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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
When I am in the mood for a fast-pasted thriller, I find myself coming back to Riley Sager again and again. I have read so far, I have read Final Girls, Lock Every Door, The Last Time I Lied, and am currently reading Survive the Night. So, when people recommended his book Home Before Dark and noted that it was most likely his best book yet, I instantly had to get it.
It follows Maggie Holt, who learned upon her father’s death, she has inherited the infamous Baneberry Hall, a Victorian Estate that has a dark past. During her childhood, her family moves into this estate just to flee in the cover of darkness under the guise that it is haunted, a story that later her father utilizes to write a best-selling book, the House of Horrors. This book is the only linkage that brings up the memories of this house for Maggie and it outlines the murder-suicide and deaths that haunt the halls. From snakes coming from the walls to a chandelier that magically turns on by itself, everyone knows that Baneberry is a house that remembers…
Flipping back and forth between Maggie’s current experience of fixing up the old house and her father’s book, it uncovers layer after layer, what happened the night that her family fled, is the house truly haunted and cursed by the sinister past residence of the home, and who exactly where Maggie’s “imaginary friends”, Mr. Shadow, Mrs. Pennyeyes, and the girl with no name, when she was little.
Overall, this book was enjoyable for what it was: a pop thriller book that you can easily read in a day. One thing that stuck out to me is that it follows a similar plotline of Shirley Jackson’s Haunting on Hill House and is eerily similar to Netflix’s rendition of the book and the series Haunting of Bly Manor; however, the ending was crafted in the typical style of Sager with a delicious twist at the end that you do not see coming that makes it worth the read. Overall, for readers interested in this book just be forewarned that this book follows common “haunted house” troupes, has little character development, and if you have seen the Netflix shows noted above follows a very similar plotline that will leave you sitting there in a déjà vu moment.
Although there might be negatives for this book, it is a quick read to get you in the mood for the spooky season, but personally, for me, I would recommend reading Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House instead. She does an eloquent job of keeping the reader at the edge of their seat through her gothic haunted house-inspired prose. Also, just to note her book is nothing like the Netflix series (and in true bookworm opinion) the book is waaayyy better than the series.
It follows Maggie Holt, who learned upon her father’s death, she has inherited the infamous Baneberry Hall, a Victorian Estate that has a dark past. During her childhood, her family moves into this estate just to flee in the cover of darkness under the guise that it is haunted, a story that later her father utilizes to write a best-selling book, the House of Horrors. This book is the only linkage that brings up the memories of this house for Maggie and it outlines the murder-suicide and deaths that haunt the halls. From snakes coming from the walls to a chandelier that magically turns on by itself, everyone knows that Baneberry is a house that remembers…
Flipping back and forth between Maggie’s current experience of fixing up the old house and her father’s book, it uncovers layer after layer, what happened the night that her family fled, is the house truly haunted and cursed by the sinister past residence of the home, and who exactly where Maggie’s “imaginary friends”, Mr. Shadow, Mrs. Pennyeyes, and the girl with no name, when she was little.
Overall, this book was enjoyable for what it was: a pop thriller book that you can easily read in a day. One thing that stuck out to me is that it follows a similar plotline of Shirley Jackson’s Haunting on Hill House and is eerily similar to Netflix’s rendition of the book and the series Haunting of Bly Manor; however, the ending was crafted in the typical style of Sager with a delicious twist at the end that you do not see coming that makes it worth the read. Overall, for readers interested in this book just be forewarned that this book follows common “haunted house” troupes, has little character development, and if you have seen the Netflix shows noted above follows a very similar plotline that will leave you sitting there in a déjà vu moment.
Although there might be negatives for this book, it is a quick read to get you in the mood for the spooky season, but personally, for me, I would recommend reading Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House instead. She does an eloquent job of keeping the reader at the edge of their seat through her gothic haunted house-inspired prose. Also, just to note her book is nothing like the Netflix series (and in true bookworm opinion) the book is waaayyy better than the series.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!
The haunted house. It is a place of legend in many cultures. But for Baneberry Hall, it is a place of treachery, betrayal, and hidden secrets. Riley Sager once again rewrites a classic genre, with surprising results.
Home Before Dark is the fourth thriller by Riley Sager. It is published by Dutton Books, a Penguin Random House imprint. In this latest offering we are introduced to Maggie Holt, an interior designer that has been given the project of a lifetime...renovate the infamous Baneberry Hall, one of America's most haunted houses. But Maggie has an edge over other designers. She once lived in Banberry Hall, fleeing into the night from dark forces when she was a little girl. She does not remember what transpired and only knows the details from her father's book, House of Horrors. For decades she has believed that her parents lied about their haunting. Now that she has been left the home in her father's will, she is determined to find out for herself once and for all what lies were told.
Beginning the renovation, she realizes that things are occurring that she cannot explain. The ornate chandelier in one room glows even when turned off. A mysterious figure paces outside in the shadows. And a great unease begins to befall Maggie. Was her father telling the truth about Baneberry Hall and the demonic force that sought to kill young Maggie? For now she must pull the pieces together and find the facts. But will her search awaken something that she is not prepared to face? She better be home before dark if she wishes to survive.
Home Before Dark does its best to be creepy and original. Many of the book's plot is derived from other famous stories, including The Amityville Horror, The Haunting of Hill House, and Stranger Things. I could not pull myself away from the feeling that I had read or seen this before. That being said, I did like the atmosphere that Sager was trying for. The story was told in two ways, the main narrative and excerpts from Ewan Holt's book, House of Horrors. This aspect I enjoyed, because it gave a fresh look at the haunting and gave the reader and Maggie clues at the same time. The characters were interesting and fleshed out nicely. Maggie was a strong character that fought all her life to stay out of House of Horror's shadow. Ewan and Jess Holt were desperate parents trying to protect their child. And the side characters added a great deal of meat to the story that drove it forward. When I finally reached the end I was pleasantly surprised by the finale. It was very fast-paced and thrilling. I had no idea what Sager had in store for me, and that made this book well worth the read in the end.
I read Home Before Dark in part with the audiobook, read by actors Cady McClain (All My Children) and Jon Lindstrom (General Hospital). The two soap stars did a nice job presenting the narrative. McClain took a bit to get to know her character of Maggie, but by the book's end, she had delivered a solid performance. Lindstrom did an excellent take on Ewan Holt, and I enjoyed his work, as well.
Home Before Dark was a four-star read for me. As a horror fan, I was not presented with anything new. However, the story was woven together very well and the ending was excellent. Another fun read from Riley Sager.
Check out my other Riley Sager reviews for Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied, and Lock Every Door.
Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading this week.
Also please follow me on my social media platforms and enjoy shopping with me at eBay and the Book Depository.
Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
At Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=Xepherus3
At eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/xepherusstudios
At Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11975160-xepherus3
At Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xepherusstudios/
At RedBubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/xepherus3
At Twitter: https://twitter.com/XepherusStudios
My Amazon Wish List: https://amzn.com/w/3J58FXCH0Y44F
All written content (c) Copyright 2020 by Thomas Bahr II
The haunted house. It is a place of legend in many cultures. But for Baneberry Hall, it is a place of treachery, betrayal, and hidden secrets. Riley Sager once again rewrites a classic genre, with surprising results.
Home Before Dark is the fourth thriller by Riley Sager. It is published by Dutton Books, a Penguin Random House imprint. In this latest offering we are introduced to Maggie Holt, an interior designer that has been given the project of a lifetime...renovate the infamous Baneberry Hall, one of America's most haunted houses. But Maggie has an edge over other designers. She once lived in Banberry Hall, fleeing into the night from dark forces when she was a little girl. She does not remember what transpired and only knows the details from her father's book, House of Horrors. For decades she has believed that her parents lied about their haunting. Now that she has been left the home in her father's will, she is determined to find out for herself once and for all what lies were told.
Beginning the renovation, she realizes that things are occurring that she cannot explain. The ornate chandelier in one room glows even when turned off. A mysterious figure paces outside in the shadows. And a great unease begins to befall Maggie. Was her father telling the truth about Baneberry Hall and the demonic force that sought to kill young Maggie? For now she must pull the pieces together and find the facts. But will her search awaken something that she is not prepared to face? She better be home before dark if she wishes to survive.
Home Before Dark does its best to be creepy and original. Many of the book's plot is derived from other famous stories, including The Amityville Horror, The Haunting of Hill House, and Stranger Things. I could not pull myself away from the feeling that I had read or seen this before. That being said, I did like the atmosphere that Sager was trying for. The story was told in two ways, the main narrative and excerpts from Ewan Holt's book, House of Horrors. This aspect I enjoyed, because it gave a fresh look at the haunting and gave the reader and Maggie clues at the same time. The characters were interesting and fleshed out nicely. Maggie was a strong character that fought all her life to stay out of House of Horror's shadow. Ewan and Jess Holt were desperate parents trying to protect their child. And the side characters added a great deal of meat to the story that drove it forward. When I finally reached the end I was pleasantly surprised by the finale. It was very fast-paced and thrilling. I had no idea what Sager had in store for me, and that made this book well worth the read in the end.
I read Home Before Dark in part with the audiobook, read by actors Cady McClain (All My Children) and Jon Lindstrom (General Hospital). The two soap stars did a nice job presenting the narrative. McClain took a bit to get to know her character of Maggie, but by the book's end, she had delivered a solid performance. Lindstrom did an excellent take on Ewan Holt, and I enjoyed his work, as well.
Home Before Dark was a four-star read for me. As a horror fan, I was not presented with anything new. However, the story was woven together very well and the ending was excellent. Another fun read from Riley Sager.
Check out my other Riley Sager reviews for Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied, and Lock Every Door.
Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading this week.
Also please follow me on my social media platforms and enjoy shopping with me at eBay and the Book Depository.
Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
At Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=Xepherus3
At eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/xepherusstudios
At Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11975160-xepherus3
At Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xepherusstudios/
At RedBubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/xepherus3
At Twitter: https://twitter.com/XepherusStudios
My Amazon Wish List: https://amzn.com/w/3J58FXCH0Y44F
All written content (c) Copyright 2020 by Thomas Bahr II
Yet another amazing story by Riley Sager. They have such an amazing way to keep you guessing until the very end. I was truly on the edge of my seat when reading this book. It took me a surprise and I am happy it did. His writing is never predictable and this book was no exception. Highly recommend if you’re into thrillers - I’ll definitely be re-reading this in the near future!
I thought it was pretty good. I loved the “Haunting of Hill House” Vibes. I loved how it went back and forth between her dads book and her story. I’m usually one to suspend my disbelief so I’m not sure if I would have been able to solve the mystery. I didn’t see the end coming. Although I thought her mom turning herself in wasn’t super plausible to me. It was decent tho. I really have enjoyed the Riley Sager that I’ve read.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No