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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
I wanted to like this book so much. I had seen great reviews on TikTok and Instagram that promised amazing twists and a great story. Some aspects of the book lived up to this, but the last third of the book went off the rails in all the worst ways. Overall I was left feeling like I just read the Wish version of "The Haunting of Hill House" (Netflix), with too many twists attempted and a much weaker plot and resolution.
To begin with, the protagonist is not a very interesting character and her inner thoughts are repetitive and cynical to a fault. She was annoying me from the start and I felt like the story got rolling much too quickly. Very little backstory, and what we did know (they lived in a haunted house, Dad wrote a book and got famous, main character is resentful) was repeated so often that I got really bored of hearing about it. I KNOW you lived in a haunted house and don't believe any of it was real. I KNOW you resent your parents for profiting off of the experience and making your life miserable (which felt very contrived, in my opinion). Can we talk about something else, please?
However I was putting up with the chapters from the main character's POV because the "in between" chapters from the dad's book were much more engaging to read. I was interested in the back story of the house and there were some genuinely creepy scenes and plot elements. While I found the house's backstory to be somewhat predictable, there were still some surprises toward the end and even the predictable plot points were deliciously creepy.
The onslaught of twists towards the end were exhausting. Most of the twists would have been good or even downright shocking on their own, but instead it felt like the author tried to say "gotcha!!!" so many times that every twist was cheapened, to the point where I didn't even care what was happening anymore, knowing he'd probably pull the rug on me again by the next page.
And some of the twists were the stupidest things I've ever read. "We made it all up" is the cheapest cop-out in any story, second only to "it was all a dream." So much of the book I had just read didn't make sense after that. Much of what the main character heard/experienced during her stay in the house was totally set up to be supernatural phenomena, and lost all credibility when the author tried to explain it away as a trick of the mind or PEOPLE SNEAKING INTO THE HOUSE CONSTANTLY. None of it was plausible and I would have much preferred the supernatural explanation. The fact that the parents made it all up just to hide a murder and protect (what they thought was) a psychopathic 5-year-old was absolutely stupid.
Finally, the house DID have a creepy backstory and there WAS a history of unexplained father-daughter deaths/murders/suicides/accidents occurring at the house. The main character verified all of this in present day so there's no way it could have been faked like everything else. So were we just supposed to accept all of that as a coincidence? Because it was never revisited and I feel like the author either forgot he/she wrote that entire backstory or was too lazy to give it any resolution. So like I said, the twists didn't make sense with much of what I had just read and didn't work very well together.
I could go on about the other twists and how stupid they were in conjunction with one another and in the context of the book, but you get the idea. Don't waste your time on this one. I'm giving it more than 1 star because I did like the spooky house, its spooky history, and many of the spooky scenes (until I found out it had absolutely zero significance by the end of the story).
To begin with, the protagonist is not a very interesting character and her inner thoughts are repetitive and cynical to a fault. She was annoying me from the start and I felt like the story got rolling much too quickly. Very little backstory, and what we did know (they lived in a haunted house, Dad wrote a book and got famous, main character is resentful) was repeated so often that I got really bored of hearing about it. I KNOW you lived in a haunted house and don't believe any of it was real. I KNOW you resent your parents for profiting off of the experience and making your life miserable (which felt very contrived, in my opinion). Can we talk about something else, please?
However I was putting up with the chapters from the main character's POV because the "in between" chapters from the dad's book were much more engaging to read. I was interested in the back story of the house and there were some genuinely creepy scenes and plot elements. While I found the house's backstory to be somewhat predictable, there were still some surprises toward the end and even the predictable plot points were deliciously creepy.
The onslaught of twists towards the end were exhausting. Most of the twists would have been good or even downright shocking on their own, but instead it felt like the author tried to say "gotcha!!!" so many times that every twist was cheapened, to the point where I didn't even care what was happening anymore, knowing he'd probably pull the rug on me again by the next page.
And some of the twists were the stupidest things I've ever read. "We made it all up" is the cheapest cop-out in any story, second only to "it was all a dream." So much of the book I had just read didn't make sense after that. Much of what the main character heard/experienced during her stay in the house was totally set up to be supernatural phenomena, and lost all credibility when the author tried to explain it away as a trick of the mind or PEOPLE SNEAKING INTO THE HOUSE CONSTANTLY. None of it was plausible and I would have much preferred the supernatural explanation. The fact that the parents made it all up just to hide a murder and protect (what they thought was) a psychopathic 5-year-old was absolutely stupid.
Finally, the house DID have a creepy backstory and there WAS a history of unexplained father-daughter deaths/murders/suicides/accidents occurring at the house. The main character verified all of this in present day so there's no way it could have been faked like everything else. So were we just supposed to accept all of that as a coincidence? Because it was never revisited and I feel like the author either forgot he/she wrote that entire backstory or was too lazy to give it any resolution. So like I said, the twists didn't make sense with much of what I had just read and didn't work very well together.
I could go on about the other twists and how stupid they were in conjunction with one another and in the context of the book, but you get the idea. Don't waste your time on this one. I'm giving it more than 1 star because I did like the spooky house, its spooky history, and many of the spooky scenes (until I found out it had absolutely zero significance by the end of the story).
Honestly the scariest part of this book might be the fact that they put laminate floors in a house that was built in 1875... for the love of god use real hardwood!
Overall I absolutely loved the premise, and there were many audible gasps throughout. I'm pretty gullible when it comes to setting up plot twists, so I usually miss stuff anyways. But I think the twists would genuinely get a lot of the readers! The writing is what really docked off a couple stars. Some of the dialogue felt a tad unrealistic for the characters age and personality. For example, using the word "spectacles" over just "glasses".
Definitely can recommend for a quick and engaging thriller!
Overall I absolutely loved the premise, and there were many audible gasps throughout. I'm pretty gullible when it comes to setting up plot twists, so I usually miss stuff anyways. But I think the twists would genuinely get a lot of the readers! The writing is what really docked off a couple stars. Some of the dialogue felt a tad unrealistic for the characters age and personality. For example, using the word "spectacles" over just "glasses".
Definitely can recommend for a quick and engaging thriller!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Such a wild ride! Just when you think you have it figured out- you don’t! The last 50 pages are twist after twist after twist. The plot was so different from your typical psychological thriller story. I loved every page. A great read for spooky season.
The twists at the end were a bit much for me. But I enjoyed it thoroughly. So well written & so vividly described, it was honestly terrifying at times.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
There once was a house filled with ghosts.
A family moves in filled with hopes.
Snakes creep through the halls.
Music plays in the walls.
What will finally make them say NOPE!
This book was atmospheric and creepy.
Tension had me turning pages quickly.
Haunted house or a dream?
The book made me scream!
Perfect bone chilling page turning ghost story.
A family moves in filled with hopes.
Snakes creep through the halls.
Music plays in the walls.
What will finally make them say NOPE!
This book was atmospheric and creepy.
Tension had me turning pages quickly.
Haunted house or a dream?
The book made me scream!
Perfect bone chilling page turning ghost story.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Damn, what a RIDE. This is one of the better haunted house books that I’ve read, and there are so many twists and turns at the end that my jaw actually dropped once or twice. This is definitely over the top, but in a way that makes it hard to put down, and it has a very satisfying ending.