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A review by timelord10
Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book grabbed me and did not let go. I quite literally did not stop reading until I finished the book at 5 a.m. I can't think of anything I did not like, so let's talk about what I loved.
-The characters: I wasn't expecting to like the characters because I read So Thirsty earlier in the year and did not like those characters, but these characters were great. There were unlikable characters, but they weren't dumb (like in So Thirsty), so I wasn't constantly getting annoyed with them. I went into this book not knowing much, and I was so excited that the story centers 3 sisters because I have 2 sisters. I related the most to Daphne because she's a fellow middle child who just wants to keep the peace at the expense of feeling her own emotions.
-The plot/structure: The plot of this book was everything I wanted How To Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix to be (I didn't like that book unfortunately). I like how Harrison explores mommy issues, childhood trauma, mental health, and grief. My favorite thing she did was use the book the mom wrote in the story to turn Play Nice into a story within in a story. It's really interesting seeing the concept of everyone having a different perception of events despite being in the same place experiencing the same events. It makes everyone an unreliable narrator which adds well to the horror elements.
-The setting/atmosphere: The setting was immaculate. There were multiple times where I was really scared because I decided reading this book in the dark was a good idea. I like that Harrison made the demon elusive until closer to the end of the book. The more Clio started to remember about the demon and saw of the demon correlated with her facing her past and her own inner demons.
I highly recommend this book if you like reading stories about family trauma, grief, and haunted houses. I also overall just really enjoy Harrison's writing style.
-The characters: I wasn't expecting to like the characters because I read So Thirsty earlier in the year and did not like those characters, but these characters were great. There were unlikable characters, but they weren't dumb (like in So Thirsty), so I wasn't constantly getting annoyed with them. I went into this book not knowing much, and I was so excited that the story centers 3 sisters because I have 2 sisters. I related the most to Daphne because she's a fellow middle child who just wants to keep the peace at the expense of feeling her own emotions.
-The plot/structure: The plot of this book was everything I wanted How To Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix to be (I didn't like that book unfortunately). I like how Harrison explores mommy issues, childhood trauma, mental health, and grief. My favorite thing she did was use the book the mom wrote in the story to turn Play Nice into a story within in a story. It's really interesting seeing the concept of everyone having a different perception of events despite being in the same place experiencing the same events. It makes everyone an unreliable narrator which adds well to the horror elements.
-The setting/atmosphere: The setting was immaculate. There were multiple times where I was really scared because I decided reading this book in the dark was a good idea. I like that Harrison made the demon elusive until closer to the end of the book. The more Clio started to remember about the demon and saw of the demon correlated with her facing her past and her own inner demons.
I highly recommend this book if you like reading stories about family trauma, grief, and haunted houses. I also overall just really enjoy Harrison's writing style.