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exlibrislynne's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A gripping, psychological, gaslighting mystery. I understand the poor reviews, and respect the betrayal the reader experiences when faced with the final shocking chapter. However, this is a well-plotted, intelligently crafted story that will haunt my thoughts. Is a good story one that makes sense or one that elicits a passionate response? Hmm... perhaps the reader is the one being gaslighted?
marcccb's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars
What in the actual heck did I Just read?? I have 0 clue but I loved it.
When Emma's husband, Ben, falls in love with a huge Victorian house in upstate New York, he convinces Emma that it is worth the risk. It's a quick fix. Emma, who is pregnant, wants to live somewhere quiet and safe for the baby, so she agrees and so begins the fix. But the house is not what Emma thought it would be. There's a woman standing with a baby in front of their house. There is a diary of a woman who used to live in the house along with its dark history. Is Emma losing her mind? Is there something sinister about this house? Fans of Shirley Jackson and The Yellow Wallpaper will adore this story.
After reading A Simple Favor, Bell became an insta-buy author for me and so I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of this book! The majority of it is told in Emma's perspective, but then we switch to a couple of others near the end. The writing is very eerie, there's something about it that is just so odd. I can't quite put my finger around it. Chapter by chapter, we dive deep into the lives of Emma and Ben and their relationship.
It's complex, strained, and there are definitely secrets hiding beneath the surface. I think Bell does a really solid effort at combining the gothic and domestic genres together into a well written thriller. There's so much that is still so confusing to me about this novel, but it hooks you in right from the start. It's the ambiguity of it that keeps you reading until the very final twist.
That twist?? What in the world?? Darcey Bell, please explain! It's wicked, but I liked it? I still don't understand!
Overall, this was a smart domestic/gothic thriller and if you've read this or you do end up reading it, please message me so we can talk about that final twist!
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
What in the actual heck did I Just read?? I have 0 clue but I loved it.
When Emma's husband, Ben, falls in love with a huge Victorian house in upstate New York, he convinces Emma that it is worth the risk. It's a quick fix. Emma, who is pregnant, wants to live somewhere quiet and safe for the baby, so she agrees and so begins the fix. But the house is not what Emma thought it would be. There's a woman standing with a baby in front of their house. There is a diary of a woman who used to live in the house along with its dark history. Is Emma losing her mind? Is there something sinister about this house? Fans of Shirley Jackson and The Yellow Wallpaper will adore this story.
After reading A Simple Favor, Bell became an insta-buy author for me and so I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of this book! The majority of it is told in Emma's perspective, but then we switch to a couple of others near the end. The writing is very eerie, there's something about it that is just so odd. I can't quite put my finger around it. Chapter by chapter, we dive deep into the lives of Emma and Ben and their relationship.
It's complex, strained, and there are definitely secrets hiding beneath the surface. I think Bell does a really solid effort at combining the gothic and domestic genres together into a well written thriller. There's so much that is still so confusing to me about this novel, but it hooks you in right from the start. It's the ambiguity of it that keeps you reading until the very final twist.
That twist?? What in the world?? Darcey Bell, please explain! It's wicked, but I liked it? I still don't understand!
Overall, this was a smart domestic/gothic thriller and if you've read this or you do end up reading it, please message me so we can talk about that final twist!
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
hgibson_18's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
I’m really confused by the ending…?
menniemenace's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/5
One plot twist too many. The last chapter ruined it for me, but before that, I enjoyed this.
The dialogue was stiff, the vibe was weird, but it kind of worked. I can't tell exactly why, but this was such a page turner for me.
One plot twist too many. The last chapter ruined it for me, but before that, I enjoyed this.
The dialogue was stiff, the vibe was weird, but it kind of worked. I can't tell exactly why, but this was such a page turner for me.
ldrenea's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
This book was slow to start, but the last 20% or so of the book got really good! I was a little annoyed with Emma and all of her complaints about pregnancy. I feel like she personified the bad bad rep that pregnant women get for being whiny, needy, and paranoid. But I also understand that was part of the character and made her an easy target for ALL the gaslighting.
And the GASLIGHTING?! Good grief, if anyone isn’t sure they can pinpoint when someone is gaslighting, they should read this book and they will completely understand the terminology.
And the GASLIGHTING?! Good grief, if anyone isn’t sure they can pinpoint when someone is gaslighting, they should read this book and they will completely understand the terminology.
haleylujahhhh's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly I had a really hard time getting into this. I pushed through hoping for more but this just wasn’t for me. There were definitely some good twists but overall j was underwhelmed.
phdee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
brynnrib's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
julia_pflugrath's review
2.0
2.5/5
Not serious spoilers, but I figured I’d play it safe.
The first half of this book moved a bit slow for me, and I did not find the “things” that were happening to be creepy or even that interesting. Then, in the last 100 or so pages, a lot of things come to light (Exciting! Or so you think…) and are then promptly dismissed in the final 5 pages.
Not serious spoilers, but I figured I’d play it safe.
The first half of this book moved a bit slow for me, and I did not find the “things” that were happening to be creepy or even that interesting. Then, in the last 100 or so pages, a lot of things come to light (Exciting! Or so you think…) and are then promptly dismissed in the final 5 pages.