Scan barcode
lgoldfild's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
brightbeautifulthings's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Seda’s mother inherited a crumbling, isolated mansion that used to host murder mystery parties, so she’s been living in a literal house of horror for months, dreaming of her life going on without her back home. When a snowstorm strands a handful of teenagers with them, Seda knows it’s a terrible idea to let them stay. Something dangerous lurks inside the house, and inside herself… Trigger warnings: parent death, sibling/twin death, potential DID/mental illness, some gore, mild body horror, injury, threats.
I think this is slightly mismarketed as a YA novel because it reads like a Goosebumps book exposed to gamma radiation, complete with eye-rolling cliffhangers at the end of every chapter that typically turn out to be nothing and an equally ridiculous “twist” ending. It’s right on that border between middle grade and YA, and I can’t say it worked well for me as an adult at all. I was either bored or aggravated through all of it, and the only thing that pushed me through it was wanting to know what was going on– sorry I did.
Seda is a very standard YA heroine, and aside from her flaky mother, the rest of the characters are cutouts of Family or Love Interest or Jealous Ex. Her narration is largely full of worry over her dead twin brother Sawyer’s voice taking over her body (a thread that is never played out to any satisfaction), and pointless repetitions that Something Bad Is Going To Happen. I suspect it’s meant to build tension and create an atmosphere of dread, but since nothing bad really happens for 2/3 of the novel, it falls pretty flat. I might have enjoyed the ending if it didn’t require abrupt changes in characterization and abandoning half the build-up. The whole thing comes over feeling half-baked at best.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
I think this is slightly mismarketed as a YA novel because it reads like a Goosebumps book exposed to gamma radiation, complete with eye-rolling cliffhangers at the end of every chapter that typically turn out to be nothing and an equally ridiculous “twist” ending. It’s right on that border between middle grade and YA, and I can’t say it worked well for me as an adult at all. I was either bored or aggravated through all of it, and the only thing that pushed me through it was wanting to know what was going on– sorry I did.
Seda is a very standard YA heroine, and aside from her flaky mother, the rest of the characters are cutouts of Family or Love Interest or Jealous Ex. Her narration is largely full of worry over her dead twin brother Sawyer’s voice taking over her body (a thread that is never played out to any satisfaction), and pointless repetitions that Something Bad Is Going To Happen. I suspect it’s meant to build tension and create an atmosphere of dread, but since nothing bad really happens for 2/3 of the novel, it falls pretty flat. I might have enjoyed the ending if it didn’t require abrupt changes in characterization and abandoning half the build-up. The whole thing comes over feeling half-baked at best.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
caitlura's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
anxiouslyreading33's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
jessmason's review against another edition
2.0
Perfect. Until the last 2 paragraphs. Ugh, I can’t stand loose ends. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a happy ending for me to be satisfied, but I at least like the story to be wrapped up.
rdyourbookcase's review against another edition
3.0
Teens would LOVE Alone... adults, not so much. I thought that the book was pretty predictable, but I loved the mystery house concept and how it tied into the scavenger hunt. Genius! I didn't quite understand why Seda never got her mom to make decisions, but I didn't concentrate on that too much (because teens probably wouldn't.) The ending was great for the horror genre and for younger readers. Alone was very well-written for its audience.
glitchreads's review against another edition
4.0
It felt like I was at a murder mystery night. By the time the action started I couldn’t put it down.
Also, huge ending spoiler but - a college senior stuck his tongue in a just turned 16 year old girls mouth. It was fine with me that the creep gets to freeze to death.
Also, huge ending spoiler but - a college senior stuck his tongue in a just turned 16 year old girls mouth. It was fine with me that the creep gets to freeze to death.
shelby0616's review against another edition
5.0
Alone is a suspenseful book about a girl(Seda) who believes her unborn twin(Sawyer) is still inside her. She hears him talking and persuades her to do things, and now that her mother has decided to stay in an old murder-mystery mansion Sawyer is even worse. Until a group of kids come along. Then, for some reason he is silent. Seda warns them that the mansion is dangerous even though she feels that SHE is the danger, but when her mother decides to play a game with everyone things take a turn for the worst.
This book was definitely interesting. At first, it was nothing exciting. I learned about Seda and her weird imaginary friend Sawyer who she thinks is her twin brother inside of her, and then I learned all about the murder-mystery mansion. It wasn't until the group of teenagers got stranded that things started getting interesting.
I thought for sure the house was haunted or had some kind of ghost roaming around, but I did not foresee the ending to this one AT ALL. When I thought I had it all figured out, BAM! I was completely wrong. Great read and a great thriller!
This book was definitely interesting. At first, it was nothing exciting. I learned about Seda and her weird imaginary friend Sawyer who she thinks is her twin brother inside of her, and then I learned all about the murder-mystery mansion. It wasn't until the group of teenagers got stranded that things started getting interesting.
I thought for sure the house was haunted or had some kind of ghost roaming around, but I did not foresee the ending to this one AT ALL. When I thought I had it all figured out, BAM! I was completely wrong. Great read and a great thriller!