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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Unique dual perspectives unravel a twisting “not everything is as it seems” plot. I appreciated how the excerpts from Maggie’s father’s book paralleled Maggie’s experiences in the house as an adult. Discovering the truth from the lies in this way was interesting.
Seemingly little-to-no character growth in any of the characters, though. Some characters seemed to only be there to further (unnecessary) plot twists. Ending felt rushed, trying to tie up many loose ends created by the (many) twists and turns in the book.
Enjoyed the concept of the book, but the absurd number of “haha, you thought!” plot twists and flat characters really didn’t do it for me.
Seemingly little-to-no character growth in any of the characters, though. Some characters seemed to only be there to further (unnecessary) plot twists. Ending felt rushed, trying to tie up many loose ends created by the (many) twists and turns in the book.
Enjoyed the concept of the book, but the absurd number of “haha, you thought!” plot twists and flat characters really didn’t do it for me.
This was the second book I've read by Riley Sager and I really enjoyed it! He has this way of crafting these intricate and twisty stories that come together to make a cohesive narrative. Some thrillers throw in so much useless information just to throw off the reader, so the twists aren't impressive. Riley Sager doesn't do that, which I appreciate.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I liked the eerie haunted house setting. I also liked the dual timeline with the book-in-a-book element. There were quite a few scenes that were so atmospheric and creepy, like the snakes falling out of the ceiling and when Indigo was showing up in the pictures when the dad was in the office. Genuinely freaked me out!
I was satisfied with the resolution. The plot, pacing, writing, and character work were all solid. Overall, a great read! I'll definitely pick up more books by this author!
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I liked the eerie haunted house setting. I also liked the dual timeline with the book-in-a-book element. There were quite a few scenes that were so atmospheric and creepy, like the snakes falling out of the ceiling and when Indigo was showing up in the pictures when the dad was in the office. Genuinely freaked me out!
I was satisfied with the resolution. The plot, pacing, writing, and character work were all solid. Overall, a great read! I'll definitely pick up more books by this author!
Felt like I was reading the walmart version of the Haunting of Hill House show.
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Almost two stars because it was fun to read for a day, kind of, clunky writing aside -- but listen, I scare easily, I WANTED to be kind of scared, and all I did was roll my eyes. The ending is what knocked it down to 1.
Sager does it again with a unique story and riveting characters! Couldn’t put this one down. Keeps you guessing until the end and you really feel like you’re in the house/town with the characters
Atmospheric Gothic horror, good plot construction. Haunting of Hill House and Amityville Horror vibes, and I appreciated that the book acknowledged the inspiration. Not too scary, I enjoyed the story-within-a-story aspect of the book.
One thing I hate about Sager’s books is that the male love interest is always either the actual bad guy or a lazy red herring. This was also the case in Home Before Dark.
One thing I hate about Sager’s books is that the male love interest is always either the actual bad guy or a lazy red herring. This was also the case in Home Before Dark.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes