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A review by notesofacrocodile
This House Is Haunted by John Boyne
dark
mysterious
2.0
before i begin, i am so grateful to this novel for pulling me back from the edge of a reading slump and providing some respite during some busy and mentally exhausting days as i prepare for an important examination.
the book was off to a fine start: a rainy night, a charles dickens cameo, and a father-daughter duo devoted to each other. it was not so bad even as the horror element began to move its cogs. but then the issues slowly started to make themselves known; for one, it lacked the appropriate level of tension to create substantial unease in the reader. there was a lack of build up and urgency that no mentions of invisible violent hands or thick fogs could substantiate. there were some compelling bits and pieces here and there as the lore was revealed and we begin to understand the true circumstances of the events surrounding the haunting but overall, it proved to be lackluster in its execution and follow-up. the revelation of the lore itself was paced poorly, i think: we initially know nearly nothing and suddenly we know nearly everything! i didn't mind the protagonist so much, i thought her characterisation was good enough although it was laughable regarding the sheer extent to which she ignored signs of obvious paranormalcy.
the book was off to a fine start: a rainy night, a charles dickens cameo, and a father-daughter duo devoted to each other. it was not so bad even as the horror element began to move its cogs. but then the issues slowly started to make themselves known; for one, it lacked the appropriate level of tension to create substantial unease in the reader. there was a lack of build up and urgency that no mentions of invisible violent hands or thick fogs could substantiate. there were some compelling bits and pieces here and there as the lore was revealed and we begin to understand the true circumstances of the events surrounding the haunting but overall, it proved to be lackluster in its execution and follow-up. the revelation of the lore itself was paced poorly, i think: we initially know nearly nothing and suddenly we know nearly everything! i didn't mind the protagonist so much, i thought her characterisation was good enough although it was laughable regarding the sheer extent to which she ignored signs of obvious paranormalcy.