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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Overall, good story. A lot of mystery to uncover in this one. My biggest complaint is that the books seemed to really hit hard on the same thoughts/issues (i.e. narrator thinks dad is a liar). I was also confused why she was so mad at Dane. That issue seemed to need more attention. Otherwise good, quick read, perfect for the Halloween season.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ugh I loved this.
I knew it was a thriller, but the horror vibes are so present throughout that I honestly couldn't figure out where it was going.
There are so many twists in this that I could barely keep up. Early on, I found myself thinking "Oh, I hope this isn't the twist." And then that twist happened and I was a little disappointed. But then it gets flipped around and the twists kept coming and I didn't see them coming.
I was also in love with the format of this, alternating between chapters of the book that our main character's father wrote and what's happening in real time. Things connected so well and everything ended up coming back around. I just loved it.
I knew it was a thriller, but the horror vibes are so present throughout that I honestly couldn't figure out where it was going.
There are so many twists in this that I could barely keep up. Early on, I found myself thinking "Oh, I hope this isn't the twist." And then that twist happened and I was a little disappointed. But then it gets flipped around and the twists kept coming and I didn't see them coming.
I was also in love with the format of this, alternating between chapters of the book that our main character's father wrote and what's happening in real time. Things connected so well and everything ended up coming back around. I just loved it.
3.5 - real creepy and definitely a page turner. I had no idea how it was going to end.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
Some books with gimmicks work, and this I found was one of them. There is the narrative of our main character, Maggie, as she returns to the haunted house her family had fled from years before. And interspersed is the book written by her father, describing the weeks his family had lived there.
This gimmick allows a lot of fun - the book written by her father is often accused by Maggie as being full of lies, so the reader doesn't really know what is true or not, what is really happening. I found it delightfully spooky!
Yep, gimmicky, but satisfactory.
This gimmick allows a lot of fun - the book written by her father is often accused by Maggie as being full of lies, so the reader doesn't really know what is true or not, what is really happening. I found it delightfully spooky!
Yep, gimmicky, but satisfactory.
Loved this. Didn’t want to put it down, great suspense.
Although I’m a huge thriller fan, I was never convinced that the haunted house could be translated into a novel. Home Before Dark was everything I’ve been searching for in a classic, exciting haunted house tale. Riley Sager captures the senses as we walk through the creaky halls of Baneberry Hall— from sounds to smells to textures. Nothing is as it seems as we go back and forth between Maggie Holt’s current stay in Baneberry Hall and her father’s bestselling book about Maggie’s terrifying childhood there. Exciting to the very last page!!
The plot twist!!! I was not expecting the ending at all, the book was pretty scary and reminded me a bit of the Haunting of Hill House but also was pretty different.