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florenceelizabethreads 's review for:
House of the Beast
by Michelle Wong
4.75 rounded up.
Gothic horror-esque fantasy with romance!!! Desperate to save her gravely ill mother, the only parent she has known, Alma reaches out to her estranged father for help. Unbeknownst to her, she is the daughter of a member of the wealthy House Avera and the vessel of the feared Dread Beast. In this world, four houses are vessels for four gods and have access to their powers. Her father agrees to help her mom if she becomes a vessel for the beast. Out of desperation, she agrees, but soon regrets her decision when her father refuses to allow her to visit her mother and her mother dies alone. Furthermore, Alma was born as a result of an affair and is treated with disdain by the members of the House of Avera, growing up in solitude. Lonely and angry, she befriends a god-like boy who becomes her sole companion and promises to help her seek vengeance against her family.
This book was a beautiful read, yet fierce and gruesome. Wong did a fantastic job showcasing the brutality of manipulation, grooming, desperation, vengeance, and the hunger for power, while at the same time highlighting the human potential to overcome, grow, and the power of love.
My only critique is that I would have liked a bit more world-building. I couldn't tell what period we were in, and was curious about the rest of the year.
SPOILER: My favourite relationship - besides Alma and her monster- was between Alma and her cousin's fiancé. I find it difficult to read stories that pit women against one another. Still, this relationship demonstrated two women who grew together as things became clear and supported one another despite all that was against them. Alma and her monster's relationship was an accurate depiction of loving the villain. My heart truly hurts for the monster, and he is a victim of the hunger for power. The resolution was truly the perfect way to end this book.
Gothic horror-esque fantasy with romance!!! Desperate to save her gravely ill mother, the only parent she has known, Alma reaches out to her estranged father for help. Unbeknownst to her, she is the daughter of a member of the wealthy House Avera and the vessel of the feared Dread Beast. In this world, four houses are vessels for four gods and have access to their powers. Her father agrees to help her mom if she becomes a vessel for the beast. Out of desperation, she agrees, but soon regrets her decision when her father refuses to allow her to visit her mother and her mother dies alone. Furthermore, Alma was born as a result of an affair and is treated with disdain by the members of the House of Avera, growing up in solitude. Lonely and angry, she befriends a god-like boy who becomes her sole companion and promises to help her seek vengeance against her family.
This book was a beautiful read, yet fierce and gruesome. Wong did a fantastic job showcasing the brutality of manipulation, grooming, desperation, vengeance, and the hunger for power, while at the same time highlighting the human potential to overcome, grow, and the power of love.
My only critique is that I would have liked a bit more world-building. I couldn't tell what period we were in, and was curious about the rest of the year.
SPOILER: My favourite relationship - besides Alma and her monster- was between Alma and her cousin's fiancé. I find it difficult to read stories that pit women against one another. Still, this relationship demonstrated two women who grew together as things became clear and supported one another despite all that was against them. Alma and her monster's relationship was an accurate depiction of loving the villain. My heart truly hurts for the monster, and he is a victim of the hunger for power. The resolution was truly the perfect way to end this book.