Scan barcode
wageser's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt
raen99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Medical content, Miscarriage, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Drug use, Addiction, and Cancer
word_wandering's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Miscarriage
fozlandgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Child death, Murder, and Mental illness
writingbookscoffee's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Murder, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Mental illness
danaslitlist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Let's start with the positive aspects, for which there are many which may be surprising giving my low rating.
From the beginning of Beneath the Stairs I was hoping for a honest and true horror thriller. The overall premise sounded very much like something that would be a great fit for me: a desolate house in the middle of the woods, childhood friendships fading over time until a crisis demands a reunion, an unsolved mystery regarding the house's dark history, and more. And boy did Jennifer Fawcett deliver. I made notes as I read; one detailing how much I admired her decision to incorporate additional character's backstories to detail the history and secrets of the Octagon House such as Mrs. Jansen as well as Bill. I noted how well the flashbacks improved the reading experience and painted great parallels between Clare back then and Clare now.
The tension throughout is also very effective and there were many times were the hair on the back of my neck stood up or I felt a tingle run through my body. The moments we're in the Octagon House itself are some of the most chilling and intriguing sections. In my opinion this speaks volumes to Jennifer Fawcett's ability as a thriller writer to create such a realistic atmosphere that even someone who might be skeptical of the supernatural would feel as if there was a real threat. Even if you were to remove the haunting atmosphere there is a sense of foreboding and dread woven into the more mundane aspects of the character's lives.
Now, onto the reason behind why this book is not rated higher despite the fact that I enjoyed so much of it.
The last twenty or so pages really felt like the author wasn't sure what she wanted to do with the story she had so far written out or alternatively, that she had an idea of what she wanted and was going to do what she needed to in order to get that ending. There are also several story lines that are introduced that were not given a proper conclusion to. Not even the resolution for the main subject felt good enough. It didn't feel solid enough in the decision to make the story a supernatural horror. I'm not one who particularly enjoys ambiguous endings to supernatural stories especially when so much of the plot revolves around the characters discovering what the truth is. There was too much left up to the reader to decide, but also contradicted what Clare (our main character) had previously stated, and left me feeling confused. While I believe there is a happy medium where an author can leave some questions unanswered or allow for a reader's interpretation, I don't think that it worked here. And ultimately it ruined the ending of the book for me enough that I felt frustrated that I had invested as much time as I had into the story.
This is such a conflicting review, and happens to be the longest I've written in recent memory, because I was having such a great time reading Beneath the Stairs! But ultimately it was that the last four percent of a novel ruined all the build up and suspense for me. If you don't mind being left with unanswered questions or an ambiguous ending, I would say most definitely pick up this book. If you're looking for a fast paced story with great atmosphere, I recommend it.
I think Jennifer Fawcett has a bright future as a thriller author, this just wasn't for me and unfortunately I think I'm going to be bitter about the conclusion for quite some time.
Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol
fungivibes's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, and Ableism
Moderate: Cancer
jerusha's review against another edition
3.5
Moderate: Child death, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Chronic illness, Medical content, Mental illness, Confinement, and Death of parent
dalmavatai's review against another edition
1.0
Graphic: Death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Cancer, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
ohhthehorrors's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Blood, Cancer, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Death, Infidelity, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Miscarriage, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt