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A review by kukucocoreads
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I enjoyed this!
I really liked the way that the father’s book was used as a framing devise for the plot and as a lens to the past. Gothic is one of my favorite genres of horror so the spooky ghost parts were fun. I enjoyed the MC’s reactions to them as well as the juxtaposition of her father’s experience.
I didn’t really like the main character in the beginning of the story. They had a bit of an abrasive personality for me because of the huge chip on her shoulder. However, as the story developed and I got a glimpse into the MC’s thoughts and feelings behind the book and how it impacted her life, I understood how she became that way. I actually ended up liking her more than I anticipated at the end as her character worked through her trauma.
The other characters didn’t really leave an impact on me and the twist at the end was ok. The pacing started going at blinding speed in the last few chapters and I feel like the twist didn’t have as much impact as it could have had.
One thing I really did not like was the snake hate. I understand why snakes are used in horror. People are scared of them. And this species specifically was likely used for their coloring. However, I really dislike when media perpetuates the fear of snakes. Especially harmless ones like those in this novel. I also don’t like descriptions of them (or any animal) getting hurt, so I got upset during a few scenes.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys gothic horror or mysteries.
I really liked the way that the father’s book was used as a framing devise for the plot and as a lens to the past. Gothic is one of my favorite genres of horror so the spooky ghost parts were fun. I enjoyed the MC’s reactions to them as well as the juxtaposition of her father’s experience.
I didn’t really like the main character in the beginning of the story. They had a bit of an abrasive personality for me because of the huge chip on her shoulder. However, as the story developed and I got a glimpse into the MC’s thoughts and feelings behind the book and how it impacted her life, I understood how she became that way. I actually ended up liking her more than I anticipated at the end as her character worked through her trauma.
The other characters didn’t really leave an impact on me and the twist at the end was ok. The pacing started going at blinding speed in the last few chapters and I feel like the twist didn’t have as much impact as it could have had.
One thing I really did not like was the snake hate. I understand why snakes are used in horror. People are scared of them. And this species specifically was likely used for their coloring. However, I really dislike when media perpetuates the fear of snakes. Especially harmless ones like those in this novel. I also don’t like descriptions of them (or any animal) getting hurt, so I got upset during a few scenes.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys gothic horror or mysteries.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Child death
Moderate: Animal cruelty