatural terrors, this book was addictive and hard to out down. Highly recommend especially if you love haunted house horror. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

linora's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book made me laugh out loud and made me cry. It was written beautifully and I have a feeling that I will be thinking about it for a long time. 

I'm debated between giving it 4.75 and 5 stars, and decided to upgrade it to 5 stars because of a few scenes that were written with such care and understanding while still maintaining their humor. I do think the metaphor weakened towards the end as the plot transitioned into more traditional horror, but I loved it anyway

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

shantuck13's review

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Suicide, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

hauntedantiqueshop's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

They almost had me with that fake out at the end but I’m so glad it ended how it did. I can’t fathom how the justice system will handle the latest events of the house but that ain’t my business, I suppose. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

purstiltski's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

izypup's review

dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

I love when women 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

rachelunabridged's review

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Suicide

queersubtext's review

dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

rorikae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.5

'The September House' by Carissa Orlando is a thoughtful look at one woman holding her own in a haunted house. 
After Margaret and her husband move into their dream house, they discover that it is haunted every September. The house becomes too much for Margaret's husband and he decides to leave. Margaret, on the other hand, learns how to deal with the house's eccentricities, like blood pouring down the walls and ghosts that bite when you get too close. But when Margaret's daughter Katherine discovers that her father has gone missing, she shows up at the house to search for him and discovers that her mother is not living a normal, happy life. 
'The September House' is a fascinating story that delves into one woman learning how to live in a haunted house and what this says about her life. The house is very much a metaphor for her larger life situation but delving into that further would be a bit of a spoiler. I appreciate when an author uses a speculative element to discuss something nonspeculative and Orlando does that quite well in this novel. Margaret's situation and what she has been going through is slowly revealed throughout the book and there were a few points that could be considered twists as the story veered into unexpected territory. I really got on with the writing style and the humor of the book. The story veers from more satirical at the beginning to more straight horror toward the middle and end. If you are looking for a thought provoking book that delves into one woman's situation using a speculative element, then definitely check out 'The September House.'

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse and Child death

alicevoyager's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Being in a haunted house is the least difficult thing this woman has been through. I love that we come in 4 years into her living in this house. She's frustrating at times, but she's a whole ass character.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Suicide and Gaslighting

Minor: Self harm and Forced institutionalization