A review by darkestmaterials
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Hmm it's a bit of a weird one, because I really enjoyed it at the start, the build up of the tension and the way the relationships between the siblings were established.  I liked the way their relationship grew and changed throughout the book. The spooks were fun and goofy  - but I still there was a layer of genuine unease and discomfort and of course, the horror of grief. A showdown with the baddie happened and I felt satisfied with that... and then the story kind of kept going. While I still overall enjoyed it and I did get back into it towards the end, there was a little bit of a lull for my interest in the second act. I do agree with comments that say it could have been edited or streamlined a bit, as I felt for a while we were going in circles a little with the main threat. It got a little repetitive.

I did figure out the twist with regards to the main threat, so that was validating. You do have to suspend your disbelief a fair bit as the situation gets more and more ridiculous. Wouldn't really recommend for someone looking for serious scares or a truly terrifying monster, as it's quite 80s B movie vibes - but was a fun read overall. I just didn't walk away liking it as much as I did at the start sadly.
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