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keiraonyxraven's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When Mouse’s grandmother passes away, her father asks her to clean up the inherited house ready for resale, but this spiteful old woman held secrets and so did her long past husband. As Mouse begins to find clues and evidence of unusual events and strange phenomena, she begins to question if she and her beloved dog, bongo, are really safe in this old house and the land surrounding the property.
This was a more slow-paced novel, but with copious amounts of suspense and mystery. I adored the build up of this story, it was creepy and unsettling and the use of repetitive language added another layer of eeriness. As with all their books, Kingfisher’s descriptions and settings really transported me within the story, and I cannot fault their ability to create an immersive and engaging reading experience.
My only criticism of this novel was the ending. Unfortunately I felt that a lot of the threat was taken away at the 70% mark and it lost the unsettling factor from the build up that I really enjoyed. The threat was re-established in the last 5% and I enjoyed the very end, but I did feel that between 70% and 95% my interest dwindled at little.
That being said, I still highly enjoyed this novel, the first 70% was almost flawless in terms of suspense and build-up, and the last 5% was adrenaline-filled and had a great twist. Overall, I would recommend this novel and would encourage any horror fans to give Kingfisher’s books a try.
This was a more slow-paced novel, but with copious amounts of suspense and mystery. I adored the build up of this story, it was creepy and unsettling and the use of repetitive language added another layer of eeriness. As with all their books, Kingfisher’s descriptions and settings really transported me within the story, and I cannot fault their ability to create an immersive and engaging reading experience.
My only criticism of this novel was the ending. Unfortunately I felt that a lot of the threat was taken away at the 70% mark and it lost the unsettling factor from the build up that I really enjoyed. The threat was re-established in the last 5% and I enjoyed the very end, but I did feel that between 70% and 95% my interest dwindled at little.
That being said, I still highly enjoyed this novel, the first 70% was almost flawless in terms of suspense and build-up, and the last 5% was adrenaline-filled and had a great twist. Overall, I would recommend this novel and would encourage any horror fans to give Kingfisher’s books a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Animal cruelty
bruisedtigers's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This made me squirm at so many moments. One part of the climax made me lower the book in heeby-jeebied defeat before summoning the will to proceed. I couldn't predict where this was going -- in a good way! I did want a little less of the characters having funny commentary in the middle of tense moments, but it wasn't a deal-breaker.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Body horror, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual violence and Miscarriage
gih's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
3.0
Very interesting worldbuilding. Unfortunately the protagonist reacts very realistically to the horrors, i.e. she's always close to a full mental breakdown, which doesn't make for a very fun read. Would have been more interesting if Mouse had died at the end, or stayed in Anna's place. Honestly, I'd have loved this story so much more if it had been from Anna's pov.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Dementia
Minor: Child death, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Slavery
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