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A review by xenexian
The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert
2.0
My rating scale: goodreads won’t let me 0 star a book, so 1* is the same as 0* for me. I give this book 3* on goodreads
I rounded this rating up to 3, purely because there were small bits I enjoyed, like when we learn about the history of the house and when they start finding the photo and the toys. I did NOT enjoy how Herbert seems to go from plot point to plot point via rambling, repetitive and frankly boring inner monologues.
The characters are all flat and intensely unlikeable - the only one I actually liked was Percy. The Caleigh family are genuinely all very stupid, and can’t decide whether to believe in ghosts or not / leave the hall or not / mourn their son before they even know he’s dead vs react with ZERO EMOTION when they find out he is dead (I’m looking at you, Eve!). Gabe is egotistical and frustrating. Eve seems kind of hysterical and weird. Loren seems more like a 15 year old than 12, and then sometimes is written like a 6 year old. Callie is just… blatantly written older than she is.
Maurice/Gordon - this character disturbed me so much. The inclusion of paedophilia in this book was horrifying and I feel like the fact that he liked it? And wanted to recreate it? DISTURBING. SICK. hated every second that this man was presented.
The ghosts: not scary in any way, shape or form. I was told I would be spooked. I was told I’d have nightmares. Maybe only about the poor writing, I think.
It feels like the whole book is 600+ pages of OOH INTERESTING oh wait another monologue from gabe about engineering. OOOH INTERESTING oh wait another boring monologue from Maurice as he spends what feels like 13 business days in the pub with the same glass of alcohol OOOOOH FINALLY SOME ACTION oh wait the ending is underwhelming. A real rollercoaster. And not enough good parts to make me enjoy it.
That being said, I did persevere and finish it, so it automatically gets 1* from that. The other 2 are for Percy and the scenes where they explore the hall.
I won’t be reading again.
I rounded this rating up to 3, purely because there were small bits I enjoyed, like when we learn about the history of the house and when they start finding the photo and the toys. I did NOT enjoy how Herbert seems to go from plot point to plot point via rambling, repetitive and frankly boring inner monologues.
The characters are all flat and intensely unlikeable - the only one I actually liked was Percy. The Caleigh family are genuinely all very stupid, and can’t decide whether to believe in ghosts or not / leave the hall or not / mourn their son before they even know he’s dead vs react with ZERO EMOTION when they find out he is dead (I’m looking at you, Eve!). Gabe is egotistical and frustrating. Eve seems kind of hysterical and weird. Loren seems more like a 15 year old than 12, and then sometimes is written like a 6 year old. Callie is just… blatantly written older than she is.
Maurice/Gordon - this character disturbed me so much. The inclusion of paedophilia in this book was horrifying and I feel like the fact that he liked it? And wanted to recreate it? DISTURBING. SICK. hated every second that this man was presented.
The ghosts: not scary in any way, shape or form. I was told I would be spooked. I was told I’d have nightmares. Maybe only about the poor writing, I think.
It feels like the whole book is 600+ pages of OOH INTERESTING oh wait another monologue from gabe about engineering. OOOH INTERESTING oh wait another boring monologue from Maurice as he spends what feels like 13 business days in the pub with the same glass of alcohol OOOOOH FINALLY SOME ACTION oh wait the ending is underwhelming. A real rollercoaster. And not enough good parts to make me enjoy it.
That being said, I did persevere and finish it, so it automatically gets 1* from that. The other 2 are for Percy and the scenes where they explore the hall.
I won’t be reading again.