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A review by pagesofnay
House of the Beast by Michelle Wong
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
House of the Beast is a remarkable debut. This is a book that will stay with me for years to come. Even after two days since finishing it, I am still struggling to find the words that convey how uniquely beautiful this story is.
What had immediately captured my attention was the writing. It is stunningly detailed and has a perfect balance of a dark and whimsical tone while still having an underlying feeling of dread or unease. I was wholly invested in this book because of how much I loved the writing style and world-building. Wong does an amazing job with explaining the intricacies of the world without being overly confusing or overwhelming for the reader.
The relationship between Alma and Aster is very much the focal point of the story. This story depicts an unhealthy codependent relationship so realistically. From the beginning of the book, you get the underlying sense of sorrow and doom that leaves you both compelled to continue and dreading the end. The ending was bittersweet and left me staring blankly at a wall to process, but I couldn’t have loved this book more.
Overall, this was a well developed and perfectly executed story. Thank you NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What had immediately captured my attention was the writing. It is stunningly detailed and has a perfect balance of a dark and whimsical tone while still having an underlying feeling of dread or unease. I was wholly invested in this book because of how much I loved the writing style and world-building. Wong does an amazing job with explaining the intricacies of the world without being overly confusing or overwhelming for the reader.
The relationship between Alma and Aster is very much the focal point of the story. This story depicts an unhealthy codependent relationship so realistically. From the beginning of the book, you get the underlying sense of sorrow and doom that leaves you both compelled to continue and dreading the end. The ending was bittersweet and left me staring blankly at a wall to process, but I couldn’t have loved this book more.
Overall, this was a well developed and perfectly executed story. Thank you NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.