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A review by lambsbooks
House of the Beast by Michelle Wong
4.5
Vessels of House Avera were raised in violence. With violence, we would settle our affairs.
Dark, twisted, violent, heart-wrenching. Everything you could experience as your heart is being carved from your fucking chest. This book was a wild ride.
My father had brought me here to be a Hand of the Dread Beast, a host for the Harbinger of Blood and Ash, a vessel of destruction. I would show him that he should have been careful what he wished for.
4.5 stars
Set on a gothic, god-based world, Alma is taken in (forcibly) by her father to serve the Dread Beast. So ensues family infighting, petty schemes, warring families, betrayal, heartbreak, horror, gods and monsters, and emotional damage.
“You blame yourself for everything. Even the things that no one would think to blame you for. If you spend all your energy fighting yourself, how shall you defend against the ones who actually mean to hurt you?”
Wow, this was great. And fucking terrifying. Have you watched Doctor Who? Do you remember the Weeping Angels? How could you forget those if you’ve seen DW lmao but a version of them appeared in this at one point, unfortunately it was late a night for me so that was *fucking terrific*
Eventually, I was too weak to defend myself any longer from the thing that had been waiting for me in the dark.
Alma was such a devastating character, completely alone in the world, resented by everyone, used by her father; she broke my heart.
”You ever think that it could be different? That sometimes, it doesn’t have to be us against the whole world?”
Aster. Her invisible, make-believe companion, who got her through her childhood, but maybe not so make-believe? Maybe he was real, waiting for her to live up to her potential. Maybe they created a dependent corelationship on each other, maybe it ruined them in the end.
Over the years, I had spent many a day imagining what it would be like to finally give in and kiss my monster.
There was a lot of info at the start, but if you push through that, horrifying and emotionally devastating. Just what I needed. Highly recommend.
Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and the author for this ARC!
There’s pictures in the book, drawn by the author, and they were amazing, scary, and yes, emotionally damaging.
“I always knew this story wouldn’t have a happy ending. But still, I wanted to dream, for a while.”
Dark, twisted, violent, heart-wrenching. Everything you could experience as your heart is being carved from your fucking chest. This book was a wild ride.
My father had brought me here to be a Hand of the Dread Beast, a host for the Harbinger of Blood and Ash, a vessel of destruction. I would show him that he should have been careful what he wished for.
4.5 stars
Set on a gothic, god-based world, Alma is taken in (forcibly) by her father to serve the Dread Beast. So ensues family infighting, petty schemes, warring families, betrayal, heartbreak, horror, gods and monsters, and emotional damage.
“You blame yourself for everything. Even the things that no one would think to blame you for. If you spend all your energy fighting yourself, how shall you defend against the ones who actually mean to hurt you?”
Wow, this was great. And fucking terrifying. Have you watched Doctor Who? Do you remember the Weeping Angels? How could you forget those if you’ve seen DW lmao but a version of them appeared in this at one point, unfortunately it was late a night for me so that was *fucking terrific*
Eventually, I was too weak to defend myself any longer from the thing that had been waiting for me in the dark.
Alma was such a devastating character, completely alone in the world, resented by everyone, used by her father; she broke my heart.
”You ever think that it could be different? That sometimes, it doesn’t have to be us against the whole world?”
Aster. Her invisible, make-believe companion, who got her through her childhood, but maybe not so make-believe? Maybe he was real, waiting for her to live up to her potential. Maybe they created a dependent corelationship on each other, maybe it ruined them in the end.
Over the years, I had spent many a day imagining what it would be like to finally give in and kiss my monster.
There was a lot of info at the start, but if you push through that, horrifying and emotionally devastating. Just what I needed. Highly recommend.
Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and the author for this ARC!
There’s pictures in the book, drawn by the author, and they were amazing, scary, and yes, emotionally damaging.
“I always knew this story wouldn’t have a happy ending. But still, I wanted to dream, for a while.”