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meganpbell's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is a downright disturbing and deliciously atmospheric work of folkhorror, from hoarder’s house to haunted woods, narrated with unexpected humor by a woman who just wants to keep her dumb dog safe. What I didn’t know until the very end is that this book is inspired by a 1904 classic horror short story by Arthur Machen, and while you can definitely enjoy this book without knowing the story, I felt like I was missing something once I knew!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Gore
Moderate: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement
Minor: Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Child death, Infertility, Racism, Death of parent, and Dementia
aparker89's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Everyone knows that a hoarder's home is a nightmare in and of itself, but what if that hoard was hiding something even more devilish. When Mouse's grandmother finally passes away and her house needs to be dealt with, she doesn't know what to expect. She also doesn't know that there might just be monsters awaiting her arrival. Between reading her dementia addled grandfather's journal and dealing with a mountainous mess- what could possibly be worse. Well Mouse finds out... but thank goodness for hwr coonhound to keep her grounded through an adventure that can't quite be understood but definitely is a doozy!
I still can't get over the fairy monsters in pure hillbilly fashion... they will be haunting my dreams for years to come!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Stalking
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
megwilli's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Violence
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
chloseencounter's review
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Twisted Ones was my second novel by T. Kingfisher, my first being What Moves the Dead. Throughout that story I loved the atmosphere and the style of writing but historical fiction of any kind is just not for me, so I was excited to try something else by her and was not dissatisfied.
Even though the first half of the book was a bit slow, I really enjoyed getting to know our main character and her dog, as well as the relationships she forms with the people in town. The writing style was fun and even though I did find some small bits sorta…this is not how people talk but how the author imagines is a hip way to speak, I still thought a lot of the narration was humorous and I liked Mouse as a person. I’d definitely want to grab a coffee with her. Also the ongoing bit about NPR pledge week was hysterical.
I must say I did think some parts of this book where frightening. I am not someone who scares easily but folklore is probably what frightens me the most in books, when the upside down deer head was looking in Mouse’s window while she “slept”, that definitely made me feel anxious.
The ending was where things kinda flipped for me but I didn’t hate it either, some bits where good and some bits felt meh. I think it was hard for me to feel scared of Anna because faceless monsters are much more frightening than what we can put a name and description tomorrow . The uncanny valley element of folklore creatures is what makes them scary to me personally so even though I thought Anna was bad news, I wasn’t frightened by her either. I also feel like there wasn’t enough hints leading up to her reveal as a character, I just would’ve liked a little more there for her instead of some vague moments where she was seen and then all of a sudden you’re supposed to care, or be scared, or feel really much of anything toward her. Now what I did like is that Foxy and Mouse kept up. I thought Foxy was a sweet and lovable character and I was definitely afraid she would be killed. I’m glad she survived and that her and Mouse continue their friendship. I also appreciated the open ending, we don’t really know what happened to Anna so she could still be out there. That’s definitely an unnerving thought to be in the back of your mind.
Overall this was a solid read that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys folklore, a good mystery, tense but not too scary or gory, and some fun characters with good humor even in the face of horror. I’ll definitely be trying something else by T. Kingfisher in the future.
Even though the first half of the book was a bit slow, I really enjoyed getting to know our main character and her dog, as well as the relationships she forms with the people in town. The writing style was fun and even though I did find some small bits sorta…this is not how people talk but how the author imagines is a hip way to speak, I still thought a lot of the narration was humorous and I liked Mouse as a person. I’d definitely want to grab a coffee with her. Also the ongoing bit about NPR pledge week was hysterical.
I must say I did think some parts of this book where frightening.
The ending was where things kinda flipped for me but I didn’t hate it either, some bits where good and some bits felt meh.
Overall this was a solid read that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys folklore, a good mystery, tense but not too scary or gory, and some fun characters with good humor even in the face of horror. I’ll definitely be trying something else by T. Kingfisher in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Kidnapping
missingteacup's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
It helps if you're familiar with Arthur Machen's story "The White People" going in. I wasn't, so I feel like I was missing some context, but I do like that the narrator provides some much-needed contemporary commentary on the old-school book-within-a-book (I mean, the original is called "The White People" -- you need the commentary). The horror is very much about atmosphere and dread and slowly growing tension, with the occasional weird creature and unsettling rock formation. Also, there's an adorable dog.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Confinement, and Dementia
If you want to know what happens to the dog:ghostams's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Absolutely loved this book! It was an insanely amazing mix of folklore, family history, isolating energy, small town vibes, and childhood-level fear. Definitely a book I wish I could forget, just to read again, even though it was terrifying in the best way. Plus, the characters are so unique while being regular folk. Also, the dog doesn't die and is arguably the hero!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Mental illness and Grief
Minor: Racism, Emotional abuse, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Confinement, Child death, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, and Death
breazatoth's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Satisfying Appalachian folk horror, complete with roots of where some of our monsters began. Ending didn't hold up to the rest of the book, but the cast of characters was the shining star.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Confinement, Death, and Dementia
Minor: Domestic abuse, Child death, and Death of parent
_thelitlibrarian's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
4.25 stars
-
TW: Body Horror, Animal Death, Fire/Fire Injury, Death, Confinement, Toxic Relationship, Child Death, Infertility, Racism.
-
A modern folklore-horror take on a classic, this was a good retelling with loads of spooks, sprinkled with a dash of humour. I opted to listen to this via audio and let me tell you, I was constantly looking around to make sure I was alone! After the death of her grandmother Mouse is tasked with returning back to her home in hopes of cleaning and selling the home, at first it doesn't sound like a bad deal but we soon discover that grandma was a hoarder. As Mouse cleans she starts to uncover sinister secrets about the things in the woods. Mouse starts to realize her mistake in coming back - and wonders if sticking around is even worth it.
Although the plot is filled with impossibilities, the level of terror I felt was unreal. Just when I felt like I had things figured out something was thrown into the loop to throw us offguard. I really enjoyed the surrounding cast of characters including Foxy (a neighbour from the surrounding area), and her guard dog Bongo. The added presence of 'safe' characters was what Mouse needed, and also allowed the author to include humourous moments/dialogue in such a serious story. I will say that the 'horror' element (monster) was a tad far-fetched and out of this world, had it been something that could possibly happen in life I would have been a bit more scared! The book has a large buildup that left me a little let down at the end, I feel like the ending was a bit rushed and could have been more action-packed.
Overall this was a great horror read, that kept me captivated until the final moments.
-
TW: Body Horror, Animal Death, Fire/Fire Injury, Death, Confinement, Toxic Relationship, Child Death, Infertility, Racism.
-
A modern folklore-horror take on a classic, this was a good retelling with loads of spooks, sprinkled with a dash of humour. I opted to listen to this via audio and let me tell you, I was constantly looking around to make sure I was alone! After the death of her grandmother Mouse is tasked with returning back to her home in hopes of cleaning and selling the home, at first it doesn't sound like a bad deal but we soon discover that grandma was a hoarder. As Mouse cleans she starts to uncover sinister secrets about the things in the woods. Mouse starts to realize her mistake in coming back - and wonders if sticking around is even worth it.
Although the plot is filled with impossibilities, the level of terror I felt was unreal. Just when I felt like I had things figured out something was thrown into the loop to throw us offguard. I really enjoyed the surrounding cast of characters including Foxy (a neighbour from the surrounding area), and her guard dog Bongo. The added presence of 'safe' characters was what Mouse needed, and also allowed the author to include humourous moments/dialogue in such a serious story. I will say that the 'horror' element (monster) was a tad far-fetched and out of this world, had it been something that could possibly happen in life I would have been a bit more scared! The book has a large buildup that left me a little let down at the end, I feel like the ending was a bit rushed and could have been more action-packed.
Overall this was a great horror read, that kept me captivated until the final moments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Body horror, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Infertility, Death, Child death, and Racism
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
THE TWISTED ONES combines the mundane drudgery and strangeness of cleaning out a hoarder's house with the fantastical creepiness of a technically-not-haunted forest with twisted rocks and strange effigies.
I appreciate the way that the framing clearly situates this as a story being told after the narrator and her dog have survived the events in question, it would be a monumentally more stressful story if I'd had to wonder whether the dog dies. The dread lies instead in the very large gap between surviving and escaping unscathed, and in the pages upon pages of descriptions of what was in this particular hoarder's house. It ratcheted up the tension by inches, as the intensity of the supernatural events increased periodically while the sheer volume and detail of the house's contents were a steady drip of very plausible weirdness.
The main character, Mouse, is a great narrator, with the quirkiness of specificity bringing a great style to her asides and characterizations. Bongo (the dog) comes through so well in her descriptions, doing things that make sense for who he is as a dog, even (or perhaps especially) when such actions complement the narrative as a thriller. The secondary characters are detailed enough to feel like full people without distracting from the main events, and I like the group who helps her out towards the end (Foxy's my favorite).
There's a particular litany, both read and thought by Mouse, which gradually turned into an earworm in my own thoughts in a way that makes the horror even more effective. It made it feel like the book was escaping its confines, or at the very least it makes it alarmingly plausible that Mouse could be just the latest in a line of people who became stuck on that refrain.
The ending is terrifying, bringing together the more mundane horror of a hoarder's house together with the supernatural elements in a fantastically scary climax. It had felt like the collection of stuff and the creepy things outside were two separate worlds but the meeting between them was one of the scariest things I've read in a while. The final scenes at the house are absolutely chilling, leading to an resolution that feels just as right as it is weird and sad.
I appreciate the way that the framing clearly situates this as a story being told after the narrator and her dog have survived the events in question, it would be a monumentally more stressful story if I'd had to wonder whether the dog dies. The dread lies instead in the very large gap between surviving and escaping unscathed, and in the pages upon pages of descriptions of what was in this particular hoarder's house. It ratcheted up the tension by inches, as the intensity of the supernatural events increased periodically while the sheer volume and detail of the house's contents were a steady drip of very plausible weirdness.
The main character, Mouse, is a great narrator, with the quirkiness of specificity bringing a great style to her asides and characterizations. Bongo (the dog) comes through so well in her descriptions, doing things that make sense for who he is as a dog, even (or perhaps especially) when such actions complement the narrative as a thriller. The secondary characters are detailed enough to feel like full people without distracting from the main events, and I like the group who helps her out towards the end (Foxy's my favorite).
There's a particular litany, both read and thought by Mouse, which gradually turned into an earworm in my own thoughts in a way that makes the horror even more effective. It made it feel like the book was escaping its confines, or at the very least it makes it alarmingly plausible that Mouse could be just the latest in a line of people who became stuck on that refrain.
The ending is terrifying, bringing together the more mundane horror of a hoarder's house together with the supernatural elements in a fantastically scary climax. It had felt like the collection of stuff and the creepy things outside were two separate worlds but the meeting between them was one of the scariest things I've read in a while. The final scenes at the house are absolutely chilling, leading to an resolution that feels just as right as it is weird and sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal death, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death
madarauchiha's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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? N/A
2.0
❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara 💜 💙 💚 💛 🧡 ❤️
I didn't like the tone of it. It was very quirky white girl with the ramona flowers hair who only exists in r/STDH forums. I had no idea it was supposed to feel tense or horrific until I read other reviews. I thought the MC was pretty much a character out of the Scooby Doo universe.
It didn't feel like much happened. MC cleaned the house, went on a hike or two,read a diary, lost a dog, found the dog, and uhh got kidnapped? And then everything was resolved within a day. I think more could've been added like investigative scenes of going to the local library to study missing people near her grandmother's home. Or have a few chapters edited out because it was a bit repetitive. The eldritch horrors didn't feature that much to me.
The surrounding characters just kinda... exist. The writing was passable. It's rather dry horror. It's a slow build, that's for sure. Ok so it turns out it's based off Arther Machen's story 'The White People' which explains the slow building, I think. Those ye olde fuckers sure like taking the long of writing stories.
I think what kinda irritates me is that Foxy gets a name but the Black barista doesn't. Granted the goth barista doesn't either but hm. Suspect to me. ... fake edit: ok so goth barista gets a name. Enid. still waiting on a name for the one Black character. Literally before they even appear the cop gets named but the Black character doesn't. ok... Spoilers he is immediately forgotten after that one scene. Well.
content warnings:
Minor: ableist c slur, animal hunting, anti indigenous racism, burns fire death, child abuse, eating disorders, insects, menstruation, murder, pregnancy, q slur in historical context multiple times, sexual content, snakes, spiders, stillbirth, vomit
Medium: toxic relationships, religion catholicism,
Major: unsanitary hoarding situation, animal death, gore, police, body horror, confinement, prison, murder, fire, arson, demolition, dogs,
I didn't like the tone of it. It was very quirky white girl with the ramona flowers hair who only exists in r/STDH forums. I had no idea it was supposed to feel tense or horrific until I read other reviews. I thought the MC was pretty much a character out of the Scooby Doo universe.
It didn't feel like much happened. MC cleaned the house, went on a hike or two,
The surrounding characters just kinda... exist. The writing was passable. It's rather dry horror. It's a slow build, that's for sure. Ok so it turns out it's based off Arther Machen's story 'The White People' which explains the slow building, I think. Those ye olde fuckers sure like taking the long of writing stories.
I think what kinda irritates me is that Foxy gets a name but the Black barista doesn't. Granted the goth barista doesn't either but hm. Suspect to me. ... fake edit: ok so goth barista gets a name. Enid. still waiting on a name for the one Black character. Literally before they even appear the cop gets named but the Black character doesn't. ok... Spoilers he is immediately forgotten after that one scene. Well.
content warnings:
Minor: ableist c slur, animal hunting, anti indigenous racism, burns fire death, child abuse, eating disorders, insects, menstruation, murder, pregnancy, q slur in historical context multiple times, sexual content, snakes, spiders, stillbirth, vomit
Medium: toxic relationships, religion catholicism,
Major: unsanitary hoarding situation, animal death, gore, police, body horror, confinement, prison, murder, fire, arson, demolition, dogs,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Body horror, Confinement, Infertility, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Vomit, and Rape