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nrogers_1030's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Child death and Domestic abuse
bookishcookiemonster's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
I wish I liked this book but it was so hard to get through.
For a book that is supposed to be in the horror/thriller genres it is SO SLOW and barely has any actual action or horror in it.
The plot meanders. There are so many scenes that don't add to the main story.
There were so many times I wanted to put it down but it just has so much POTENTIAL. I kept hoping it would pick up the pace and become exciting but it never does.
I'm upset because I really, really wanted to like this book. It could have been so scary and exciting. There were moments, especially with theflipping of tenses, that it reminded me of Mike Flannigan's version of The Haunting of Hill House , which is why I was so determined to finish it.
A plot that had the potential to be so good, but was the most boring horror novel I've ever read.
For a book that is supposed to be in the horror/thriller genres it is SO SLOW and barely has any actual action or horror in it.
The plot meanders. There are so many scenes that don't add to the main story.
There were so many times I wanted to put it down but it just has so much POTENTIAL. I kept hoping it would pick up the pace and become exciting but it never does.
I'm upset because I really, really wanted to like this book. It could have been so scary and exciting. There were moments, especially with the
A plot that had the potential to be so good, but was the most boring horror novel I've ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Misogyny, Self harm, Blood, Torture, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Cancer, Confinement, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Miscarriage, Chronic illness, Car accident, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, and Child death
llb's review against another edition
dark
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
4.0
Solid haunted house read. Some stuff that just didn't hit for me with the characters and one problem with the story but overall it was good, I read it in two days
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Child death, Miscarriage, and Drug use
wageser's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt
writingbookscoffee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Murder, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Mental illness
fictionmajorette's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Full thoughts: https://fictionmajorette.blogspot.com/2022/02/beneath-stairs-jennifer-fawcett.html
This book reminded me so much of Jennifer McMahon's The Drowning Kind (blog review here) - return to a quiet hometown after a tragedy, quiet supernatural horror elements, flashbacks to the past, very atmospheric. However, I did find Fawcett's debut novel to be a little messier in places but with a really solid foundation that kept me turning the pages. While I do think this book technically falls into the supernatural horror genre, it isn't as upfront and bold as it may seem. This certainly has more quiet horror elements and has a very strong themes of friendship and grief.
I really enjoyed the multi-timeline elements in this story. I'd say the story is about 60% in the present day timeline, 30% following Clare and Abby in 1998, and the last 10% split between 1965 and 1936. I think having the 1965/1936 timelines was really smart because it let us find out information that Clare would most likely never be able to know from her investigation. It also let the reader into the lives of these past characters and fleshed them out a bit to make them feel real instead of treating them like rumors.
I loved the characters and thought Fawcett does an excellent job at matching up characters from past to present. It was the literary equivalent of casting directors finding the perfect child actor to match an adult actor. Obviously, a lot changes between Clare when she is 14 years old in 1998 and now as a 34 year old returning to town. However, the characterization doesn't change so much that the two timelines (child Clare and adult Clare) are unrecognizable.
The tension, for me, was really uneven in this story and I think that has more to do with the horror elements often times taking a big step back and the more personal themes coming forward. When the story begins, the reader doesn't have a lot of information about the Octagon House and what connection Clare and Abby have to it. It felt like Fawcett wanted that to be a slower burn reveal where she sprinkled in some breadcrumbs in the story to try and make it sound very ominous.
I did enjoy the horror elements in the story and how they tied the different timelines together. I don't think anyone would be surprised that a supernatural story would have connections to the past and while there might not have been anything super unique about the way the supernatural elements unfolded, they still worked really well.
Overall, I enjoyed this quiet horror read. I loved the characters and supernatural elements. The multi-timeline elements worked well, for the most part. The tension was a bit uneven and the ending left me with a few more questions that I would have liked, but this was still a satisfying read and I'd read more from Fawcett in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC
Expected publication date is February 22, 2022
This book reminded me so much of Jennifer McMahon's The Drowning Kind (blog review here) - return to a quiet hometown after a tragedy, quiet supernatural horror elements, flashbacks to the past, very atmospheric. However, I did find Fawcett's debut novel to be a little messier in places but with a really solid foundation that kept me turning the pages. While I do think this book technically falls into the supernatural horror genre, it isn't as upfront and bold as it may seem. This certainly has more quiet horror elements and has a very strong themes of friendship and grief.
I really enjoyed the multi-timeline elements in this story. I'd say the story is about 60% in the present day timeline, 30% following Clare and Abby in 1998, and the last 10% split between 1965 and 1936. I think having the 1965/1936 timelines was really smart because it let us find out information that Clare would most likely never be able to know from her investigation. It also let the reader into the lives of these past characters and fleshed them out a bit to make them feel real instead of treating them like rumors.
I loved the characters and thought Fawcett does an excellent job at matching up characters from past to present. It was the literary equivalent of casting directors finding the perfect child actor to match an adult actor. Obviously, a lot changes between Clare when she is 14 years old in 1998 and now as a 34 year old returning to town. However, the characterization doesn't change so much that the two timelines (child Clare and adult Clare) are unrecognizable.
The tension, for me, was really uneven in this story and I think that has more to do with the horror elements often times taking a big step back and the more personal themes coming forward. When the story begins, the reader doesn't have a lot of information about the Octagon House and what connection Clare and Abby have to it. It felt like Fawcett wanted that to be a slower burn reveal where she sprinkled in some breadcrumbs in the story to try and make it sound very ominous.
I did enjoy the horror elements in the story and how they tied the different timelines together. I don't think anyone would be surprised that a supernatural story would have connections to the past and while there might not have been anything super unique about the way the supernatural elements unfolded, they still worked really well.
Overall, I enjoyed this quiet horror read. I loved the characters and supernatural elements. The multi-timeline elements worked well, for the most part. The tension was a bit uneven and the ending left me with a few more questions that I would have liked, but this was still a satisfying read and I'd read more from Fawcett in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC
Expected publication date is February 22, 2022
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, and Miscarriage
savvyrosereads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Out February 22, 2022! [Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!]
Rating: 4/5 stars
Beneath The Stairs is a horror/mystery centered on Clare, a young woman who returns home when her childhood best friend attempts suicide in the local haunted house—a place that played an important role in their adolescence and is now threatening the lives and minds of more than one person…including Clare herself.
Let me start by saying this book is GENUINELY creepy. I’m not usually scared by books, but I kept finding myself reading this one late at night and needing to turn the lights on. Overall, I loved the vibe and love when a horror novel can actually live up to its promise of eeriness, so even if that was all this book had to offer (it’s not) I’d be impressed.
In terms of the plot, I found it a little too straightforward in parts and would have liked a bit more mystery/surprise in the ending. But I was pulled in by the characters and found the story (particularly the history of the house and flashbacks to past timelines) gripping for the most part. It also gave me Haunting of Hill House vibes (both the novella and the show) that I REALLY appreciated. In short, a super solid debut you should check out—I’ll be eagerly anticipating whatever Fawcett does next!
Recommended for anyone, but especially those who like: horror literature; ghost stories; Haunting of Hill House.
CW: Suicide/self-harm; mental illness; death of a parent; pregnancy/miscarriage; death of a child; violence; murder; abandonment.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Beneath The Stairs is a horror/mystery centered on Clare, a young woman who returns home when her childhood best friend attempts suicide in the local haunted house—a place that played an important role in their adolescence and is now threatening the lives and minds of more than one person…including Clare herself.
Let me start by saying this book is GENUINELY creepy. I’m not usually scared by books, but I kept finding myself reading this one late at night and needing to turn the lights on. Overall, I loved the vibe and love when a horror novel can actually live up to its promise of eeriness, so even if that was all this book had to offer (it’s not) I’d be impressed.
In terms of the plot, I found it a little too straightforward in parts and would have liked a bit more mystery/surprise in the ending. But I was pulled in by the characters and found the story (particularly the history of the house and flashbacks to past timelines) gripping for the most part. It also gave me Haunting of Hill House vibes (both the novella and the show) that I REALLY appreciated. In short, a super solid debut you should check out—I’ll be eagerly anticipating whatever Fawcett does next!
Recommended for anyone, but especially those who like: horror literature; ghost stories; Haunting of Hill House.
CW: Suicide/self-harm; mental illness; death of a parent; pregnancy/miscarriage; death of a child; violence; murder; abandonment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abandonment, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Violence
cait_reads_and_drinks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
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