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A review by katyisreading
The Upstairs House by Julia Fine
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Rating: 4.5 stars
Recommend? For people who enjoy strange books. This reminded me both of The Need and of Bunny,
When Megan brings her newborn daughter Clara home, she's feeling overwhelmed by new motherhood, annoyed with her husband's busy work schedule, and overall uncertain about being a mother. One day, when Clara is a few days old, Megan finds a mysterious turquoise door in the wall. She opens it to find Margaret Wise Brown, author of beloved children's book Goodnight Moon and the subject of Megan's dissertation that she abandoned when she had Clara. Megan becomes convinced that Margaret (who died in 1952) and her lover (who died in 1950) are haunting the house.
This is an incredibly smart book. It is also at times funny, suspenseful, infuriating, and sad. I don't have children, but the language used to describe postpartum depression (and the metaphor of the hauntings) immediately connected me to the narrator. There were times in the middle when the book lagged a bit, but this one was definitely a stay-up-all-night-to-finish book by the end.
Recommend? For people who enjoy strange books. This reminded me both of The Need and of Bunny,
When Megan brings her newborn daughter Clara home, she's feeling overwhelmed by new motherhood, annoyed with her husband's busy work schedule, and overall uncertain about being a mother. One day, when Clara is a few days old, Megan finds a mysterious turquoise door in the wall. She opens it to find Margaret Wise Brown, author of beloved children's book Goodnight Moon and the subject of Megan's dissertation that she abandoned when she had Clara. Megan becomes convinced that Margaret (who died in 1952) and her lover (who died in 1950) are haunting the house.
This is an incredibly smart book. It is also at times funny, suspenseful, infuriating, and sad. I don't have children, but the language used to describe postpartum depression (and the metaphor of the hauntings) immediately connected me to the narrator. There were times in the middle when the book lagged a bit, but this one was definitely a stay-up-all-night-to-finish book by the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Child abuse