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tattooedhorrorreader's review
4.0
4.5 stars, what a wild and fun read with lots of twists, turns, and craziness! Beautifully written, immersive, and compelling. Absolutely recommend the audiobook, the narrators are phenomenal.
teatime_with_a_book's review
5.0
Gretchen just made it to my favorite read of the year so far. Gretchen had me hooked to the story right from the beginning. It was so hauntingly creepy and messed up i just couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read an amazing psychological thriller this summer.
Gretchen was a teffifying nightmare that i couldn't look away from. Susan is on the run from Lucy's father who tried to kidnap her when she was 2 or at least that's the story she tells her daughter Lucy. 13 years later they are moving to their 12th state making Lucy 15. They find a nice secluded cabin to rent on the same property that houses their new landlords house. It seems like the perfect hidden away place to keep their secrets. Little do Lucy and Susan know that the landlords, Jerry and Gretchen, are hiding their own secrets. These are some spine-chilling secrets that Lucy wishes she never discovered. As Gretchen tries to make friends with Lucy. Lucy begins to discover how bizarre Gretchen is and how weirdand creepy their brick mansion actually is. This is one nightmareish tale that I'm not going to giveaway, are you brave enough to take the journey on your own?
I would like to thank netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Gretchen was a teffifying nightmare that i couldn't look away from. Susan is on the run from Lucy's father who tried to kidnap her when she was 2 or at least that's the story she tells her daughter Lucy. 13 years later they are moving to their 12th state making Lucy 15. They find a nice secluded cabin to rent on the same property that houses their new landlords house. It seems like the perfect hidden away place to keep their secrets. Little do Lucy and Susan know that the landlords, Jerry and Gretchen, are hiding their own secrets. These are some spine-chilling secrets that Lucy wishes she never discovered. As Gretchen tries to make friends with Lucy. Lucy begins to discover how bizarre Gretchen is and how weirdand creepy their brick mansion actually is. This is one nightmareish tale that I'm not going to giveaway, are you brave enough to take the journey on your own?
I would like to thank netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
rumblethumps's review
3.0
This was a weird one for me. I was really enjoying the first half or so, but the end (and the parts right before it) didn't really feel like they matched with the rest of the book at all. The creepy atmosphere from the first part came from wondering why Gretchen and her father acted the way that they did, and wondering why Lucy's mother is so paranoid about everything and what they're on the run from, but by the end all the answers are just unsatisfying.
Maybe this is just a personal pet peeve, but there were a lot of creepy things Gretchen did that were never really explained or discussed later. Or they were, but when Lucy would ask about them, there was a sense that Gretchen was lying about it, but then it was never mentioned again.(Why did she make so much bacon when Lucy came over for dinner? She said it was for her dog "old Mr. Snoof", but he ended up being a plush toy. What the heck was the deal with her going to puzzle camp? Is puzzle camp even a thing in real life? What was the deal with all the tiny juice boxes? They said it was because Gretchen's father was nervous to hold anything after he broke his finger, but why bring so much attention to the juice boxes specifically? Why did she only have one design of dress, and so many creepy dolls?) I hate it when random creepy details about a character are thrown in solely to make them seem weird and creepy, rather than actually being significant to the story. If a story is written well, the reader can tell that a character is creepy without needing extra details like the fact that they own 25 of the same apple print dress, or a wall of old doll heads in their bedroom.
I don't know, I enjoyed the first part enough to give it three stars, but the "climax" and conclusion to everything was just disappointing.
Maybe this is just a personal pet peeve, but there were a lot of creepy things Gretchen did that were never really explained or discussed later. Or they were, but when Lucy would ask about them, there was a sense that Gretchen was lying about it, but then it was never mentioned again.
I don't know, I enjoyed the first part enough to give it three stars, but the "climax" and conclusion to everything was just disappointing.
sarahsbookstack's review
4.0
Gretchen is a creepy, creepy girl and even I was scared of her.
This story mostly focuses on Lucy and her mother, on the run for 13 years and 11 states. We don't know exactly why, until later, but we know that Lucy can't look strangers in the eye and she wears contacts to hide her real (strange colored) eyes.
They find in their 11th state, what they think, is the perfect place. Gretchen and her father Jerry live in the mountains. The town leaves them alone as rumors abound that the place is haunted. There are also small whispers about a long ago cult!
Lucy and Gretchen form a weird friendship. Gretchen is very into puzzles and even has a bone room. Lucy slowly begins to realize that something is very wrong with this girl and it comes to a very terrifying end! She also finds out the truth about her life.
This story mostly focuses on Lucy and her mother, on the run for 13 years and 11 states. We don't know exactly why, until later, but we know that Lucy can't look strangers in the eye and she wears contacts to hide her real (strange colored) eyes.
They find in their 11th state, what they think, is the perfect place. Gretchen and her father Jerry live in the mountains. The town leaves them alone as rumors abound that the place is haunted. There are also small whispers about a long ago cult!
Lucy and Gretchen form a weird friendship. Gretchen is very into puzzles and even has a bone room. Lucy slowly begins to realize that something is very wrong with this girl and it comes to a very terrifying end! She also finds out the truth about her life.
tracyreads's review
5.0
Review soon! Definitely between 4-5 for me
Okay - I’ve had a few days to think this over, and I’m going to go with 4.5 rounded up to 5. I don’t really do that often, but for me this was so close to being perfect that I just couldn’t have it any other way.
I haven’t read Kirk before, a misstep I’m definitely regretting. I already have eyes on her 15/33 novel. GRETCHEN is a very dark suspense/thriller, chock full of female characters I loved, hated, and was terrified of. There are some scenes involving Gretchen that had me cringing HARD and I read A LOT of horror novels.
What you’ll find in this book are two interwoven tales, a mother and daughter on the run, full of secrets, and a father/daughter duo just trying to enjoy their “projects”. I had several WTF moments and while the whole book moves well, the last 1/2 blazes a trail of “on the edge of your seat” writing. Wow.
It might be years before I have another glass of lemonade. Or pick up a jigsaw puzzle. This book is out in July - check it out.
Okay - I’ve had a few days to think this over, and I’m going to go with 4.5 rounded up to 5. I don’t really do that often, but for me this was so close to being perfect that I just couldn’t have it any other way.
I haven’t read Kirk before, a misstep I’m definitely regretting. I already have eyes on her 15/33 novel. GRETCHEN is a very dark suspense/thriller, chock full of female characters I loved, hated, and was terrified of. There are some scenes involving Gretchen that had me cringing HARD and I read A LOT of horror novels.
What you’ll find in this book are two interwoven tales, a mother and daughter on the run, full of secrets, and a father/daughter duo just trying to enjoy their “projects”. I had several WTF moments and while the whole book moves well, the last 1/2 blazes a trail of “on the edge of your seat” writing. Wow.
It might be years before I have another glass of lemonade. Or pick up a jigsaw puzzle. This book is out in July - check it out.
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